Heavy
Directed by James Mangold
Opens June 27, George St Cinemas, St Kilda, Melbourne;
July 4, Verona Cinema, Paddington, Sydney
Reviewed by Margaret Allan
If you're a fan of the action flick, with the obligatory car chase, you may find this film tedious. It is a slow film.
Heavy
Pruitt Taylor Vince, whose face you will recognise but whose name probably won't ring a bell, plays Victor, a shy and awkward pizza cook working in the "middle of nowhere" diner owned by his mother, Dolly (Shelly Winters).
"Pete and Dolly's" diner is the setting for this journey of unrequited love, an environment turned upside down when Callie (Liv Tyler), the new waitress, arrives causing quite a few ripples in the previously calm waters of the down-beat New York eatery. Victor is immediately besotted, Delores, the older waitress (Deborah Harry), feels threatened, and Dolly has another person to mother.
Portrayed with skill by Vince, the character of Victor is excruciatingly awkward and lacking in self-esteem. He is unable to tell Callie how he feels and must idolise her from a distance. His life is further thrown into turmoil when his overbearing mother, on whom he depends, takes ill, leaving the running of the diner to him.
Agonising with Victor and his repressed emotions is a large part of viewing this film, although this isn't a painful experience. Despite the character's near inability to communicate on a personal level, Victor's warmth does become apparent and he is very likeable. Vince is a very accomplished actor, appearing in films as diverse as Mississippi Burning, Angel Heart, JFK, Wild at Heart and Natural Born Killers.
This is director James Mangold's first feature film, for which he also wrote the screenplay. About the film (and the scarcity of dialogue), he wrote: " I tried to minimise the words, look away from the words, make the words inarticulate. I wanted performances delicate, gestures fragile, the shots and cuts precise but restrained".
" I set out to tell a story about the place where I grew up and the people I loved and admired. I set out to make a moving film. And a quiet film." He succeeded. Heavy is quietly moving, a wonderful film.