Fan Review by Patsy, March 24, 2010

An atmospheric yet flawed adaptation of "J.T. LeRoy's" novella/collection of stories, "The Heart" sports interesting locations, unique visuals, real Southern music, skillful acting (Jimmy Bennett is incredible! I kept forgetting he was an actor, not an abused child!) and colorful characters.

I've read reports criticizing Asia Argento not only for this film, but because she couldn't do a Southern accent worth a damn. Let me refute that by saying that although there were a couple of times where I heard the Italian accent (i.e. in one scene she calls Jeremiah a piece of "sheet" instead of "shit") mostly she sounded like any raggedy southern redneck. Her gravelly voice really added to it too. She looked more like a strung out Madonna than a strung out Courtney Love, her flawless skin excellently made up with the blemishes, sores and pallor of a long term drug addict.

The first half is really much much better and in sync with the novella than the second half. Like Mary, I have to say that as soon as the child is taken in by his grandparents, essential elements go missing. I recommend the book, depressing as it is, if you want the whole anatomy of Sarah's insanity. In the film, probably due to censorship of child abuse themes, you miss out on how the grandparents forced their children into scalding bleach baths, or beat them bloody with belts and whips, all in the name of "Jesus". These fanatics trained their kids to preach damnation on street corners, beat them if they masturbated or even touched their genitals with bare hands, I mean I could go on forever! There is even a very revealing and needed backstory about how as soon as Sarah became pubescent, her father treated her like a whore and in one vicious sequence, forced her to remove her shirt so that he could shove her bare back against a hot coal stove! Sarah is depicted in the film as a vindictive and insane child abuser, but the book is where you'll find the cause.

There are numerous well knowns in the cast, but it should be noted that every supporting role is quite small, from Peter Fonda as the frowning freak of a Grandfather to Winona Ryder as an indifferent child therapist. Sisto plays a biker whose methlab causes Sarah to go completely off the deep end. It's a small role, and it leaves you wishing you could have seen more of him. All in all, a film with some very impressive qualities, but also missing items of great importance.

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