About.com Rating

Acclaimed British cult director Philip Ridley (The Reflecting Skin) has been absent from the movie scene for over a decade -- since 1995's The Passion of Darkly Noon -- but his recent cinematic return, Heartless, is a solid return to his surreal hybrids of drama, thriller and horror.

The Plot

Jamie (Jim Sturgess) is a lovelorn 20-something photographer born with a heart-shaped red birthmark on his face (and more on his torso), a disfigurement that has made him introverted and riddled with self-loathing and frustration.

He lives a quiet, lonely life with his mother in her East London home, his father having died 10 years ago.

One evening while walking through his gritty, crime-ridden neighborhood, he sees three hooded figures hovering around a bonfire. One of the approaches him, and Jamie is startled to see that it has the toothy, menacing face of a demon. He runs home and later sees on the news that a father and son were killed nearby by three people in hoodies and demon masks hurling Molotov cocktails.

As the figures continue to menace Jamie and his friends and family, he slips further into despair and anger. He gets a mysterious phone call asking him to meet a mysterious figure called Papa B (Joseph Mawle) who offers him a Faustian deal: love in exchange for the seemingly harmless task. But trusting a demon is not without its perils, and just as he starts to find happiness, Jamie finds himself trapped in a life-or-death struggle that threatens to destroy all that he loves.

The End Result

Heartless's riff on the Faust tale is nothing new, but its bleak city backdrop provides commentary of a side of modern British life -- the urban blight and juvenile violence -- that we outside of the UK don't see very often.

Its blurring of fantasy and reality is likewise not original, but it's all well executed enough to carry dramatic weight.

While it comes wrapped in horror trappings, Heartless is at its core a drama that packs an emotional punch, although the message is muddled within deep ruminations on the meaning of life, the power of love, the efficacy of positive thought and whatever else you might want to read into it. The mystery element likewise sputters in an age where savvy viewers are used to being toyed with and thus don't easily fall for screenplay trickery.

Thankfully, strong performances by Sturgess, Mawle, Noel Clarke and others help overcome the script's limitations, and despite Ridley's writing missteps, the story exudes genuine "heart," building up good will and an appreciation for the effort, even if the aim is a little off target.

The Skinny

• Acting: B (Stellar performances carry the film.)
• Direction: B- (Effectively conveys a dramatic, emotional core.)
• Script: C- (Confused message and somewhat predictable plot.)
• Gore/Effects: C+ (Moderate gore and modest effects work.)
• Overall: B- (Unoriginal and muddled but emotional and well made with a good cast.)

Heartless is directed by Philip Ridley and is not rated by the MPAA. Release date: November 19, 2010 (on demand November 24, 2010).

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