The Violent Heart

Leave aside for the moment that Sanga is exploring Hitchcockian beats that most film-goers have not seen in their lifetimes. And leave aside also the perfect casting, especially Van Patten successfully selling a complicated and counter-intuitive character ,while at the same time playing Older-4-Younger. What really matters is that Sanga stuck to the core rule of story-telling that so many modern auteurs forget -- engage the viewer. Connect to the character. Hold the attention.

I more ore less came upon this film by accident, but was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. I think the title is a little misleading and certainly misplaced, but fortunately I somehow managed to get past it and I'm glad I did.

It has a pretty decent script, plot, and is well directed. For the most part it's a fairly simple tale well told of the meeting of two young people and how that develops with the complicated pasts that lies beneath their family history. Its an intriguing and well paced plot with a soft curve that ramps up evenly as the movie progresses.

A solid cast does a good job bedding you into the tale as it unfolds with subtle infusions of drama that add to its complexity. Jordan Carter does a great job with the portrayal of younger Daniel, however I think that Jovan Adepo who plays the older version of Daniel is miscast here. Throughout the film he seems somewhat distant and subdued and even when violence erupts from him, his manner always seems a little understated. His counterpoint in the film Cassie, played by Grace Van Patten, falls for him for really no reason that I can fathom, and the affection she has towards him seems misplaced given there is such little depth to his personality. I'm never convinced of the supposed bond that exists between them, or at least of the reasons for the affection she has for him.

The plot unfolds with some very interesting developments and with normal teens some rebellious behaviour ensues, bur fortunately here its not used to sour the character played by Van Patten. The film uses black and white actors in realistically separated lifestyles, and not in some idealistic homogenous social cocktail that is all too often employed to depict diversity. However its done without some of the more unpalatable racial overtones that so many films use to add tension and spice to the screenplay. Its been done well and gives the film an air of a unique viewpoint of events as things unfold and the lives become entwined.

I liked it. The story stuck with me for some time after I watched it, and that's always a good sign that it had positive impact. I think 7/10 is a pretty fair rating, possibly a little high given the reservations I had with the lead, but I'll let that slide.

Its a good film definitely worth watching.

Honestly , this movie was kinda cheesy and corny but still engaging. It couldve Been a lot better with some major changes but overall I didn't feel like I wasted my time watching it.

I thought this was really good. It wasn't cheesy, the acting was convincing. It had an incredibly harrowing storyline and an unexpected ending. I thought it had everything a good movie needs. Definitely didn't feel I'd wasted my time watching it, at all.

This was a very good story. A story behind a young boy who witnessed his sister get murdered by someone he doesn't know who. Fast forward fifteen years later and he's all grown up, falls a girl and finally learns who the killer is and the twist is devastating. An excellent story with a well rounded cast. No spoilers but the ending pissed me off. I so wanted it to end differently....enjoy..