Art Thou Beguil'd Now? - Christopher Eccleston News
Information on the latest projects (The Leftovers, Fortitude, Legend) and archive with all screen, stage, radio titles covered.
http://chrisecclestonbulletin.blogspot.com/favicon.ico
PART 7

HEART

6 May 1999

Film | Dir. Charles McDougall | Wr. Jimmy McGovern

Role: Gary Ellis (pilot).

Video example - Gallery - IMDb - Get: Region 1, Region 2

Alex: "One more member of the 'good intentions pave the road to hell' club (which for me consists of 'A Price Above Rubies', this and a couple other films that will be reviewed later). This time, we have a good creative team and cast, but the story itself is already suspicious, and where the film loses me, is its overall tone and narrative presentation, weakened by some mechanical suspense building.

"'Heart' is about a morbidly jealous Gary, his wife Tess who is good at feeding his suspicions, and Gary's heart transplant operation. He finds donor's increasingly deranged mother who takes up stalking the couple. All characters are decidedly abominable, and while I'm normally perturbed by the hapless characters' fates, this time I – perhaps perversely – cheered Gary on (it's one of the toughest endings of all CE films).

"It felt though as if there was some kind of meta level, narrative exemplified what author wanted to do with his creations. The penultimate scenes were the best in the film, even managing an acerbic social commentary, but the final ones destroyed this impression, returning to dial-a-twist – when the punch isn't enough to knock you unconscious, you're bound to notice the papier-mâché nature of the scenery.

"Film's attempts at humour and sordidness missed me by a mile, and somehow I believe I could've probably been satisfied with writing this film off as a moderate attempt at psycho-drama without them. You glimpse the story that could've been powerful – especially if it pursued the analysis of social and moral questions it touches, instead of what you only could call deliberate aspiration to degrade itself to a B-movie.

"It's not captivating/gruesome enough to be a plain horror story either, it's just repulsive (and I don't mean queasy, though it is graphic in all aspects). A great big 'eh?' it is now, and while I understand what the creators wanted to tell, I cannot see why I should be willing to experience this story. Oh yes, because CE is beyond convincing – but that's the problem."

Conclusion:Avoid, unless you're of 'what-doesn't-kill-you' kind.

DVD Notes:

2002 "Spartan" All Regions (sold as Region 1; check with seller). Spanish subtitles. Extras: Filmographies.

WITH OR WITHOUT YOU

3 Sept 1999 (Venice Film Festival)

Film | Dir. Michael Winterbottom | Wr. John Forte

Role: Vincent Boyd (husband).

Video example - Gallery - IMDb - Get: Region 2 USA, UK

Alex: "A film, watching of which I've been postponing as long as possible, so frightened I was by its genre and themes. And when I finally saw it, I found it's indeed a rom-com. It's about a couple: They're desperate to conceive a child, and experience various troubles both at home and at work, especially when certain individuals from their past get involved.

"And I found that I have nothing against it, despite not sharing the ideas expressed in it or with it. It didn't irk me: It's well made for its genre and rather funny (characters are shown sympathetically, with soft irony, and humour isn't automatic). This film perhaps won't change your life, but it won't ruin an evening in either.

"I liked its visual side, it supported the mood and gave the story a very homogeneous feel. Characters were interesting, easy to follow, and there's also the local problematic (protestant/catholic, f. ex.).

"While the film itself is slightly unusual for CE, Vincent is not that far away from the men he played before; a man's man, who prefers to go and tinker with his car instead of braving an honest conversation with his wife. He's also bitter that he gave up his job as a police officer, and sees himself as a sort of failure, and childlessness is obviously not helping."

Conclusion:Worthwhile easy-watching, could be recommended because of, among other nicely random reasons, the northern Irish accent, which suits CE and his character very well, or, for example, the boy racer sequence. For once, a feel-good (eventually) film.

DVD Notes:

2008 "Film4" Region 2. English HOH subtitles. Extras: Interviews w/ the cast; Making-Of (CE featured); Theatrical trailer.

Watch: CE interview, making-of, trail