A Hole In My Heart (2005) Movie Information:

A Hole In My Heart (2005) Directed by: Lukas Moodysson A Hole In My Heart (2005) Written by: Lukas Moodysson A Hole In My Heart (2005) Cast: Thorsten Flinck, Sanna Bråding, Björn Almroth, Goran Marjanovic

A Hole In My Heart (2005) U.S. Distributor: Newmarket Films A Hole In My Heart (2005) U.K. Distributor: Not available at this time

Our Rating: User Rating:  Log in to rate this movie

A Hole In My Heart (2005) Synopsis:

"A Hole in My Heart" is a brave, shocking cinematic experience intimately filmed in a cramped Swedish apartment and following a total of four characters through acts of physical degradation, sensual perversity and emotional isolation. Bonded commonalities emerge among them, procuring each a sense of comfort for the present and something less than fear for the future. A fearless filmmaking exercise from start to finish, "A Hole in My Heart" is exceedingly kinetic yet always in control of its own shock value. An extreme but somehow more authentic version of the worldwide craze for "reality TV," the images young Swedish auteur Lukas Moodysson puts on screen are never easy to look at but even more difficult to turn away from. "A Hole in My Heart" is the fourth feature from internationally-renowned Swedish filmmaker Lukas Moodysson. It stars Thorsten Flinck, Sanna Brading, Goran Marjanovic and Bjorn Almroth in his feature-film debut. "A Hole in My Heart" — written and directed by Moodysson ("Together," "Lilya 4-Ever") and produced by Lars Jönsson of Memfis Film ("Breaking the Waves," "Dogville") — is disturbing, provocative, chaotic, frequently abhorrent and ultimately a breathtaking piece of independent film that cannot be stricken from the memory.

A Hole In My Heart (2005) Movie Review:

Swedish filmmaker Moodysson (Lilya 4-ever) goes further into controversial territory with this unsettling, hard-to-watch film. There's a certain strength here, mostly in its unflinching honesty, but it's a gruelling 98 minutes.

Eric (Almroth) is a lonely late-teen living in a squalid flat with his low-life father Rickard (Flinck), who makes amateur porn films in the sitting room. Today Rickard's making a movie with regular actor Geko (Marjanovic) and newcomer Tess (Brading), who has dreamed of being in porn since age 12. But Tess has no idea what the day will hold. Meanwhile, Eric hides in his room, sharing his philosophical musings with anyone who will listen.

Moodysson directs this guerrilla-style, with hand-held camera work, crashing edits and a garish sound mix that literally jolts us. Clips of anatomical close-ups, surgical procedures and play-acting with Barbie dolls are intercut with the story. And there's also a heavy overtone of reality TV--both action and dialog feel completely improvised, and all brand names are blurred, as are faces of passers-by during a brief trip outside the flat.

The performances are so real that we feel uncomfortable watching them, especially as things get increasingly stressed. There are moments that break this intensity, most notably when Tess tries to befriend/seduce Eric--their disjointed conversations are lively and hilariously real. And the dialog between Eric and his father is also striking for its heavy subtext. And it all takes on new meaning as we learn more about Eric and, especially, Rickard.

Assembled out of order, the film ricochets from witty to insightful to vulgar to horrific. Eric's musings over his pet earthworms are both funny and scary ("Someday they'll turn into butterflies, just like me"). Scenes of Tess and Geko preparing for filming (pumping up, shaving, putting on make-up and costumes) are sweet and sad. Their loss of control after too much alcohol, drugs and food is hideously disgusting. The sex itself is a kind of drug--mindless oblivion from an awful life, and the only time they can escape to still, idyllic fantasy. There is definitely something important in this film, but it's probably too argumentative and experimental for many people to get it.

Our Rating: User Rating:  Log in to rate this movie

A Hole In My Heart (2005) review written by: Rich Cline