The Lawless Heart
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Movie Reviews of The Lawless Heart
Movie Review: Compromising Gay and Straight
Summary: 5 Stars
"Lawless Heart"
Compromising Gay and Straight
Amos Lassen
"Lawless Heart' aside from being a very good movie is a very skillful compromise between gay and straight stories. Perhaps this comes from those who presume that gay men understand emotion better than straight men and that if a movie is made that shows general emotional experience with somewhat of a gay perspective, it might exhibit a great deal of heart. We know and are certainly told that the heart does not reason.
"Lawless Heart" is the story of three men who are devastated by the death of Stuart-- his brother-in-law, his lover and his best friend. Dan is a faithful and loving father and husband--that is, until he meets Corinne, a buxom and good looking Frenchwoman who seduces him with her honesty and hedonism. He feels that he may have missed out on something in life. Nick, Stuart's lover, begins a relationship with a young women and when they become more intimate, Nick becomes troubled by his feelings. Tim is a man who is carefree and charismatic returns home after eight years away and he is still looking for that something that has eluded him. He thinks he finds it in a woman who works in a boutique but as he faces the future he finds that the women's unknown past stands in his way.
The film opens at the funeral reception and we see Dan talking to Corinne and things become very flirtatious but the talk is somewhat empty yet witty. Nick realizes that even though he was Stuart's lover realizes that he will inherit nothing because Stuart left no will and that Dan and his wife will get the estate. The third man, Tim, sees the events of the funeral differently. He himself is a horrible, selfish character.
I was reminded of the great Japanese film "Roshomon" by Kurosawa as we look at events from three different perspectives. Each perspective is a different aspect of Everyman and we quickly learn that no one is as they appear. Seeing the same story from three different viewpoints shows a new approach to looking at the way things seem to be. It makes us think how each of us see only a small piece of a larger picture and that each personal encounter is the intersection of two worlds of which the complex histories are only known by the individuals. People behave strangely but if we were privy to the motivations for action and the complete story, we would probably understand.
It is the dialog that carries this film and watching it a second time makes everything come together. The acting is highly polished and it is an excellent film. It is important to keep in mind that the whole is larger than its parts in this thoughtful and eloquent story of small-town people wrestling with big problems.
Movie Review: A Delightful Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is a sensitive portrayal of several individuals, each relating the story (visually) from his or her perspective. I was drawn into the overall story, which I felt was enhanced by the clever script-writing and editorial techniques. As Chief Seattle once said, 'we did not weave the web of life, we are but strands in it'. This movie so competently affirms this!Movie Review: waste of time
Summary: 1 Stars
The only point to this movie is that it's a vehicle to show a few simulated quickie sex scenes.
wish I could give it 0 stars!
Movie Review: The Lawless Heart
Summary: 4 Stars
Good story from three perspectives. Relates to real life situations. Good choice for Bill Nighy fans.Movie Review: A story that follows the lawless emotions of three men.
Summary: 4 Stars
Lawless Hearts is a slick, well-made British soap drama, which is probably most notable for the ingenious way it tells the story. Viewers who like realistic British, character driven drama will like this film, particularly those viewers of the East Enders or Two Thousand Acres of Sky on PBS. Well acted with a story that is told from multiple viewpoints, Lawless Hearts - using the symbols of a coconut, a tacky scarf, and a stolen corkscrew - is a rather bittersweet tale of three very different men who are thrust together after the death of a friend.
Set in a seaside town in England, the deceptively simple story follows the frustrated Dan (Bill Nighy) as he's led to ponder his marriage and life choices after the death of his brother-in-law Stuart. Stuart was a gay restaurateur whose sudden death has sent his friends and family into emotional tailspins. At Stuart's funeral, Dan meets and forms a connection with Corrine (Clementine Celarie), an attractive flower arranger. Tim (Douglas Henshall) is also at the funeral. He's a hippie lay about who has returned after eight years abroad to a lukewarm reception from his family and a possible budding romance. Nick (a marvelous Tom Hollander) is Stuart's lover and business partner, and while waiting for the outcome of Stuart's estate, he befriends Charlie (Sukie Smith), a damaged, spunky woman who helps him grieve and makes him rethink his life.
Stuart's funeral provides the centerpiece for each man's journey as the three men's stories branch out from this central incident. The story constantly shifts perspectives, as we see the same incidents from each man's viewpoint. The search for love and the ability to cope with devastating loss is at the heart of this film. Dan is unfulfilled in his marriage and contemplates having an affair; Tim is disenfranchised from his family, and is desperately searching for love; and Nick - the most complex and fully rounded character - is so emotionally fraught over the loss of his lover and partner, that he can't decide whether to stay where he is or move to London to live.
While each character is faced with the complications of love and loss, Lawless Heart is ultimately about perspective-how each of us sees the world, and how our preoccupation with that view can blind us to the experience of others. The unique story telling structure, which at first might seem gimmicky to some, is actually a really good way to show the intricate points of view, and there is never a scene that is repeated from the same angle.
All the actors are excellent and do a good job of conveying the naturalism of their characters. Tom Hollander is especially good. Family conflict - dealing with monetary inheritance - and also sexual politics are well presented and there's a particularly fanciful moment, when Dan asks Nick whether he's ever been unfaithful in his relationship with Stuart - it's an awkward meeting of the gay and straight worlds. Lawless Heart is a quiet, intimate film, which some viewers unfamiliar with British dramatic realism may find a little dull. The film demands a focused viewing as there are many intricacies, subtleties and symbols which the viewer will need to grasp in order to really appreciate this film as a whole. Mike Leonard January 05.