Heaven (2002)

Love, retribution and redemption. Devastated by her husband's death from a drug overdose, Philippa, a British teacher living in Turin, Italy, tries to bring justice to the biggest drug dealer in Turin when the local police ignore her information about him. In building a home-made bomb and setting off a plan that fails miserably, her status changes from young widow to that of a criminal in custody. Young police officer Filipo descends into Philippa's life, changing her bleak outlook on existence into one in search of tranquility among corruption, as they become unlikely soul mates and lovers.

IMDB 7.2/10 from 18642 users

Director: Tom Tykwer
Writer: Krzysztof Kieslowski (trilogy 'Heaven, Hell and Purgatory'), Krzysztof Piesiewicz (trilogy 'Heaven, Hell and Purgatory'), Krzysztof Kieslowski (screenplay), Krzysztof Piesiewicz (screenplay)
Actors: Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi, Remo Girone, Stefania Rocca
Rated: R
Runtime: 97 min

The unfortunate death of Polish master director Krzysztof Kieslowski in 1996 left us a beautiful, but short legacy of films including The Decalogue, The Double Life of Veronique, and the Trois Couleurs trilogy (Blue, White, and Red). Remaining was an unfinished script, collaborated on by Krzysztof Piesiewicz, which had intended to be the first film of a new trilogy with "Heaven" being the initial entry, followed by "Hell" and "Purgatory". Piesiewicz has continued to pursue the completion and the un-filmed script for "Heaven" remained Kieslowski's final written work and in 2002 was undertaken with the production involvement of both Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella. The director would be Tom Tykwer.

The multi-layered story revolves around a simple premise of two unlikely fugitives fleeing through Italy's countryside. The scenery is gorgeous. It evolves into a hypnotic story of love between a young man and a women that he barely knows. She is seven years his senior but his magnetic desire for her is so cemented that it borders on a strongly disciplined yet whimsical pipe-dream.

Before the opening credits have completed Philippa, (Cate Blanchett), a British teacher living in Turin, has concluded an act of desperation by planting a bomb to kill a drug lord who she blames for her husband's death and who also responsible for making addictive substances available to her students. Corruption in the Government carbinieris has inhibited her viable attempts at exposing this man for incarceration. Following the explosion Philippa is arrested and during interrogated she is told that the bomb she placed had missed its intended target and unfortunately killed 4 people riding the elevator; a cleaning lady, a father and his two young daughters . She is almost catatonic with devastation. After she faints, a translator/stenographer named Filippo (Giovanni Ribisi) has his hand tightly gripped by her as she awakens. It is a defining moment.

Both Filippo and Philippa are now lost; her in unfathomable guilt and his in an overwhelming emotional response to her. Filippo is a fascinating young man who never seems to question his actions or motives. Eventually he plots and plans Philippa's successful escape. Although I personally found Ribisi's portrayal only mildly captivating, this aspect of the character Filippo is the most fascinating part of the film for me. The moment his hand was squeezed by Philippa it became the penultimate moment in his life. His actions as a result were so undemonstrative and mature, so far beyond simply 'cool', that it is almost appears to be a fantasy.

Philippa learns to love and accept that she can be loved again through fleeing and unifying with Filippo. She is also overwhelmed by his understated yet powerful response to her. It could be viewed as a love story in the extreme; one side giving up everything in their universe unselfishly aware that it may not be reciprocated at all. His loss is everything, and his gain is undetermined. True love… but extremely fatalistically defined. The insanity of her acts, the madness of his escape plans… and Filippo never second guesses himself, as if he is compelled by a force seemingly beyond his control. It is this way because it must be. Both riveting and head scratching at the same time.

Kieslowski's vivid identity is littered throughout many scenes, and to even attempt to pursue impinging upon his signature must have been a worrisome task for Tykwer. What comes through is Tykwer's own vision but a gentle homage to Kieslowski can be felt rustling like leaves in the wind. Kieslowskian telltale coincidence in the script are giveaways in both the protagonists names and their birth dates, yet as typical with the master director's territory, neither are overtly discussed. Slow camera pans and a wonderful score (additional music written by Tykwer himself) bring a warm reminiscence. This was by no means Kieslowski in his prime, but rather a Tykwer/Kieslowski hybrid that I have revisited on two separate occasions escalating my ultra-romanticized perceptions. What I am left with is a mesmerizing attraction towards art, cinema, Kieslowski, love, redemption, honesty and fatalism…

















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