Heavy

Original? Not at all. Surprising? Far from it. Dynamic? Definitely not. However, it is still a good emotional film. It's an intimate melancholic story of an outsider who has to deal with the loss of his foundation and experiences a hopeless platonic love. Although it's a slow-paced film where nothing significant happens, I didn't get bored at all, mainly thanks to Pruitt Taylor Vince's excellent acting and James Mangold's decent direction. A typical American indie film for contemplation and reflection on one's life. Overall impression: 70%. (27/05/2009)

James Mangold’s debut piece is good. OK, the screenplay addresses rather a hackneyed topic, but you can see the creators have something to say about it. Heavy is shrunk terribly by its length. Especially about half way through the picture a lot of cutting wouldn’t have mattered too much. Quite the opposite, in fact. Liv Tyler still is a little “bovine", but she was cute even back then. The one who gives the picture some spirit is Pruitt Taylor Vince in the role of Victor. An amazingly likeable and charismatic actor who can get by without words. Overall it’s nothing absolutely outstanding, but it’s worth a watch. (03/07/2007)