Weekly Review, pt. 1 -- Heart trouble, computer trouble...

Heart (1999) -- This absorbing British drama pulls out all the stops to show the meaning of coincidence, fate and jealousy. After the harrowing opening sequence -- one of the best openers I have seen in a while -- we meet Gary and Tess Ellis (Christopher Eccleston and Kate Hardie). Following an intense argument concerning Tess's possible adultery, Gary suffers a heart attack. He soon receives the heart of Sean McCardle (Matthew Rhys), a teenager killed in a motorcycle accident, but Gary's problems are not over. Apart from him not fully trusting Tess yet, the couple are now being nearly stalked by Maria McCardle (the outstanding Saskia Reeves), Sean's grieving mother, who seems to have developed a fixation with Gary as a link between her and her dead son. While Maria insinuates herself into the Ellises' lives, Gary discovers that Tess's affair with writer Alex (Rhys Ifans) is not finished... Heart is one of those films that are best understood if the viewer reads between the lines. Underneath the dramatic thriller facade lies a touching study of human emotions, relationships, instincts and parental love. Reeves is at once endearing and disturbed as Maria, doing an amazing job with her eyes, voice and body language. Throughout the film, her Maria walks a fine line between breaking down in tears and experiencing a psychotic episode, with the audience not being able to even imagine the hell she is going through. Hardie's Tess is torn between the desire to save her marriage, her attraction to Alex and the awareness that Gary's jealousy and her pity for his condition are the two things driving them further and further away from each other. Eccleston gives a genuine and not always likeable performance, making Gary as sympathetic as possible. At first, Gary's wish to keep Tess appears to be motivated by his love for her, but it quickly escalates into blind, selfish frenzy. Interestingly, the two characters with the strongest bond, Gary and Maria, also share obsessions with their loved ones; however, while we understand Maria's motivation, we realize that Gary's is far less noble and more destructive. The film parallels these two characters and resolves their predicaments in an appropriate and unpredictable climax. The only negative aspect of the film is its length and lack of character development. I wish we could have known more about Gary's history, as well as Tess's position as career woman and obvious breadwinner. I believe that a further examination of these traits would have enriched the film's view of jealousy and its outlook on the Ellises' marital anti-bliss. I also have to mention the film's soundtrack and say that songs by Dionne Warrick and Sneaker Pimps have never been used in a better context. Heart is a drama that could have provided a deeper analysis of its themes, but that still remains an effective slice of distorted lives.

8/10


Pulse (2001) -- Horror films with a philosophical outlook are a rare breed; horror films with an existentialist slant are practically impossible to find. This Kiyoshi Kurosawa gem is a philosophical treatise of our society's flaws, cleverly masquerading as a supernatural horror film. After her friend Taguchi (Kenji Mizuhashi) commits suicide, Michi (Kumiko Aso) and her friends face strange occurrences enveloping Tokyo. People start acting strangely and disappearing after meddling with a web site that promises ghost encounters. At the same time, Ryosuke (Haruhiko Katô), an economics student and computer layman, has a brush with the site while trying to get on-line. Scared and confused, he seeks help from Harue (Koyuki), a computer lab assistant at his school. After meeting the grad student who designed a screensaver that is eerily linked to the ghost site, Ryosuke is close to solving the mystery, but is it too late?


**SPOILERS AHEAD**


The film is heavy on criticism of the Internet culture that has permeated our society to its core; the design of the screensaver itself scolds the 21st century human condition. The random disappearances and the idea of the dead coming into our world through the Internet are a symbolical reminder as to why technology can never come close to, let alone replace, human contact.


**END OF SPOILERS**


Director Kurosawa is a true master at creating suspense. Pulse does not make you jump even once; however, it is the wait for that moment that generates the tension. The appearance of the ghosts and the music that follows these sequences will send chills down your spine; you will never look at calls for help in the same light, either. Kurosawa uses drawn-out shots and subtle camerawork to create uneasiness that will make even the toughest audience members quiver. The film also boasts a great use of locales, turning a library and even a supermarket into places to dread. My only gripe is the lack of usage of the threatening, sterile computer lab, but I am guessing that the director did not want to be obvious, considering the role of the Internet in the film. Overall, this horror film pays attention to its dialogue and perspective on life much more than many others. It is a slow-moving, metaphor-oriented piece that rewards the viewers' patience, making one re-think the value that other people bring to their life.

9/10


Steal (2002) -- There have been numerous films in recent years that featured extreme sports and that flopped disgracefully. This is mostly due to the style-over-substance affliction that much of this sub-genre suffers from, with filmmakers paying more attention to the stunts and action sequences than any kind of character development. In this Gérard Pirès offering, a group of young bandits, led by Slim (Stephen Dorff), executes well-planned heists with an extra serving of adrenaline on top. After an unexpected $20 million score in bonds after their latest heist, the gang decide to quit while they are ahead; however, they are blackmailed into one last job by the mob. Clichéd characters and bad dialogues are this film's main problems; occasionally, one gets the feeling the filmmakers did not even make an effort, but simply wanted to spew out an actioner for their own indulgence. Dorff always brings intensity to his roles and, based on her work on the recent "Commander in Chief", Natasha Henstridge is a pretty competent actress who is able to make a quality role her own. They both deserve much better material than this xXx wannabe; at least that film had spunk and a charismatic principal character. The only highlights here are the well-filmed opening scene and bridge scene. Steal is the cinematic equivalent of confectionery -- glittery and stylish, it dissolves quickly and fails to leave a lasting memory.

5/10