Heaven ... wow

Tom Tykwer's adaptation of Krzysztof Kieslowski's posthumous script Heaven (co-written, as usual, with Krzysztof Pieciewicz) opened today in Sweden and I caught it at the Grand Theatre in Stockholm.

Wow.

Amazing film. I'd only seen Lola Rennt before, and quite frankly, wasn't that impressed. I thought it was, ironically enough, Kieslowski-lite, but well directed. The direction in Heaven is top-notch. From the opening to the breathtaking finale, nearly every shot is perfect.

Cate Blanchett was her usual amazing self, but I was most impressed with Giovanni Ribisi, who was convincing as an Italian.

It's scheduled to open in October in the US, and I highly recommend all who are either fans of Lola Rennt or Kieslowski's work to check it out.

In yesterday's Svenska Dagbladet, there was an interview with Tykwer where he said he passed on doing the other two scripts, Hell and Purgatory, which Mirimax also own. I can't wait to see them.

Has anyone else caught this yet?

Glad to read that you were impressed by it. There doesn't seem to be many people here anticipating the movie, but it's in my 5 most anticipated movies of fall/winter.

~T

Thanks for the review. I've really been looking forward to this. I loved Lola Rennt aka Run Lola Run. I also loved The Princess and the Warrior, which I highly recommend. It's great to hear that this film is good.

Does Franka Potente have a cameo or anything? I'll be disapointed if she's not in it at all.

Wow! I didn't even know about this. :b

Cate Blanchett and Giovanni Ribisi in a Kieslowski/Piesiewicz-scripted film directed by Tykwer? I'll be first in line when it opens.

I'm also looking forward to this and will see it when it makes it my way.

If you're dying for a Franka fix you can see her in Storytelling which came out on DVD this week.

Nope, she doesn't. Except for the two leads, just about every other actor is Italian.

I've been anticipating this film for about five years. I'd heard that Kieslowski/Pieciewicz were working on the Heaven/Hell/Purgatory trilogy when Kieslowski died. Then, in 1998, my brother was working in Miramax's script department, and came upon the script there. Idiot that he is, he didn't copy it for me, he just read through it and said "looks pretty good."

The Princess and the Warrior is next on my must-see list. Is there an R2 DVD with English subtitles?

I had also heard that they were planning the Heaven/Hell/Purgatory trilogy but I didn't know they had actually finished the scripts. Anyway, I wonder who they'll get to direct Hell and Purgatory? I wouldn't mind seeing Scorsese take a crack at one of them - could be interesting.

Tykwer was offered to do them, but he passed (as I say above), stating that he felt that Heaven encapsulated the whole trilogy in one film.

I wonder if Heaven doesn't make any money in the US, whether the other two will ever be produced.

I saw previews for Heaven back in January. If I remember, it stated it was coming out in May and then it disappeared. I've been dying for news since then. I hope this does make its U.S. debut within a few months.

Bruce

YESSS!!!!!
There was a surprise announcement yesterday morning that "Heaven" will screen at the Montreal World Film Festival next week. I bought my ticket immediately, and now I'm dying to see it.

So...I wonder how this is going to relate to when this is going to get a wide release. Perhaps it will make a few festival rounds, get some good word of mouth (if it's got what it takes) and then jump into a full release. I certainly hope so-that might put it in a December release. Either way, I hope you enjoy the festival Michael. You have my envy.

Bruce

Thanks, Bruce. All I know is that the film will be released in NY/LA on October 4, and then probably a few more selected cities throughout October (Montreal included).

I'm definitely looking foward to this one. Giovanni Ribissi is an underappreciated actor who can no longer be ignored anymore.

~Edwin

For those who can't wait, it's still playing in Sweden. And, the weather is great now.

Heaven is very impressive. I cannot understand why it hasn't gotten bigger exposure overseas.

And about Part II and III ! FORGET IT!

They don't exist. This was a planned trilogy, but only the first part exists in script form. afaik

NOTE: OH...i thought it was already released in the US of A. I saw it on the first of March...here in Vienna

Cool! I really hope the Calgary Film Festival will screen this in October too.

I've actually heard that this might run into some release problems in the States, because the film takes a sypathetic view of terrorist/bomber.

Don't really know enough about the film to comment further. Just a small blurb I read somewhere a while ago.

Ross:

I don't know if it's sympathetic, but...


Warning Spoiler! Click to show

First of all, I adored this film!!! I've seen it twice in the last two days and I can't stop thinking about it... I can still hear the beatiful score playing in my head, and I still see images of the film when I close my eyes.

Divine.

There are so many moments in this film possessing deep symbolic meanings, yet I think that this film will be misunderstood by the general audience. It is similar to "The Thin Red Line", in terms of the reactions it will generate from the audiences.


Warning Spoiler! Click to show

On a slightly different note, the DVD was just released in Germany this week. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait for the R1 version in 2003.

The film opened in L.A. and New York this weekend. I saw it today. I'm not writing a review, because I'm still not sure what I think of it. But it's a unique experience, and one that I'm glad I've had.

M.

It finally opened here. Frankly I was too exhausted at the time to fully appreciate it (going on a few hours sleep at the time).

However, one thing stands out for me. Tykwer's direction is still solid as a rock. I've heard "matured" and others say "RLR was a 1-hit wonder". Neither statement is remotely true IMO.

Certainly going from RLR he seemed to intentionally slow his tempo way down as if to prove himself on Princess/Warrior, but other than that the trademarks of his style still came through. Here again they remain quite evident.

1 - He likes lingering takes. The length of the final shot here is remarkably similar to the final pull-out shot of P/Warrior.

2 - The thoughtful overhead shot of a city, in tone it exists almost identical in P/W as it is used here in Heaven.

3 - Smooth camera movement, often subdued but always with a nice flow (tracking and panning together much of the time) is highly coordinated with the mise-en-scene. In Heaven I can think of one scene where we leave a telephone ringing and slow track and pan to the person we know is going to answer it.

There are other moments that feel quite "Tykwer" in visual style.

It's also quite amazing how much this film fits with his other work, despite it being the script of another filmmaker who might appear to have had different tones to his work.

Once again we have star-crossed lovers who bring luggage to the relationship. Much of the "courting" period is more about sorting out their emotional/moral issues. I couldn't help but be reminded of the couple leaping from the building hand in hand in P/W as I watch the pair here make a mad dash for a helicopter. Certainly the scenes each have that "forget the world we have each other in this moment" emotions to them.


I would not use Run Lola Run as your basis for liking this film. Instead I would consider it much closer in feeling to Princess and the Warrior, though I think RLR and P/W are actually rather close as well.

It's funny to read so many reviews that think Tykwer is all about chance or something ("until now" they say), when to me it felt much more like he used chance in his last 2 films to deliver the stronger message of the lovers coming together.

After all, what would RLR be without those interludes between the lovers discussing their relationship via flashback at the "moments of death"? That's where the real development of character comes from in that film.

Of course in P/W each character's issues are much more in the open and are clearly the central focus of the film, not some sentiment on chance altering their lives.


9 of 10 at this point, only because Tykwer might play it a bit too dry at points. Hard to say though because this film appears to offer a lot more than I was able to walk away with in one sitting. I will say it's not a good film for those low on patience when it comes to soft and slow films.


PS - this film also gave me a strong "1984" vibe. A rendezvous in a forgotten attic, an escape to the countryside, the interrogation. It's not really the 1984 story at all, just something that struck me as similar is all.

I just watched Heaven. Thanks to Steve Gon for the recommend.



I'm completely floored. I'm not really sure what I just saw, but it was stunning. It seems my jaw just hangs there whenever I am watching Cate Blanchett, and I agree Ribisi seems to be an unrecognized talent. I was very happy to hear him finally dispense with his usual nasal voice, which I always found very distracting.

Aside from that, Heaven is a remarkably abstract, ponderous, ambiguous and pensive film. I expect it will only appeal to a small percent of people, but for those it will truly shine. Phillipa's (Blanchette) "confession" scene absolutely cut through me, as I expect it will for some others. That is one of the most pure, passionate, literate, cinematic moments I think I have ever seen. The final five minutes or so are completely surreal as well.

If someone posted a synopsis of this film, it would sound so absurd, I think everyone would laugh. It is remarkable to me how it was translated so well onto film.

from some articles and Tykwer interviews, it appears Kieslowski et al had only completed the Heaven script before passing, so that's a shame, on both ends...

for those interested in Potente, she co-starred in the soon to be released (video-only? late September) romantic comedy/coming of age story "All I Want" with Elijah Wood

Re: Heaven ... wow

I had the pleasure of watching this amazing movie earlier today, and I can't get the spare, haunting piano theme out of my mind. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, so I can't quite decide or figure out from reading the credits, whose music it was, or the particular piece of music.

Can anyone out there help to inform this particularly challenged lover of film?

Re: Heaven ... wow

David, off the top of my head, it was by a (I believe) German composer. It is also in the film Mother Night, directed by Keith Gordon, so by looking at imdb for the same composer in both films, you should be able to find it.

Re: Heaven ... wow

That's Arvo Part. It's on a CD called Alina (sometimes Fur Alina). It's also in Van Sant's Gerry. Fantastic stuff. I agree about the quality of the film too.


Well, put, Roland. I hope you're right!

Regards,
Nathan