The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (2004)

Asia Argento keeps the tradition of her father's fantastically crazy, brutal and experimental films. She knows how to deal with the darkness, the horror of something people wouldn't even dare to talk about. With a cast that really works, Asia Argento brings a truthful film, a brutal film to ponder about three things: Love, lust and loneliness. All with a sprinkle of religious fanaticism, drugs and deeply disturbed minds.Acting is, by all means, what makes this film so strong. All performances are brilliant. The "experimental", almost child-like cinematography is unnerving and spot-on. The music and all the other elements in sound design are equally chilly. The fact that a little boy is involved in the film, makes it more disturbing. Asia Argento (I suppose) played the main role because I guess it wouldn't be easy to ask any other one to do so in America. I hope no American director or writer will even try to do a re-make of this film, because it's pure giallo in the 2000's, and that's a big thing. Sure, it's a hellraiser for many, but it absolutely shines as what it was intended to be. Many people may not like these sort of genre (giallo is a genre in itself) and will be repelled even by the idea of watching it. So don't. But for people who like European films that usually are honest and brutal, well... you won't easily find anything in this era made in the US so giallo :)Thumbs up for Asia... she's always been a great actress (even when she was pretty young, she appeared in some of her dad's films), a great writer and a daring director.

The movie was at times slow, but still very good. Extremely tragic and depressing at times. The reality of this is almost to hard to think about. The movie is one that will resonate in your mind long after you watch.As a Jeremy Renner fan - very tough to get through his scenes.I wish there was some sort of redemption - though I do know that in real life - sometimes it just doesn't happen that way. However, for a story so disturbing and tragic the director did do a great job in making it still artistic enough to not feel like we are violators by watching.

I think this is the worst film I have ever seen. I am amazed to read a positive review of it on IMDb. It's the story of a young boy with a junkie hooker mother and abusive grandparents who gets dragged, pushed and pulled from one horrendous situation to the next. It's a tale of abuse - in all it's forms. In my opinion, it was child abuse to even put a child actor through the scenes they filmed.Depressing, horrific, disgusting, unpleasant. I don't see what was achieved or expressed by that movie. I was so disgusted by it, I suggested my video store send it back to their suppliers - which they did. I never did that about a film before...

An incredibly raw story, of love and abuse. I had a difficult time watching this heart wrenching movie. The story is one of a small boy who's pulled out of a loving foster home by his natural mother. In the years that follow, the boy endures years of abuse (physical, mental, sexual), drugs, violence and the cruelty of a harsh real world, all for the sake of love. A disturbing plunge into the icy depths of depravity, delusion and despair. The boys mother is damaged goods, who is desperately looking for the same thing the boy craves. The acting, camera work and directing were outstanding, but the subject matter was dark, depressing and demented. I doubt I have the courage to watch this again.