The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (2004)

...or those with a deficit in empathy, for this film asks the viewer for an open, compassionate, feeling heart. The truth of the matter is, the culture that is revealed to

you in this movie is a reality and nightmare for those entrenched in it. Ms. Argento makes a masterpiece that takes no sides; instead she boldly lays forth a landscape of love, abuse, and how one will do just about anything to feel needed and worthwhile, even if that means going back again and again to the hand that hurts you and abandons you. If you don't get this film, it is either simply not for you, or perhaps you have not read the addictive literary achievements of J.T. LeRoy. If the latter is true, go now to you local bookstore and buy any of his courageous works; they will literary bring you to your knees...or at least they did to me, gripping me with raw, honest ferocity. If you just didn't get the film and the challenging material it presents, i encourage you to see it again; honestly, it just keeps getting better and better. Let it enter you...and feel, for once, your self, your discomfort, whatever emerges. Outstanding performances of an all-star cast, this is sure to be a cult film that, once on video, you will want to own.

Fmovies: Just so you know, New York Magazine has outed JT LeRoy as a 40ish mother living in San Fancisco. The JT in magazines and premieres is an actor hired by this woman, Laura Albert, to impersonate her creation. So please those of you who were hesitant to criticize elements that are missing in the story, don't worry. "Heart" really is fiction! It's interesting that people are hesitant to criticize when they think a story is true. Finding out "author" JT LeRoy was in fact a literary hoax makes this movie very different for me. What could have been a "Basketball Diaries" slice of life is nothing more than an ordinary work of fiction and a rather unbelievable one at that.

So I went in with no expectations, I thought this was an indie film starring Asia Argento and here she might have an opportunity to shine away from her fathers shadow and creepy insistence on nudity.

Immediately I was struck by her similarity to Lily Allen with blonde hair scarily so in fact. I was impressed by her performance but within 10 minutes felt this deep aching you get from films that just aren't nice to watch.

90 minutes of the poor upbringing of a child into a horrific life filled with all the things a child simply shouldn't do/see/experience.

Mixed in are a remarkable number of famous faces including Winona Ryder, Jeremy Sisto, Ben Foster, Marilyn Manson and in a scene that I'm surprised didn't kill his career Jeremy Renner (Deeply unpleasant stuff) Nasty open ended and almost modern day Shakespeare The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things is something to watch to put things into perspective if you feel like your life sucks.

Good performances but comparable with cystoscopy for both entertainment and comfort levels. And I mean that literally, I've experienced both and this movie is as fun as having a camera shoved up your urethra.

The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things fmovies. I'd been wanting to see this movie ever since I'd heard about it. I didn't manage to catch it at the cinema, it had a very limited release, but wow, it's worth waiting for.

Based on the book by JT Leroy, which is in turn based on his early life, and directed by and starring Asia Argento, this book charts the early years of Jeremiah, a child taken back from his foster parents by his mother, and dragged around from seedy motel to violent relationship and back again. He ends up with his fanatically religious grandparents for a while, which is little better, before being taken away by his mother again.

I was bowled over by the sheer quality of the acting, the direction, the cinematography, everything. It's a shocking, painful film, but it has a strange beauty. I was expecting it to be hard to watch, but the film just flew by. Really worth seeing if you fancy something different.

I can't say I "liked" this film, yet I can say it was better than I expected. Actress/Director Asia Argento is both the best and worst thing about this film. As director, she presented a story that had flow and made sense, and made a couple of very good choices as to when to use surrealistic and stunt casting tricks in service of the story. She also got excellent performances out of the cast generally. Except...

as an actress, she kept taking me out of the scene. If your reaction is the same as mine, just tune her acting out and let the story unfold.

I would also say that JT Leroy, writer of the prose on which this film is based, was involved in the production. Via letter, he introduced the film at various film festivals. The claim that this is a true story, that this is "my life" that Leroy makes, tends to inoculate the film from a lot of criticism. How can anybody say "the ending wasn't much of an ending" or "the mom was really over-the-top" if the person who lived the story says the movie is "true". In other words, a movie has to have its own truth, whether the story it tells is true or not. And I guess I think this is "7" because for all it's flaws (Argento's acting, skips in time that leave characters undeveloped, and a general lack of roundness to the characters that really could have been fixed), the movie did seem to find it's own truth.

For that I credit director Argento, young actors Jimmy Bennett, Dylan Sprouse and Cole Sprouse (who knew the Sprouse twins could act? Very well done), sharp (if stereotypical) cameo turns by Peter Fonda, Winona Ryder, & Ornella Muti (whom I took to be Lena Olin). Also props to John Robinson, who played Jeremiah's teenaged uncle -- an underused character in the film. Except I can't say that because this movie is a "true story". See? That's frustrating.

Oh, the content is strong, this is not for kids, and a LOT of adults will need to quit watching at some point. But it is overall worth the effort, if you have a strong stomach and can control your rage at the awfulness of the life depicted.

The dysfunctional twenty-three years old Sarah (Asia Argento) takes her six years old natural son Jeremiah from the home of his beloved foster parents with the support of the social service to live with her. Along the years, the boy shares her insane and lowlife style and is introduced to booze and drugs and mentally, physically and sexually abused by Sarah, her lovers and her religiously fanatic family.

"The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things" has one of the most sad, depressive, cruel and unpleasant story that I have ever seen in a movie. It is realistic and dramatic, showing a North America of losers and perverts, and not the usual land of dreams of most Hollywood movies. Asia Argento is amazing directing, writing the screenplay and acting, in the role of the vulgar and cheap Sarah, honoring the blood and names of her father Dario Argento and her mother Daria Nicolodi. The boys Jimmy Bennett, Dylan and Cole Sprouse have also magnificent interpretations in the role of the suffered Jeremiah. Unfortunately there are users that confuse an unpleasant story with a bad film, writing bad reviews because they did not like the movie. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Maldito Coração" ("Damned Heart")