by Peter Morris in Los Angeles
This is another of those films where the talent of the actors involved suggests it should be better than it actually turns out to be. We have seen and will see again all three of the leads in much better fare (the smart money in Hollywood already has PAUL BETTANY as the next big British star when “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World”, with he and RUSSELL CROWE, opens later this year) - but I digress....
Adapted from what I understand was a 1960s novel “The Heart of Me” tells of a love triangle of sorts-Ricky (PAUL BETTANY - “A Knights Tale”, “A Beautiful Mind”) marries Madeleine (OLIVIA WILLIAMS - “The Sixth Sense”, “Rushmore”, “Born Romantic”) but falls in love, and has a passionate affair, with her sister Dinah (HELENA BONHAM-CARTER - “Wings of the Dove”, “Planet of the Apes”, “Live from Baghdad" ).
The film charts the course of the relationship(s) from the early 1930s through until after the Second World War. Despite the fact that all concerned play their roles well, WILLIAMS as the proper wife cheated on by husband and sister, BETTANY as the husband torn between doing "the right thing” and following his heart, and BONHAM-CARTER as the free-spirit born before her time- I’m afraid I found the whole thing just a touch too depressing. And that‘s despite BETTANY and BONHAM-CARTER‘S fine efforts to generate some passion with a bit of lusty shagging!
If you’re in the mood for a story of a doomed love - then this will be right up your alley but I suspect you’ll have to find an art house cinema to watch it in as I can’t see it having a huge mass appeal- you might also want to take some kleenex!
UK Release Date: 2nd May 2003
Celebrities Worldwide Rating: 5 out of 10
David Jensen Photography:
https://www.davidjensen.co.uk/
