User reviews

Cate Blanchett is Philippa, an English teacher who plants a bomb in an office. She wants to kill the boss there because he is a drugdealer and because his fault children died. The boss is not killed, four innocent people are, including two children. In jail she is interrogated and a translater named Filippo (Giovanni Ribisi) falls in love with her and helps her. I will not reveal with what exactly or how he helps her but the woman will have the chance to pay her dues on her own way.

The story set in Italy (Blanchett and Ribisi speak perfectly Italian in the movie) is a beautiful, tragic and intelligent one. The cinematography is great. Together with the music the film takes it time and doesn't rush things. It makes the movie, with a lot of symbolism, even more beautiful. Very interesting, written by the late Krzysztof Kieslowky (writer/director of Dekalog and Trois Couleurs) and Krzysztof Piesiewicz and directed by Tom Tykwer (director of Lola Rennt). Ribisi is very good and Blanchett is great.

Tykwer once gave us the kinetic, frantic styling of "Run Lola, Run", a tale that's all about movement. His approach to "Heaven" is quite different however, parts of the film being almost like a meditation and relying necessarily on a still and collected aura. Visuals are important all the same, though, since there isn't much exposition in the dialogue. What talking there is is made up more of imperatives and sharp, harsh sounds. The transition of moods is conveyed to us largely using silence and the picture we see on screen, so our two leads have to be expressive, and Blanchett in particular expertly generates empathy for her character, with minimal fuss.

Coming to the experience of watching this film knowing as little about events as possible is vital, I think. The film entranced me from its first unusual shot, and it was difficult to reflect too long on individual instances because the telling is so seamlessly smooth in its moment. For some watchers, this will marry perfectly with how they like to take in art, but I myself admit to preferring standout scenes that I'll remember, rather than preserving the unity of the piece as a whole. I was raised as a 'style over content' man and unfortunately it must be ingrained within me now, despite having broadened my tastes as I grew. That would explain the comparatively low rating for a film I have otherwise praised, but at least I found the unusual story to be a joy and appreciated what I saw as the film's underlying ethos. To wit:

... that the consequences of what must be irreversible decisions are inevitable, but that is not to deny an uplifting element that can also coexist alongside. Even at the height of despair and utter nihilism about life in general, she's still able to find a kind of solace in the company of someone who will sacrifice himself for her, unconditionally. Even at your darkest, somehow support will always be available, somewhere. I find that to be a rather comforting and positive notion.

It's like life, sooner or later an ending will be met, but what's important is to seize the little moments of happiness and peace where you can.

The framework of the story overall might have been depressing, but it's an important message, and I enjoyed seeing it play itself out. The form of presentation is regrettably one to which I'm not properly accustomed, so I doubt I got the best out of it, but nevertheless I still have to say it proved to be remarkably memorable and moving.

This is not an ordinary movie. Watching this film is like watching a poem. it is too bad that some reviewers here have to see everything in the plug and play mode meant for short attention spans. This is a work of art intended to be tasted, smelled, seen, and touched. It enlivens the senses, touches the heart, and moves you with little dialog. Blanchett doesn't have to speak. Her face tells the pain of her loss, her remorse for her actions, and her lack of relief from her revenge. Ribisi is stunning as the outwardly simple, infatuated boy-like man with subtly revealed inner strength and cunning. Sometimes it is nice to take a break from the usual fare and take a ride on a work of art. I loved this film and will watch it again.

Some movies use non-stop action to get your adrenaline pumping; others, like this one are more subtle. They use outstanding cinematography and beautiful music combined with great acting to gently wrap around you and captivate you.

Krzysztof Kieslowski's and Krzysztof Piesiewicz's script, along with Tom Tykwer's (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer) direction formed a beautiful shell for Cate Blanchette's (Elizabeth: The Golden Age, I'm Not There, The Aviator) magic as a woman who killed four people by mistake and wanted to pay for her crime.

Giovanni Ribisi (Saving Private Ryan, The Boiler Room) was quietly understated as the police officer who fell in love with her.

Frank Griebe's camera work was impressive, and the music was wonderful, some of it performed by Tom Tykwer, the director.

'Heaven' is a wonderfully subtle film, full of refined camera work and scarce in dialogue. It stands as a good representation for the 'X Filme' project that Tom Tykwer co-heads, which aims to create films both new and thought-provoking as well as successful in their theater runs.

At roughly an hour and a half, 'Heaven' is a cinematic triumph that nudges open the gates to the philosophy and psychology of the lone man or woman along with those of society on the whole. It takes place in Italy, but Tykwer himself stated in an interview that really it could have been shot in any number of places with the message remaining the same. 'Heaven' is a thinly-scripted, in-depth commentary on issues prevailing throughout the modern world. Drugs, sex, sexuality, identity and the fibres that make up humans as a race are what this film revolves around: it is not a film for tourists or spectators. The excellent performances of Giovanni Ribisi and Cate Blanchett (apart and together) should only be missed if you are mainly looking for external adventure and action. Though it shares its part in weapons, scheme and drama, 'Heaven' is not blockbuster material: it is art material.

Beautiful cinematography, the biggest highlight of the movie is how its filmed and the actors that really bring it to life. As always Kate Blenchett is gorgeous and her acting is stunning. She really outshines everyone in the film with her beauty and how well she takes on the role of Philippa who is seeking justice for the death of her husband. Blanchett really went all out on her role as she shaved her head in real life in the film. Out of all the movies I've seen Giovanni Ribisi in this one was by far his best. He is usually really off beat and picks roles where he is psychotically crazy, so it was nice to see him act almost "normal" as he takes on the role of a very serious officer.

As for the script and plot of the film, there's not much to it which can make it boring. Most of the movie is dialogue and expressions to show character, there isn't a lot of action scenes, love scenes or in depth story that progresses and developes. The movie starts off in Italian then adds in some English, giving a mixed movie of Italian and English - be prepared to read lots of subtitles.

Obviously, from the summary of this review, I consider _Heaven_ perhaps the most beautiful film I've seen. As a writer and professor, I still consider film my foremost love of all the arts. In consequence, I've seen thousands of films--and those include nearly every one of the hundreds which are considered the greatest in the medium.

After multiple viewings, I place Heaven at the top. The direction and cinematography are both remarkable, the story utterly compelling, and the performances--especially Cate's--beyond compare. It is actually the overwhelming power and beauty of Cate that's the core of the film's art. It's not just "acting," but the combination of unearthly beauty, top-tier cinematography, *and* her talent that makes this a level above Streep, Dench, Bergman, Hepburn, and any other great at their absolute best.

I suppose it's hard to imagine the existence of a full level beyond what we consider--previously--to have been the most beautiful and artful female performance on screen. But that level is here, and it's clear.

This is a really difficult film to review. You have to sense the impact the first half-hour makes on the viewer--getting hooked into the story of a woman who, in an effort to kill a drug dealer, accidentally blows away four innocent people. Then, in the midst of confessing her deed to the Italian authorities, the young police offer acting as translator falls in love with her and helps her escape. Two very intense performances from Blanchett and Ribisi rivet the viewer's attention.

But from the moment of escape onwards, the film lingers too long on artful looks and poses from its stars--CATE BLANCHETT and GIOVANNI RIBISI--as they deal with what to do next. The suspense comes from knowing that they're only one step ahead of the police who are scouring the entire country for them. But Blanchett is a woman with a mission--she still wants to kill the doctor that she set out to murder in the first place. With the help of Ribisi, she does manage to do exactly that.

Strangely, the last twenty minutes of the film, instead of milking the situation for maximum suspense, comes to a lull in the Italian countryside and the plot is almost stagnant from that point on as if nobody knew how to end the tale. Having them get into a helicopter and fly off into the clouds seems like the only way out after the writer trapped himself into a corner.

Morally, the tale is as bankrupt as the misguided heroine and the hapless hero. Yet, for all its blunders, it remains an engrossing film to watch as you ponder the fate of these two strangely remote individuals who have fallen in love so suddenly.

The high-cheekboned Blanchett and expressionless Ribisi make an odd couple, but in life how many of these do we see all the time? The ambiguous ending is sad too because we know they can't escape their fate as they escape from the authorities in a stolen helicopter and make for the skies.

What starts as an interesting psychological drama gradually derails into a shallow, third-rate melodrama. An utterly implausible story, riddled with (moral and visual) clichés, with the escape of the young couple by helicopter as its embarrassing low point. Admittedly, the camera-work is beautiful at its best moments. But even the images increasingly started to bored me, with its abundant use of filters and 'smooth' lighting, which the director probably mistakes for poetry. Even a pig stock is illuminated with a golden glow. There is a word for this: kitsch. Well suited for the Italian board of Tourism perhaps, or as an ad for a brand of tomato sauce in a ladies' magazine. Tom Tykwer can still opt for a different career.

**spoilers**

This is one of Blanchett's most under-rated pieces of work. Not only stunning in it's visual and directing effects, but it has a screenplay that is hard to beat. Blanchett and Ribisi have perfect chemistry and the intense storyline is there from the beginning. I can't believe some of these usercomments said that the movie was slow-paced. Huh? The last half hour or so wasn't as dramatic as the first half, but its obvious why...they are forming their connection. There is still the intense worry that they will be caught, but I personally was more interested in seeing them form and discover their love for one another despite the stressful circumstance.I recommend this to anybody who wants to see a unique yet still stunning movie.

This is an unusual film, start to finish, particularly finish. Why? Because......

It's a suspense film but not all that suspenseful, especially in light of today's bloody action scenes.

It has an ending that is not really an ending.

It's not listed (or categorized at rental stores) as a "foreign film" but much of the movie is spoken in Italian.

In other words, this is hard to label. Throw in an odd romance, some spectacular Tuscan scenery (actually wonderful cinematography all the way through), a slow-moving but involving storyline and one of this generation's most-interesting actresses (Cate Blanchett) and you have a film worth investigating.

A word of warning, especially to younger people: this film might be too slow for what you are used to seeing. If you want action, skip this. This film is more for people into visuals and a different story. Subtitles also turn off a lot of people, and you need them here.

As someone who just loves great visuals, this is an astonishing piece of work - just magnificent to view. I also appreciated the director's "sky cam" with some wonderful aerial shots.

The "R" rating comes from a very, very brief sex scene, which doesn't involve the major characters. There is almost no profanity in here. A strange film to label but it sure is a visual treat. I liked it even more on the second viewing

When this film is good it is very, very good but when it is bad it is horrid. Excellent cinematography, some excellent direction (the opening is put together like a jigsaw puzzle and the plot and counterplot during the interrogation of the main character was intricate and amusing), some excellent acting. Unfortunately the motivation of the main character is ridiculous beyond belief. When the Turin Police don't return her calls about a drug dealer she considers responsible for several deaths she decides to do the only possible thing: kill him with a BOMB set off in an office building DURING WORKING HOURS. If the character had gone totally beserk or was simply a homicidal moron or even a terrorist ... but no, this is a loving teacher of young children who faints in horror when she finds out four innocent people got killed. Cate Blanchett should get an Oscar for keeping a straight face. This crud passes for moral complexity but actually it is just a jumble of contrasting stereotypes stuffed into a single character. If you want to see a movie about how good people end up as vigilantes see In the Bedroom.

After messing around with "moral complexity" the movie opts for being a love story and the luscious cinematography serves it well. There are many striking, haunting images. Ribisi is convincing as a strange, sweet young man who falls off a cliff when he falls in love. Blanchett shows no feeling at all. Maybe she is still trying to keep a straight face - the dialogue is awful. Then the cops arrive with assault rifles. But in shoddy movies men with guns can't hit the side of a barn so the lovers are able to steal the police chopper.

Did Tykwer mess up the script or was it just unfinished?

Are we to believe that Krzysztof Kieslowski had anything to do with this film? I think not. He might have had an idea, but what comes on the screen is no tribute to his memory by director Tom Tykwer and co-writer Krzysztof Piesiewicz. What we see is a travesty and a sham. How could anyone in his right mind could justify this silly film?

Contrary to all the praise all major film critics have bestowed on Heaven, it's completely hard to understand what they saw in it. Did we view the same film? The whole plot is so far-fetched that even the great cinematography and look of the finished product can't save it.

How could this woman, Phillippa, have been so stupid in trying to take revenge in her own hands, without regard of the consequences? The whole idea that she's helped to get away with a crime is beyond comprehension.

Cate Blanchett is a great actress, no doubt, but sometimes the roles she takes are bizarre, to say the least. This woman she portrays here is one of the worst characters she has played because she's an idiot who can't differentiate between good and evil. If she was going to take care of a nasty piece of business why not take care of that person directly, not involving innocent people, or leaving it go the wrong way, as it was the case?

The carabinieri of Giovanni Ribisi is another hard to digest character. His Italian, (he's of Italian descent, isn't he?) is atrocious. He and Blanchett make the oddest couple in recent memory in a film. His participation on the story is far fetched beyond words. You can't believe the Italian law enforcement to be this inane and inefficient. Why did they cast this light weight actor in a role that was begging for a Stefano Accorsi or another of the current crop of young, talented actors from Italy?

The story becomes a travelogue toward the end of the film. Nothing makes sense, even the message. It's almost as if Kieslowski is looking from above and he's laughing out loud at everyone that took this film as seriously as all the film critics who told us about this masterpiece of a fake.

The underlying message is that if you're cool as Pillippa and Fillippo you can get away with murder and go directly to heaven.

A believer in coincidence might say that it could be a coincidence that every movie I've seen involving Cate Blanchett has been very, very enjoyable. I, on the other hand, consider it to be a matter of her great performances [along with those of her fellow actors, of course]. But she is the one common denominator. Whether it be drama, comedy, period pieces or whatever, you can always count on an outstanding performance from this lady. And Heaven is no exception. I can't quite label her the "Best Actress" of her generation but she's certainly in the top 3, in my opinion. And, as is usually the case, a fine performance by Giovanni Ribisi [her co-star in another movie, The Gift]. I rated this movie as a 10. Check it out and see if you agree and, even if you don't, you won't be disappointed.

I'm only posting because the previous post is ridiculous.

I'm a huge fan of Krzysztof Kieslowski's work, and I have enormous respect for Cate Blanchett and Tom Tykwer but this is a film that tries EXTREMELY hard to be something it is not. Perhaps its a reaction against his work in Run Lola Run, but the pacing in this film is ponderous without the weight to justify it.

From a technical point of view it is actually quite averagely shot (especially when you consider where it's shot) and I would have personally liked to strangle the crane operator. I get the strong impression it was a modestly budgeted film.

Having said all that, its very watchable if you are open to slow, deliberately 'arty' cinema. There are several scenes of real tension and emotional power, and the writing is terrific. When I saw it just now on Cable, I wasn't aware of who had written it. Now it makes sense.

So enjoy if you are in the mood. It certainly sparked good lively debate in this house. :-) But it is not a 'thriller' and it's not mainstream.

It's also not the best film ever made.

Though the screenplay was written by the late director Krzysztof Kieslowski with his collaborator Krzysztof Piesiewicz and advances their common theme of the duality in human nature, the compelling visuals are purely those of director Tom Tykwer, who continues to cement his reputation as one of the most interesting European filmmakers working today. Since his breakthrough, the hyper techno-driven `Lola rennt', Tykwer has been moving towards a more studied, balletic mise en scene and here his subdued combination of remarkable aerial photography (the cinematographer is Tykwer's gifted longtime colleague Frank Griebe using a Spacecam, a descendant of the Steadicam) and tempered, deliberate pacing provides the film with a gliding, effortless feel that gives you the sense you're in a dream. Kieslowski's and Piesiewicz' oddball story has Cate Blanchett as a British schoolteacher in Italy plotting revenge on an industrialist she believes runs the drug cartel that caused her husband's fatal overdose; when her plan goes awry, killing innocents in the process, she's arrested but is helped to escape her interrogators by a police stenographer (well-played by Giovanni Ribisi) who has immediately fallen in love with her. Strangely enough, Tykwer's smoothly measured cadences make it all seem plausible, even the ponderous philosophical aspects of the script, which are somewhat hazy. But the material itself is not the director's primary focus; he prefers to let the dazzling skyborne images of the Italian countryside sing to the viewer and the sense of being rhythmically lulled into a lilting, floating euphoria is what lingers long after the film is over.

I rented this because I had heard great things about one of director Tom Tykwer's other films, Lola Rennt, and I couldn't find that anywhere. I certainly hope that film is better than this, because I didn't see any depth or value in this. I didn't really see anything past the nice visuals or the good score. The film starts out great, by one of the best setups for something bad to happen I've seen for a while. After that, it slows down to what is as close to a complete halt, while still moving. I'm not kidding, this is probably the most uneventful film I've seen for a few months. Nothing seems to happen. The very first scene of the film seems to be there only to have the last scene make sense. The film has the main characters running for the last portion of the film, from what must be the most ineffectual police force ever seen in a film, and the least seen. I get that it's not about the chase, that it's supposed to be a metaphor or something... what I don't get is what it represents. I couldn't find any hidden message in this, any moral to the story or any depth to it whatsoever. Yes, the film has a good musical score, and yes, some of the visuals are captivating and absorbing... but that doesn't make a great film. Without anything else than that, all you have is a shallow film that looks pretty on the surface. The ending holds some ambiguity, but apart from that, there doesn't really seem to be anything in the film to make it worth the effort. For being so short, it's a terribly poorly paced film. The plot starts out good, but doesn't keep it up. The acting is sufficiently good. There are a few good scenes of tension and/or drama. All in all, probably worth it for people into poetry and such, but us regular viewers, even those of us who are willing to dig deep in order to understand films probably shouldn't bother. I recommend this only to fans of cinema as an expression of poetry. I doubt anyone else will find any value in it. 7/10

Tom Tykwer has made three films about couples as social outcasts, and I think it's time he moved on to something else. Teaming up Cate Blanchett and Giovanni Ribisi as the lovers must be one of the bigger mis-matches in film history. Although in real life she's only five years his senior, in "Heaven" she seems old enough to be his mother. Worse, the dialog between them is so limited, I got no sense that they were in love. And speaking of dialog, if Giovanni Ribisi, born in L.A., is going to play Italians, he needs to be coached in correct Italian pronunciation. His vowels are too closed. Open wide for an 'Aaah', Giovanni.

While the first 45 min. of the film generate a certain amount of smooth suspense, once the plot leaves the interrogation format the film falls apart. In the print I saw, the Tuscany countryside is overexposed as orange and ugly. Sad music invites us to feel for the two renegades, but I couldn't feel much of anything. And who, in the end, ratted on them to the police? This is never explained, and as their helicopter soars up into heaven, I wanted the film to get down to earth and take care of unfinished business.

I guess "Heaven" is what is called an "art film." Released in 2002, it stars the incomparable Cate Blanchett and Giovanni Ribisi. Directed by Tom Tykwer, it is written by Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz, who intended to make a trilogy, "Heaven, Hell and Purgatory." There was one other film made, supposedly as part of this trilogy, called Nadzieja, which is Polish for Hope - so perhaps this movie is "Purgatory."

A British teacher who lives in Turin, Italy, Philippa, loses her husband to a drug overdose. Destroyed by this, she works hard to have the drug dealer, the biggest in Turin, arrested and punished.

Her efforts are completely ignored by the local police. In desperation, she makes a bomb and sets it off in the location of his office. It's a disaster, as four people - a cleaning lady, a father, and two children - are killed when an elevator snaps due to the bomb.

She is arrested and is horrified when given this information. She insists upon speaking English instead of Italian when questioned, so a young police officer Filipo (Ribisi) offers to interpret. He falls in love with her and helps her escape.

It's no coincidence that the two have the same name -- this is a story of soulmates. For Philippa, there is no thought of escape. She knows she is responsible for the death of four people and intends to pay the price. But the drug dealer is still alive, and she intends to finish what she began. For Filipo, as he tells her, he doesn't know what will happen, but it will "be something beautiful."

The photography in this film is magical in its beauty -- the camera sweeps over the Italian landscape, and the aerial shots are breathtaking.

This is not an action film, or one in which much happens -- it's a story of love, connection, resolve, and acceptance.

The ending is ambiguous, in a way, and in another way, symbolic and ties back to the first scene in the film. When you first see the movie, the first scene will seem extraneous. It isn't. Nothing extraneous here.

You can't really label this film. It's not a conventional love story, it's not an action film, it's not really a suspense film, and people even question if it's a foreign film, though most of the dialogue is Italian. It's simply a beautiful film, with a brilliant, spare performance by Cate Blanchett. She fits herself into the tapestry of the film, adding to it, but not distracting us from it.

Beautiful and well worth seeing unless you like CGI effects, blood, violence, and profanity.

Is it possible to feel sympathy for a person who starts a film by killing four innocent people including two children? In a script partially created by Kieslowski, it is. In fact the main character, well played by Cate Blanchett, has good reasons for everything she does.

Even if the tempo is slow, you will probably not feel bored, even if you're not interested in discussing ethics. It's an exciting story, a touching love affair and you won't dislike the main character in the end. It's more complicated than that.

I'm not a Cate Blanchett fan, that may be a problem. In fact, I do not like her at all. And I do not think that she is all too good in this film. But maybe it's not her fault, it's impossible to like her character in Heaven. Impossible to like any of the characters. Let alone understand why they are doing the things they are doing.

In Heaven, Tom Tykwer tries to be slow and atmospheric. But the movie's just slow. It seems to go on for ages, building to a climax that never happens. It is just too far away from us, never gives us any chance to connect. And it feels like Kieslowski's script was never meant to be filmed because it just wasn't finished. All his catholic themes are there, but for no reason whatsoever - what's the point to it all, I permanently asked myself.

Finding no answers to that question doesn't automatically mean that a movie is an 'art movie'. It may appeal to some critics because they usually think that being bored and clueless is what it feels like to watch a good movie.

Well, it's not. I do not know what audience Heaven is targeted at - but I know that not too many people cared.