Angel Heart - Lisa's Review

An odd movie to find itself in a horror list this week.  While there are certainly horrific images present in the movie, it is far from a horror.

The movie gets it's name from our lead character Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) who is hired by a very well-to-do, oddly but impeccably dressed man Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro).  Now surely it doesn't take a person of much intelligence to utter the name Louis Cyphre and draw some rather dark conclusions.  If those conclusions didn't occur, then the appearance and presence of Robert De Niro in the role should raise a few eyebrows.

So back to the story, Mr Cyphre hires Mr Angel to track down a previous associate, Johnny Favourite, with which he had a contract which remains unfulfilled due to Johnnys apparent disappearance.

The movie follows Mr Angel's search for Johnny Favourite, which takes him from New York to New Orleans and deep into Voodoo and some suspect places.  He meets everyone from Johnnys doctor to his ex wife and his daughter Epiphany(played by the beautiful Lisa Bonnet... whatever happened to her?).  Being a looker back in the day, we of course are treated to the obligatory sex scene and Mr Rourkes rather fine backside.  Mr Angel is definately a guy with streetsmarts, but even he eventually starts to get rattled when most people he tracks down and interviews are murdered in horrid ways.

He pushes on, having been tempted by an additional $5000 when the first murder sent him back to Mr Cyphre ready to throw the towel in.  We start to see more horror elements, in saying that, the movie is certainly still not a horror by any stretch of the imagination.  The closer to the end we get, the faster the pace gets and after quite a steady pacing, I was ready for the increase.

I would say that the twists in the movie are pretty predictable and I for one saw the big reveal coming a mile off, but there are subtle details, which are quite clever.  In other respects there are questions which remain unanswered and make no sense.  Questions I would have liked to have answered.  Some things didn't quite add up (and I hate that).

In saying that, I deliberately haven't gone into too much detail in my review as I think this is a movie you should watch.  It isn't the usual crap horror, it doesn't date even though it is a 1987 movie.  Mickey Rourke is ravishing and plays a fantastic role.  There is enough of a mix between thriller and horror elements and slow and fast pace to keep the movie interesting.

Thumbs up from Lisa.

Angel Heart - Will's Review

Private investigator, Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) , is hired by the mysterious Mt Cypher (Robert De Niro) to find out whether former crooner, Johnny Favorite is alive or dead, as Cypher claims that he had been contracted to help the singer early in his career, and that his part of the contract had never been fulfilled.

Key witnesses start being murdered, and Angel find himself deep in Louisiana's voodoo country, and suspect number 1 for the murders.

Aside from De Niro apparently playing Satan (any one remotely fluent in cinema or horror can't help but assume immediately that Cypher is the devil) nothing supernatural happens for a good 3/4 of the movies running time; up until that point the movie plays like a straight Noirish thriller; and to be honest I enjoyed the change of pace.

I've been busy as all hell lately (hence my running a week behind with my reviews) and I haven't really had chance to watch any movie not for this site. Given a free choice of any movie, it's unlikely I would have chosen a 50's period gumshoe movie... But I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The costuming, sets, direction, acting, the scant score... the whole production in fact, are pitch perfect. The supernatural elements are introduced organically and the twists are timed perfectly, allowing the viewer to see them coming just before the reveal, keeping exactly up to speed with the character's realisations.

I'd recommend this one not just to horror fans, but to anyone who enjoys watching a story unfold slowly, and doesn't need an explosion or decapitation every few minuets to keep them involved.

Week 154 - Angel Heart (1987)

Reviews / Author Comments due: 03/05/2014
Position on TimeOut list: 67
More Info: Wikipedia, IMDB
DVD: Link

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