50. ANGEL HEART
50. ANGEL HEART
(1987)
Directed by Alan Parker
This is what you'd call a good old fashioned New Orleans style voodoo sex horror identity crisis movie. The rich, provocative, dark and off kilter feel reminds me of a Tom Waits record- all moody blood grease booze and smoke rolling with a Satanic undertow. The story, based on a 1979 novel by William Hjortsberg, is a clever take on the old Raymond Chandler style of private detective narrative (and let it be known that the hardboiled school of crime writers enjoy a prominent place on my bookshelves and I consider it a shame that horror and noir haven't knocked boots more often). Mickey Rourke plays private dick Harry Angel who is hired by a mysterious long finger-nailed dapper cat named Louis Cyphre (Robert Deniro) to track down a missing crooner who called himself Johnny Favorite. It's set in the 1950's and the action shifts from snowy New York to steamy New Orleans with corpses piling up along the way in gruesome fashion. Mickey Rourke peaked in 1987. Not only did he nail the role of Harry Angel but he also transformed himself into Charles Bukowski for that ode to the self-medicated lifestyle, "Barfly". In the notoriety department "Angel Heart" stirred up some shinola for a blood drenched fucking scene to the strains of Lavern Baker's sultry torch song "Soul on Fire". Love that song. Love this movie.
(1987)
Directed by Alan Parker
This is what you'd call a good old fashioned New Orleans style voodoo sex horror identity crisis movie. The rich, provocative, dark and off kilter feel reminds me of a Tom Waits record- all moody blood grease booze and smoke rolling with a Satanic undertow. The story, based on a 1979 novel by William Hjortsberg, is a clever take on the old Raymond Chandler style of private detective narrative (and let it be known that the hardboiled school of crime writers enjoy a prominent place on my bookshelves and I consider it a shame that horror and noir haven't knocked boots more often). Mickey Rourke plays private dick Harry Angel who is hired by a mysterious long finger-nailed dapper cat named Louis Cyphre (Robert Deniro) to track down a missing crooner who called himself Johnny Favorite. It's set in the 1950's and the action shifts from snowy New York to steamy New Orleans with corpses piling up along the way in gruesome fashion. Mickey Rourke peaked in 1987. Not only did he nail the role of Harry Angel but he also transformed himself into Charles Bukowski for that ode to the self-medicated lifestyle, "Barfly". In the notoriety department "Angel Heart" stirred up some shinola for a blood drenched fucking scene to the strains of Lavern Baker's sultry torch song "Soul on Fire". Love that song. Love this movie.
posted by scottra at 12:00 AM
1 Comments:
Mr. Refund, there is a glaring omission in your otherwise sound assessment of this film.
Yes, the film combines horror and noir to superb effect; yes, Mickey Rourke is at the peak of his powers; yes, Lavern Baker is used to excellent effect: all of that is true. But the most satisfying aspect of Angel Heart, for this particular viewer, is the seraphic presence of Lisa Bonet, a woman of exquisite and otherworldly perfection. The spell cast by her Orphic gaze in this film is validation for the entire endeavor of cinema and, incidentally, has yet to relinquish me from its grip.
Looking forward to your next entry.
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