The Heart Is Deceitful
Above All Things (DVD-Video)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C- Film: D
J.T. Leroy is supposedly a gritty writer and his book The
Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things is supposed to be some kind of
bestseller. However, it is Asia Argento
co-writing and directing the recent feature film version and to say it is a
disaster is an understatement. The
story tells of how a young boy is taken in by a woman who says he is her son,
but it is really the beginning of a series of ugly abusive psychological
terrorism that is more interested in celebrating it that exposing, documenting
and damning it.
Argento might just get a cease-and-desist order as the
very, very, very Courtney Love-like “white trash” burnout who takes in the
young blond male and subjects him to everything possible. Of course, the story was passed off as a
true story, but with all the holes in the story and the constant obsession with
celebrated ugliness and making things worse and worse without any ironic
distance, how this garbage could have fooled anyone is stunning.
The film version has nothing original to offer, wastes a
fine cast including perennial counter-culture icon Peter Fonda, the bold
Michael Pitt, the underrated Kip Purdue and even Marilyn Manson, who the camera
likes and has since his first Music Video.
Argento has never tried to imitate her father Dario’s work, to her
credit, but if you have seen classics like John Schlesinger’s Midnight
Cowboy (1969) and Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Salo (1975), then you’ve
seen the much, much, much better important versions of this film. If not, get them immediately and skip this
wreck. Oh, and no one should even
vaguely imply noting those two classics as any kind of complement or statement
that this is worthy of those films.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is on the dull
side, with color not gutted out, but made to be dirty and plugged to enough of
an extent by cinematographer Eric Edwards.
This is nothing we have not seen before, except done worse. Shots to last here and there, but seemingly
at the worst moments to the point of unintentional dark satire. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is weak and shows
its low-budget origins, with limited surrounds and fidelity limits in
general. Extras include the opening night
for the film, odd audio commentary that says little, featurette on the author’s
arrival and the one I liked, previews for other, better Palm product.
- Nicholas Sheffo
