Imagine an insect pinned to a display case with a syringe and still flapping its wings. This is the Safdie Brothers' Heaven Knows What, the cinematic vision of Arielle Holmes' mostly-autobiography.
While the movie has the same intensity as Good Time and Uncut Gems, it doesn't have the same frenzy, which hurts the film absolutely not at all.
Author Arielle Holmes plays her own role in Heaven Knows What and if she writes as well as she acts, it's easy to see why the Safdies picked up the project.
Found the soundtrack annoying. The movie was as interesting as following around your local cities junkies. spoiler. junkies are good throwing ninja stars
Good Time was the first movie I've watched from the Safdie brothers. I really liked the tone of it, how they treated the movie's characters so on, so I was eager to watch Heaven Knows What. I was not disappointed. If you like the hyper realistic - junkie life sub genre you'd probably like HKW. It did not invent anything new, but show you again how pointless and sad a drug addict's everyday life. HKW captures well this evil cycle.
I almost never get truly disturbed by movies. I don't know why - I just don't, but within the first ten minutes Heaven Knows What left me cold with overwhelming fear, it made me feel internally sick and I couldn't watch any more so I gave up on the movie. Now, two days later, I saw the scene in question and it once again grinded on my bones - it's fucking unsettling...I continued this time though, and wow! This is a fantastic film about drug abuse.
I will admit to the thing I love most about this project is the true story behind it. Josh Safdie approached Arielle Holmes on the street, exchanged numbers with her and eventually persuaded her to write a memoir about her drug-filled life. Even at the time of shooting, she was still deep in this lifestyle and the name is supposedly the only thing different to her real life. Even the majority of the supporting cast is people she knew - this is almost a documentary, no question.
I'm so fucking happy for Arielle Holmes for entering rehab after the film's release and now being completely free from drugs. She gives a great performance in this film and her being cast as a version of herself was a no-brainer. She is perfect, she even has the right look of the character (I can't explain it, she just does). She has expressed that seeing this very film was a major part of her escaping the life of drugs, and losing the real Ilya (Caleb Landry Jones's character) from an overdose just months after the movie's release must have made this journey extremely difficult.
To me, this story behind the movie is beautiful. I have practically grown up around heavy drug users and I hugely respect anyone who is able to get clean.
Hats off to Arielle Holmes! :clap::clap::clap:
The Safdie brothers have a truly unique vision if you ask me, and their direction of this and more recently Good Time honestly seems like an important breakthrough in independent cinema.
The film is deeply harrowing and difficult to watch, and Heaven Knows It so she gives it to Hell.
seems like a pretty fair depiction of junky life. junkies are pretty boring it turns out
A remarkable film, more so because of the use of mainly non-professional actors in the film. Interestingly, many of these people had lived (or were living) the experiences that were portrayed by their characters. The film does have a rough, edgy feel, and it captures the life of an addict near flawlessly. A sad film, but a real one, bringing to the screen a slice of life that many people try and step away from. It resonated with me; particularly for those I knew who were caught in the drugs scene, some of whom are no longer here. If only there was a solution to break the cycle, but life, as we know, is complicated.
2/10
What a fucking mess of a movie
Shout by HosmanBlockedParent2015-08-22T21:02:14Z
Outstanding performance by Arielle Holmes, I really hope she get more acting jobs now, she's really good ! My favorite movie this year so far, the cast is really good and believable. Well realised too the color the music everything fits.