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Angel Heart

Angel Heart

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: steamy n'awlins
Review: this movie is so accurate in its depiction of the humidity of Louzana, your DVD may drip out of the player without you touching an "open" button! truly mickey rourke's best role as a tortured man, an angry lover, and bewildered to the end as he is drawn into the strange world of the religion,(voodoo)culture, and the lust of a beautiful woman he cannot/will not escape from. Robert DeNiro is verrry spooky and if you don't know the story, DON'T ask anyone and be surprised and pleasantly, tingly shocked at the ending!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Lacks Heart and Everything Else
Review: During most of the time of this supernatural thriller, Mickey Rourke`s character is looking for a missing person and in order to achieve her he must enter some dangerous and risky places. Director Alan Parker manages to create a tense mood and atmosphere in some moments, but the result is still tedious and dull, whose only non-boring parts are the long and unecessary sex scene and the obvious, poorly conceived and ridiculous ending.
"Angel Heart" is a flat, uninteresting movie that lacks in substance, entertainment, tension and credibility. A snoozer.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Mickey Rourke before he became damaged goods.
Review: It's moody and beautiful. It takes its own sweet time to tell the story without ever being boring.
I never liked Mickey Rourke or Robert De Niro as much as in this movie.
Rourke strikes just the right cord of vulnerability, boyish charm, and danger he always strived for. He always had that "I don't know why I always screw things up when deep down inside I'm really such a good boy" thing going on - and at least in this movie the explanation for his drama is perfect.
As for Robert de Niro, he's definitive as a diable grand seigneur, the devil in his most chivalrous, gentlemanly form, almost effeminate. He's unforgettable at it, not a trace of overacting, totally in control.
Lisa Bonet is too urban and articulate to play a deep south country girl who's some sort a witch. She doesn't convince me, but I like the movie just the same.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A DARK THRILLER WITH A GOOD STORY.
Review: "Angel Heart" is a thriller with reminiscences of a Film Noir and an erotic mystery. Although the main character is adequately played by the usually mediocre Mickey Rourke, the highlights in "Angel Heart" are the performance from the great Robert De Niro as the mysterious Louis Cypher and the script and the direction of Alan Parker.

Alan Parker is a director that usually is daring and innovator, perhaps his style is not pleasant to everybody, but you got to give him credit for being a daring director. As he did previously with "Pink Floyd: The Wall", Parker creates a dark and decadent atmosphere in "Angel Heart".

Maybe "Angel Heart" is not one of the finest thrillers, but it is a daring movie with a good plot.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: ....
Review: Although it does a good job at establishing a peculiar atmosphere (mostly due to the jazz and heartbeat concrete` type soundtrack), the atmosphere is slowly rendered impotent in the last half hour of the movie. Considering the opening hour's highs, I guess a dissappointing ending was ineviatable... as things were revealed I found myself caring less and less... it somehow managed to become increasingly evident further in, but also struck me as highly improbable the way the rest of the movie is presented.

The visuals are pretty terrific, and I'd consider this one worth watching just for them and the spooky/shrouded atmosphere of the first hour. Also, regarding the "controversy" around some of it's visuals and scenes... they're not hard to digest... maybe similar to, but less obvious than Se7en (a movie which I consider Angel Heart superior to, if only for the first hour).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT...
Review: This is an intriguing, unusual, beautifully directed, highly atmospheric film that successfully crosses any number of genre: film noir, thriller, mystery, and horror. The plot is simple. In the mid nineteen fifties, a mysterious and slightly sinister business man, Louis Cypher (Robert De Niro), hires Brooklyn gumshoe, Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke), for a missing person case. Angel's investigation, for which he is being paid a princely sum for the time, takes him from Harlem to New Orleans, as he looks for a former crooner named Johnny Favorite, who sometime during the early nineteen forties apparently welched on a business deal with Louis Cypher and hasn't been heard from since.

What happens when Angel gets to New Orleans will be infused with voodoo rites, ritual murders and taboo sex. The Big Easy is hardly that for our erstwhile detective, as he becomes susceptible to a series of initially puzzling flashbacks. Moreover, it seems that everyone with whom he meets, who had a connection to our missing crooner, ends up being savagely murdered. When he meets with a tarot card reader (Charlotte Rampling), it is just the beginning of the end for our increasingly disheveled gumshoe. His introduction to the gorgeous Epiphany (Lisa Bonet), a seventeen year old voodoo queen, later leads to a coupling that is played with singularly wild abandon. Both of these women have a connection to our mysterious missing person, Johnny Favorite, who, it turns out, may have given the Devil a run for his money in the evil department.

Robert De Niro is sensational in the highly stylized, role of Louis Cypher. He imbues the role with just the right amount of sardonic humor and restrained menace so as to make the character memorable. De Niro leaves an indelible imprint on every scene in which he is in. Mickey Rourke, who is in nearly every scene in this film, shows that he has the ability to carry a movie, as he is simply terrific as the private detective who is slowly unraveling. As the film progresses, the toll that the investigation is taking on the tormented Angel is evident on his face. Angst ridden, bleary eyed, and disheveled, Angel is definitely involved in the biggest case of his life. As he gets closer to the truth of what happened to Johnny Favorite, the more his life seems to be spinning out of control. Rourke manages to convey all this, no easy task. The supporting cast is uniformly excellent and adds to the flavor of this delicious gumbo of a film, which is reminiscent of Goethe's Faust. Undoubtedly, this film is one of Alan Parker's best directorial efforts. Bravo!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Underrated Film
Review: This movie mixes the genres of a mystery, horror, and the paranormal into one very odd but very satisfying movie. It contains explicit violence and sex, so kiddies should not really see this movie. The movie also caused a scandal for (at the time) Cosby girl Lisa Bonet.

Mystery man Robert Deniro hires gumshoe Mickey Rourke to find a man who owes him a really big debt. Big surprise twist in the end! Heartbreaking scene when Rourke actually finds the man. Mickey Rourke has been in many [bad] movies, but this is one of his best. He gives a great performance. Deniro is pretty scary in the end also.

Give this movie a chance.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: ONE OF THE GREATEST
Review: THIS MOVIE HAS SO MUCH SYMBOLISM WITHIN IT'S CONTEXTS THAT AT TIMES IT'S HARD TO KEEP UP WITH IT AND EVENTUALLY IT GET TOP HEAVY. THE MOVIE IS WELL WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY ALAN PARKER. MICKEY ROURKE STARS AS A BROOKLYN GUMSHOE(DETECTIVE) WHO TAKSES ON A VERY UNUSUAL CASE. HIS CLIENT IS MR. CYPHIER( I'LL LET THE AUDIENCE SEE IF THEY CAN FIGURE OUT THE RELIVENCE OF THIS NAME). CYPHIER PAYS ROURKE VERY WELL FOR A 1950'S PI. THE CASE INVOLVES A PERSON BY THE NAME OF JOHNNY FAVORITE WHO WENT MISSING AFTER WWII. HE MADE A CONTRACT WITH MR. CYPHIER AND NEVER FULFILLED HIS PART OF THE CONTRACT AND NOW CYPHIER WANTS ROURKE TO FIND JOHNNY SO THAT HE CAN FULFILL IT. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WATCHING THIS MOVIE OR PROBABLY WILL READ NO FURTHER. BY THE END OF THE MOVIER JOHNNY FAVORITE WILL HONOR HIS PART OF THE CONTRACT. ROURKES INVESTIGATION TAKES HIM FROM THE STREETS OF HARLEM WHERE HE HAS A RUN IN WITH A REVEREND IKE TYPE PREACHER, AND FINALLY TO THE STREETS OF NEW ORLEANS. THE SCENES IN NEW ORLEANS TO ME WORKED ABSOLUTELY WELL. LISA BONET GAVE OT HER ALL IN THIS FILM AND IT PAID OFF WELL. IF YOU ONLY KNOW HER FROM THE COSBY SHOW WELL WATCH THIS MOVIE AND I GURANTEE YOU'LL BE SUPRISED. SHE HAS AN X-RATED LOVE SCENE WITH MICKEY ROURKE WHICH STIRRED CONTRVERSY WITH COSBY. THE ENDING IS A SUPRISE WHICH I WONT GIVE AWAY. THE SMOKE FILLED JAZZ CLUBS WERE EXCELENTLY FILMED. CHARLOTTE RAMPLING WAS OF IN SOME OTHER WORLD WHICH ROURKE DID NOT UNDERSTAND. FINALLY THE LAST POINT I WANT TO MAKE IS THE SUBJECT THE MOVIE TOUCHES ON IS VOODOU. VOODOU IS REAL FOR ALL YOU NON-BELIEVERS OUT THERE. I KNOW FROM FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE. I SERVED IN HAITI AND SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN NEW ORLEANS AND AROUND THE BAYOU. THE MOVIE DID AN ACCURATE HOLLYWOOD PORTRAYAL OF THE SOUTHERN LOUISIANA CULTURE, AS WELL AS THE VOODOU CEREMONIES. LISA IS A MAMBO IN THE MOVIE AND I WONDER IF THIS ROLE HAD ANY BEARING ON HER PRACTICES OF VOODOU WHEN SHE WAS MARRIED TO LENNIE KRAVITZ(WHOOPS IM SORRY, ROMEO BLU). ALL THINGS CONSIDERED THIS WAS A GREAT MOVIE I RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY, WATCH AND WONT BE DISAPPOINTED.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Annoying Rourke...
Review: I watched the film a few days ago and it seems to me that some reviewers cannot separate reality from fiction. If Paul B. does not like the characters played by the actors in the film, fair enough. But we have to give credit to the actors for their performance as "scum of the earth" because they do it very well. I admit that I did like the Character of Robert de Niro, good old Robert, always has the knack for picking peculiar characters and I found his part of the cool, creepy Lucifer hilarious.

Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke's) is hired by a New York Lawyer, Louis Cypher to track down a singer, Johnny Favourite who disappeared several years ago without paying his debt back to Cypher. Angel's search for Johny takes him all the way to New Orleans where he is suddenly caught up in a series of gruesome ritualistic murders. As the film progresses Rourke's grubby Character becomes more and more dislikeable (we know now who Bruce Willis modeled himself on) with his self-obsessed attitude and obvious lust towards anything with a pair of ti.s and pretty face regardless of age or motherhood. You soon start to wonder how true is Harry's apparent innocence especially as he starts to become tormented by those violent "voodo-charged" visions and flashbacks that take him closer and closer to his "true identity" and that of those in Favourite's entourage.

The film is atmospherically amazing with its haunting imagery of evil, sex, darkness, violence, horror that gives you an exotic picture of Parker's vision of Hell. The use of blood and violence is abundant but not abused which keeps the feeling of mystery throughout the film.

At the end of the film you will kind of think that Harry deserves everything he gets and understand why he is such an "as..ole". I couldn't help but finding it funny, almost ridiculous but it's a classic ending and it fits perfectly with the story even if it still leaves you with a few unanswered questions.

It is definitely a cult film rather than a blockbuster, one of those films that you have to watch again to spot the details you missed. I can see how an American audience would not appreciate and why it would shock some viewers but for fans of Alan Parker, this would be another one to own from his diverse collection.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Thumbs down...
Review: This is going to be a "BLUNT" review of the 1987 flick "Angel Heart", starring
Robert DeNiro and Mickey Rourke. How blunt? You may want to delete this
message before you read on. You have never read a review like this from me.
Here goes...

Take time clipping your nails, shaving your beard...legs...or whatever else you
may shave, instead of watching this loser.

What an embarrassment to DeNiro. They must have promised him millions up front
to be cast in this banana peel that slips and slides across the screen like a
manic depressive on steroids.

This film is a total piece of SHI...(couldn't remember the last letter). It is
demeaning to the viewer...demeaning to women...and the story line is as weak as
a 95 year old man without Viagra.

There's lots of boob shots and hard nipples. They are much more invigorating
than Mickey Rourke...who portrays the scum of the earth...and does a good job
at it...except the scum is in his acting and vile, gross, scuzzy appearance
that is reminiscent of a sleazy whore in a "B" film that is about to be sucked
and _ucked by a horny vampire.

If you want this DVD, please don't rent it or buy it. Just tell me you want it
and I'll send it to you free of charge (honest). If I don't hear from any of
you by Wednesday...it is going to be amongst the permanent collection housed in
the Redlands waste depository...about 15 miles northwest of here.

"Angel Heart" is a bad fart! It stinks! It kinks! The next time you clean up
the poop from your backyard lawn, remember that your dog made a better
production than the producers of "Angel Heart".


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