Heartless (2009)

Jim Sturgess in Heartless.

As far as British movies go, I only ever enjoyed the Harry Potter series, of course there are the occasional standouts such as Harry Brown, Snatch and Trainspotting. But recently my attention was caught by Heartless.

This movie blew me away with an original concept along with great performances by everyone involved with Jim Sturgess leading the cast perfectly, from the minute that Jim Sturgess's character Jamie appears onscreen I felt the emotional turmoil that Jamie has gone through, with a birthmark in the shape of a heart across half his face we as viewers can sense what he has been put through as a child which gives us the hope that Jamie will find happiness.

It is when tragedy befalls Jamie the we see the talent of Sturgess through his portrayal of an emotionally destroyed and unbalanced individual who doesn't fully understand what he has been caught up in and how to control what is happening around him.

Almost every scene in this movie is used as a metaphor, with youth gangs being compared to demons, and their leader the devil, however he is never said to be the devil, only slightly referenced as the Angel of Chaos.

I will clarify that this movie is not a horror, even though it is advertised as one. It is a movie with amazing depth and cinematography, it is very much a psychological thriller.

9/10