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The Heart Of Me
2002
In Thaddeus O'Sullivan's THE HEART OF ME, Madeleine (Olivia Williams) and Dinah (Helena Bonham Carter) are sisters with little in common except for their bloodlines and the man that they both love. Madeleine and her husband, Rickie (Paul Bettany) appear to be the perfect couple. They have an exquisite home, a loving son, and .. Read more
| Starring | Paul Bettany, Helena Bonham-Carter, Olivia Williams, Eleanor Bron |
|---|---|
| Director | Thaddeus O'Sullivan |
| Genres | Drama |
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The Heart Of Me
In Thaddeus O'Sullivan's THE HEART OF ME, Madeleine (Olivia Williams) and Dinah (Helena Bonham Carter) are sisters with little in common except for their bloodlines and the man that they both love. Madeleine and her husband, Rickie (Paul Bettany) appear to be the perfect couple. They have an exquisite home, a loving son, and are obviously well bred and well off. When Madeleine's bohemian sister, Dinah, returns to pre-World War II London for their father's funeral, she finds herself drawn to her brother-in-law. The attraction is mutual, and while Madeleine tries to marry her sister off to a fine gentleman, Dinah and Rickie begin a torrid love affair with heartbreaking consequences. The costumes and sets of the film evoke both the grandeur of London society in the 1930s and the war-ravaged city it became in the 1940s. Bonham Carter brings a childlike wonder to Dinah, a free spirit with unbridled passion for life. Williams' Madeleine, meanwhile, is almost bittersweet; she seems to envy Dinah's freedom, yet would never let down her own guard or upset her pristine world. As Rickie, Bettany is a perfect British gentleman who suddenly finds himself a bundle of raw emotion.
| Starring | Paul Bettany, Helena Bonham-Carter, Olivia Williams, Eleanor Bron, Luke Newberry, Rosie Ede |
|---|---|
| Director | Thaddeus O'Sullivan |
| Studio | PATHE DISTRIBUTION |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 31 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 06 Oct 2003 Production year: 2002 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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Director Thaddeus O'Sullivan has given this period tale of adultery and redemption a bittersweet piquancy — memorably enhanced by the actors — while Nicholas Hooper's original score underlines its discreet romanticism. Scriptwriter Lucinda Coxon has lost some of the affecting sensibility of Rosamond Lehmann's novel about two sisters who are in love with the same man by relying too much on emotional clichés. Nevertheless, stars Paul Bettany (the upper-class Rickie), Olivia Williams (his cold wife, Madeleine) and Helena Bonham Carter (her spirited sister, Dinah) do make an engaging ménage à trois, entangled in the class restrictions of the 1930s as well as their own lusts. There are times when events seem over-manipulated, but at its best the film is an encounter with the enduring nature of love — at its worst, a pale copy of a Merchant Ivory movie.
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London before the War. Madeleine (Williams) is set on marrying off her sister Dinah (Bonham Carter) at her earliest... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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8 out of 10 people found this review helpful
Menage a trois
Two sisters and one man, it spells disaster when the sister he married is cold, and the other vibrant. I haven't read the book, but I suspect the acting from three accomplished performers does accurately portray what is required, however this leaves us with a film where we can not sympathise with the characters. The film jumps in and out of flashback, so you have to pay attention, but this is quite effective. It would not work nearly so well as a linear story, each flashback gives us more insight into the relationships.
JG -
Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Well Worth Watching
A beautifully acted film if a touch depressing, Helena Bonham Carter and Eleanor Bron were wonderul to watch.
The story, although familiar, had a few unusual twists which saved the day for me. -
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