Heaven (2002/I)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Tom Tykwer

Writers:

Krzysztof Kieslowski (trilogy "Heaven, Hell and Purgatory") and
Krzysztof Piesiewicz (trilogy "Heaven, Hell and Purgatory") ...

Release Date:

21 February 2002 (Germany)

Genre:

Crime | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

What Would You Risk For Love?

Plot:

A woman takes the law into her own hands after police ignore her pleas to arrest the man responsible for her husband's death, and finds herself not only under arrest for murder but falling in love with an officer.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Bomb | Police | Death | Justice

Awards:

6 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Cate Blanchett	...	Philippa
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Filippo
Remo Girone	...	Filippo's Father
Stefania Rocca	...	Regina
Alessandro Sperduti	...	Ariel
Mattia Sbragia	...	Major Pini
Stefano Santospago	...	Mr. Vendice
Alberto Di Stasio	...	The Prosecutor
Giovanni Vettorazzo	...	The Inspector
Gianfranco Barra	...	The Lieutenant
Vincent Riotta	...	Chief Guard
Mauro Marino	...	Doctor
Stefania Orsola Garello	...	Vendice's Secretary
Fausto Lombardi	...	Father High Rise
Giorgia Coppa	...	Older Daughter

Also Known As:

Heaven (France) (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for a scene of sexuality.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

Germany | Italy | USA | France | UK

Language:

Italian | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Malaysia:18SX (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bottrop, North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

The first of a planned trilogy Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz wrote before Kieslowski's death: Heaven, Hell and Purgatory.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The train shown when Filippo and Philippa arrive in Tuscany is not compatible with the passenger car seen from the inside in earlier shots.

Quotes:

Philippa: I don't want to escape punishment. I've killed four innocent people and I want to answer for that, but before I do, I want to kill him.

Movie Connections:

References Total Recall (1990)

Soundtrack:

Spiegel im Spiegel

Beautiful cinematography and music

Cate Blanchett is Philippa, an English teacher who plants a bomb in an office. She wants to kill the boss there because he is a drugdealer and because his fault children died. The boss is not killed, four innocent people are, including two children. In jail she is interrogated and a translater named Filippo (Giovanni Ribisi) falls in love with her and helps her. I will not reveal with what exactly or how he helps her but the woman will have the chance to pay her dues on her own way.

The story set in Italy (Blanchett and Ribisi speak perfectly Italian in the movie) is a beautiful, tragic and intelligent one. The cinematography is great. Together with the music the film takes it time and doesn't rush things. It makes the movie, with a lot of symbolism, even more beautiful. Very interesting, written by the late Krzysztof Kieslowky (writer/director of Dekalog and Trois Couleurs) and Krzysztof Piesiewicz and directed by Tom Tykwer (director of Lola Rennt). Ribisi is very good and Blanchett is great.