woah...how much we disagree. How you can call Jim Sturgess's performance awful is beyond understanding. He gave the most incredible and naturalistic performance I've seen from an actor in recent memory (and about 1000 people in the audience would probably agree). I was so affected by the power of this film and the performances.
Why do I just get the feeling that you are going against the grain just to stand out!?

I'm not doing that at all and never do, please see my other reviews for proof!

Similarly I can't understand why on earth everyone at Frightfest liked this so much, but there are a handful of us who think it's just awful. I was expecting to get a bit of stick for this review though.

As for Sturgess's preformance, I can see why some might like it, but naturalistic???

I'd like to point out some mistakes in your 'review'...

(1) it was not the directors own band who performed the songs, and it weren't was it the director who sang the songs. The director merely wrote the words. As, indeed, he had done on his previous film, The Passion of Darkly Noon. And the director was in a band and writing lyrics, long before he ever made his first film. It was Sturgess who sang the songs... if fact unless you were late he sung them LIVE in front of the whole audience!

(2) Ridley was born, was brought up, and still lives in the area where the film was shot. So, if anyone knows that area, it should be him.

(3) It was clear to me that the character Jamie didn't really have a career as a professional photographer. Just the opposite. He hid himself away and merely hung up his photos at home. Wasn't that the whole point...?

(4) The whole film is seen through the eyes of Sturgess's character. It's HIS perception of the world around him that we're seeing. A point that seems to be totally missed, or deliberately ignored in order to score points, by the reviewer.

Also big up for insulting the frightfest crowd...

Sorry I really should have noticed it was Sturgess and not the director. My bad.

Disagreeing with an audience is insulting them? Please

I was really taken by Sturgess' performance. As Farietale mentioned, most of the events happen in Jamie's mind, and once I got into that perspective I found the movie really satisfying. I also thought the soundtrack worked well and set the tone.

Thanks for your restraint Cage Fighter, people seem to get awfully insulted sometimes!

I think the "all in the mind" trick is a bit of a cop-out, akin to "it was all a dream". It removes the need for meaning.

I didn't mention it because I thought it gave things away a little, but never mind...

Ben read your review with interest and by and large I do agree with your overall assessment. I was at the Frightfest premiere .. well me and 1300 others! .. and came out of it thinking "ok I guess and watchable enough but where was this groundbreaking masterpiece I kept hearing about in articles beforehand".

Went into it with an open mind as I've never seen any Philip Ridley movies before.I felt the movie was a little disappointing and thought it self to be much cleverer and original than it actually was.

Overall it was a well put together and shot movie with some good (but not great) performances by Sturgess, the young girl and also the versatile Eddie Marsan but there was nothing really highly original in it. A mix of elements which didnt always gel and it was obvious early on that the majority of the goings on were all in Jamie's head.

I wouldnt honestly say that it was universally hailed by the Frightfest audience - a slight majority probably either loved it or liked elements of it - as from my experience it seemed to polarise opinions from those loving it and claiming they wept buckets in it (the crying thing nonplusses me completely .. didnt connect or even care much about the characters .. apart from Jamies mum to be upset at their demise) to those violently hating it to those of us in the middle who though it was ok but nothing out of the ordinary and a little cliched in its view of the world Jamie and his family live in.

The post festival review from the organisers made the comment that "Heartless received the love it/hate it reception that it will have to get used to" and I think thats quite accurate.

I'm quite interested in how Lionsgate are going to handle this one - looking at the kind of movies they usually release I'm thinking "is Heartless the movie they expected? if its not what they expect then how will they deal with it?" I get the feeling they would have preferred the molotov wielding hoodies and Papa B to be real and not just a figment of Jamie's troubled mind.

Interesting points Rick, thanks. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who didn't like it, though you seem to have taken a more balanced view :) We differ in that I didn't even find it watchable, and would have walked out if I hadn't been asked to write this review.

I haven't seen any of Ridley's other films either and you've got me wondering if seeing some consistency in his work (even if it is based on something I don't personally like) might give me a bit more respect for him. I hate talking myself into watching more from a director I haven't liked but it seems that I just have...

Well I was in a good mood and open to a new experience and I was trying to give Ridley the benefit of the doubt - catch me on a bad day and I might have felt "what a crock" :) Out of interest I checked out the Frighfest forum and boy was it getting a little heated on there! Interesting reading but a strange vibe at times of some who passionately loved the movie almost berating those who didnt?? On Ridley's other movies Reflecting Skin seems interesting so I might give it a try ... not a priority but a possible.

I saw this at Frightfest and all I have to say is: what a pile of pretentious, artificial poop. Bad acting, VERY forced direction and a completely self-indulgent script that goes from bearable to laughable about 1/3 in. How does this nonsense get financed?

this film is absolute rubbish, avoid it at all costs!

twitchfilm likes it

My eyebrows have shot through the roof of my head reading that Twitch review. The reviewer gushes so much that anyone in the same room as him was probably up to their ankles in water. I kinda liked most of this flick but I definitely did not find it to be some kind of truly awesome, ground-breaking, highly original and emotionally charged experience. Mr Twitch - did we see the same movie?? are there two versions out there?? Are you Phil Ridley's Mum or his Publicist ??? Its looking like a real Marmite of a movie - loveit or hate it - to me.

I thought it was really beautiful... no idea who Philip Ridley is... only seen Sturgess in 21 so wasn't expecting anything and found myself quite taken with the whole experience. So much so I looked it up in imdb

it's terrible. pretentious and really one to avoid at all costs. Anyone who says otherwise, is something to do with the film!