User reviews

This movie is about Brian Cox... Director Dagur Kari provides a stage. Paul Dano is great being a looking-glass. But Brian Cox's Jacques is monumental, he literally carries the action from the first second he steps in. He energizes the viewer, no matter how one classifies his moral actions. The bar scene is one of surrealistic charm, dwelled by decameronesque characters and maintained as a personal fiefdom by Jacques. The short story on the cover is "A bartender takes a young homeless man in under his wing" but there is so MUCH more to it. Lucas (Paul Dano) represents here a humanity clear of prejudice, pure and immortal. The suicide attempt doesn't stop him. Nor does death itself, his heart symbolically living on in another body. Supporting actress Isild le Besco is somehow incongruous, offering not believable French accented replies. Underwhelming, as her debut movies in France, where her naked skin prevails. Probably a strong actress, I am thinking here Emily Mortimer, or Marie-Louise Parker, or, -if they really wanted a French one, how about Sandrine Kiberlain? -would have done much better. Solidly memorable, Brian Cox gives this movie so much personality and energy that only true talent can offer. In line with Anthony Hopkins and Ben Kingsley, Cox is another Musqueteer of a generation of powerful performances from Britain to enchant us. Watch this great movie, and a bar will never look the same to you!

Brilliantly dark and hilarious. Shot in a bar in Reicuvic, Iceland by the director of Noi Albinoi, and the two brilliant actors from the mesmerising L.I.E. With a brilliant performance from Brian Cox.

The director has the way of putting his own Icelandic feel to this movie with its very greenish feel in the artistic shots. which were shot in New York and a mocked-up bar in Reicuvic.

Totally brilliant humour throughout mixed with the serious moody Brian Cox and upbeat Paul Dano, merges together once again to give a good mix.

Definitely the best thing I have seen in the 2010 EIFF, and one I recommend for all to see.

It is a drama and so-called independent film (with Icelandic screenwriter/director), but it is not oppressive, but includes plenty of comic moments. The screenplay is witty and distinct (with some predictability though) and all the cast is good (supporting actors) or excellent (leading actors Brian Cox and Paul Dano). They are masterly both together and separately, you constantly feel chemistry between them - does not matter if their characters agree or disagree.

Highly recommended, although the film is not to everybody's taste: most of event occur in a bar, scenes including women are infrequent, the ending is ambivalent. But still, this film deserves far more attention, praise and distribution, primarily in northern parts of Europe and America.

Brian Cox & Paul Dano are a remarkable pairing in a film that doesn't really accomplish much, but somehow remains okay. Jacques, a bitter bartender looking for someone to carry on his legacy stumbles upon Lucas, a homeless young adult who is hopelessly giving. The pairing between the two is what allows the film to float above complete disaster, as their on screen chemistry elevates the otherwise nonexistent storyline to a level slightly beyond entriguing. As Jacques determines to break the kid and turn him into a "proper bartender", one who does not help people but destroys them, he finds a kid unwilling to bend in his giving ways. This changes Jacques, but the seeds of contempt Jacques has planted within Lucas in his "lessons of life" rub a lot deeper. This movie would've easily gotten an 8 had it ended about 5 minutes earlier. I must say that there was a scene in the beginning where I knew exactly what would happen at the end of the film, and this not only cripples any film revolving around this as a plot device, it destroys the very purpose of the entire piece. The only reason to watch this film is Brian Cox & Paul Dano's amazing on screen chemistry, and that alone places this film slightly above palatable.

I like Brian Cox, I like Paul dando. I like the premise of them, chalk and cheese characters in a seedy bar discussing life from two very different standpoints. This is what i was expecting. But for me it got much too busy. Too many inconsequential characters, uninteresting backstory for the Cox character, the hospital scenarios were hackneyed tropes repeated ad nauseam.

Despite the, at times laugh out loud humour, it was a dark depressing film, not helped by the bar interior, seedy yes, but this was Victorian workhouse bleak.

Left me feeling disappointed, that an opportunity had been missed. It wasn't the film I wanted to see, left me feeling sad tbh.

I attended the North American Premiere of "The Good Heart" at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. Brian Cox and Paul Dano (reunited after the 2001 indie classic "L.I.E.") pull off a tour de force that left me breathless in this character piece from Icelandic writer/director Dagur Kári.

The film opens with Lucas (Dano) barely eking out a living in a cardboard box under a rusty highway overpass, with only a scrawny kitten as a companion. Jacques (Cox) runs a worn old bar where he's beginning to take on its characteristics. The two meet and a classic intergenerational arc is set up that carries the film to the end.

The film is dominated by a triumphant performance from Cox, one of the film world's masters. Shot primarily in one interior location, the theatrical nature of the script lends itself to playful interaction between the two leads. The chemistry between Cox and Dano began in 2001 with "L.I.E." and there's still magic in that relationship, forged over time as Dano has matured as an actor and into manhood. Interestingly, there are some references to cars and shaving which have carried over from "L.I.E." to "The Good Heart," intentional or not. Conflict is infused by the sudden appearance of April (Isild Le Besco), who forces the two to take sides even as their friendship is beginning to blossom.

Shot with mostly hand-held camera by cinematographer Rasmus Videbæk, "The Good Heart's" grainy film stock, washed out colors, and natural lighting without compensation for shadows give the film an honest look. A sweet soundtrack is mostly provided by the player piano that holds a prominent place in the bar. It's a clever and amusing device.

A long time in the making, "The Good Heart" spent five years in production with exteriors in New York and interiors in Iceland. Cox's introduction after the screening brought the first standing ovation of the festival.

The Good Heart is the perfect title for this gem. It lives up the name in every way.

It's an interesting character study about an old man who owns a dive bar in New York city, and the homeless youngster he takes under his wing. Add in the grizzly characters who frequent the bar, and a lone lady friend who's also an interesting case study. There's also a curious, entertaining pet that joins the scene at the bar. However, the film isn't contained to just the bar.

The movie is shot with a filter that gives it a semi black and white feel, which doesn't distract but adds to the ambience of the film.

The acting is solid and the script is well written. The plot and storyline flow seamlessly from beginning to end.

And the end- the end really brings it all home to a, well, heartfelt conclusion. I rated it a 7 because it really hits the humanistic side of the lives of the main characters.

This is a must see movie - goes on my list all time favorites.

It is not a thriller but there is never a dull moment. It is no comedy either yet there were several occasions where I was laughing so hard that I was almost out of breath. It's difficult to classify.

The script has everything. Excellent plot, really fantastic dialogs, interesting characters, unexpected turns and a surprise ending... a great story and its well told.

The quality is excellent: filming, lighting, soundtrack, props, costumes ... everything.

Brian Cox is fantastic as the grumpy bar owner... Paul Dano is convincing as the homeless young man.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

This film is about a bitter bar owner who insults everyone he sees. He encounters a homeless young man with a good nature, and takes him as his apprentice in the bar.

"The Good Heart" is filmed artistically. The mostly dark colour scheme, and the old and bleak sets augment the film's dismal atmosphere. The story follows a predictable pattern, as two individuals with vastly different personalities collide, they change each other. Brian Cox puts on a great performance as a character who is bitter and cold. Paul Dano's character is very good natured to the point that he is vulnerable to exploitation. He has the good heart, which I did not imagine it to have a literal meaning. However, the slow pacing and the overly bleak atmosphere hurt the enjoyment factor. If this story was filmed as a light hearted comedy, it would have worked better.

Lucas (Paul Dano) is homeless in New York. His failed suicide attempt sends him to the hospital where he is befriended by his roommate sour bar owner Jacques (Brian Cox). Jacques has a bad heart and wants Lucas to take over his bar 'House of Oysters' when he's gone. Jacques serves his regulars with a standoffish respect and hates walk-ins. He gives Lucas new clothes and a haircut. To his horrors, Lucas gives away espressos to the homeless and is friendly with the customers. One rainy night, distraught flight attendant April (Isild Le Besco) walks into the bar. There is the usual cast of characters, and a duck.

This is a dark New York fable with two amazing leading men. None of these characters are particularly endearing although Lucas has his charms. Jacques is a grumpy old man. There are plenty of dark quirkiness. It rambles a bit. The ending is problematic. While the accident is a nice dark turn, I don't like where Jacques ended up. I would have preferred him working at the bar in the end as it fades to black. It's disappointing and an unengaging way to finish.

Endearing - if a little over the top- story, well acted.

In a nutshell, a cantankerous old man grows attached to a kind, destitute, young man. And the morale of the story is, you reap what you sow, as the good book says.

I am not going to give anything away by saying the movie starts with a little humor (offering to pay the hospital bill by donating sperm, lol), and soon transitions to a tender mood accompanied by the lullaby-like soundtrack.

The end is a little far-fetched though, the odds of that particular coincidence (which I won't spoil for you) being next to impossible.

Hbo max has this as released 2010, but imdb says 2009. Lucas is a homeless guy, in the hospital, again, after a suicide attempt. In the next bed is jacques, bar owner, after another heart attack. When they are released, jacques decides he wants to leave the bar to lucas, so he shows him the ropes. Jacques is quirky. The customers are quirky. Everyone is quirky. Jacques is old and cranky, and says funny things as he lashes out, but most of them are so laced with curse words that we can't repeat them here. They both have surprises up their sleeves. If they can put up with each other long enough. It's well done. Written and directed by dagur kári.

Over the past two to three years, Iceland has mostly made news because of its economic meltdown and because of an unpronounceable volcano. Well, I would say that Dagur Kári's movie "The Good Heart" shows that the island still has a lot to offer us.

The movie tells the story of Jacques (Brian Cox) and Lucas (Paul Dano). Jacques is a short-tempered bartender who suffers a heart attack and is put in a hospital bed next to the derelict Lucas. Jacques decides to take Lucas under his wing and teach him the bar-tending business. Although not the nicest person, Jacques is determined to give Lucas a good life. But when Lucas takes unemployed flight attendant April (Isild Le Besco) his wing, the story gets started on an irreversible path.

The movie has really good character development. Just watching Jacques on the screen made me feel as if I was walking on eggshells. It certainly gave me an idea of what it must be like to be a bartender and have to deal with certain kinds of people every day. Even though Jacques is kind of nasty as a person, we understand why he's like this, and by extension get a sense of what Lucas and April have to put up with.

Like I said, it was a real surprise that much of the funding for "The Good Heart" came from Iceland, and that much of the crew and cast is from the North Atlantic island*. This movie could be seen as the manifestation of Ísland's** potential return from its economic collapse during the past few years. I strongly recommend "The Good Heart" and wish Iceland the best. Lofsöngur!

*Many of the names employed the letter thorn, written Þ (upper case) and þ (lower case).

**That's Iceland's name in Icelandic.

After making such a great debut film Noi Albino, and following that up with the fairly enjoyable Dark Horse, it pains me to tell you that The Good Heart is a real let down. Apart from it's look I can't pick out any other positives. It's puzzling to know why the director decided to make this film in English, apart from maybe a greater chance at financial success, as the story and characters have no relevance to their surroundings. It's nauseatingly quirky, desperately predictable and me and my friends were extremely disappointed.

I plead to Dagur Kári, the director, to go back to where he knows and develop his trade. One more film like this and he will be well and truly struck off my list.

It's rare that a film really grabs my attention in a way that this one did. This indie film was one I'd normally just move on past in the list of cable movies, but I'm sure glad I took the chance to watch it.

The acting and writing were amazing, and for those that don't mind rough language and raw humor, this was a real treat. This is a character study, comedy, and drama that's funny, rude, warm, cold, serious, moving, surprising, odd, eccentric, irreverent, and engaging.

If you have an open mind and nothing's too sacred, just sit down and enjoy the ride, and I promise you'll be glad you did. This one's very special in its own way.

Here's a great line: Life's too short for lousy cars.

This is uttered while watching his old station wagon being crushed at the junkyard.

Here's a bit that's hilarious because the delivery is subtle: "It's amazing how broccoli always makes you f@rt.

In a way, broccoli is the embodiment of f@rt.

If you could capture a piece of f@rt; materialize it; I imagine it would look pretty much like broccoli.

the incarnation of f@rt." The movie kept me laughing and crying throughout.

Found this movie during a sleepless night and what a gift! Loved it so much watched it 12 hours later and it effected me the same! This review gets long so I will start with: highly recommend!

Enjoyed the acting, the script, the characters the set, and even the strange music! I could not relate to any bit of it (functional crazies meet alcoholics)but found the story line compelling probably because it is an original! Thank you for that! Kindness personified in the most simple character who was completely and purely kind who lived a hard hopeless yet seemingly content life had to be taught to be rude. Lucas's extremely kind demeanor was so powerful it changed Jacques and more than saved his life, he gave him life!

The character Aprill was interesting but the ending was unresolved and I found that unsettling.

A film that leaves you with pleasant emotions after watching it. This is not just a random flick that, as often happens, can be viewed once and forgotten, it is a picture that is imprinted in your mind for a long time. Perhaps it was the performance of Paul Dano, who plays the title role, that made such a vivid impression on me. This young actor, who conveys feelings sincerely and truthfully, is able to make a masterpiece out of a film. The plot of the picture is simple and complex. The relationship between the old bartender Jacques and a tramp named Lucas creates a sincere atmosphere that allows you to observe the changes in the ideology of the main character. The desire to help everyone becomes dissuading for the guy. But this is only the first part.

The second is the conclusion, which is sad, combined with slightly unexpected turn of events.

A sincere, vulnerable and slow-paced film with an ending that does not leave you indifferent.

A nostalgic, rugged exploration of masculinity that felt out of time even in its 2009 release, The Good Heart takes viewers into a world seemingly untouched by modernity. Brian Cox's Jacques, a grizzled, grumpy New York bartender, befriends Lucas, an oversensitive young homeless man, and together they carry on the legacy of a backstreet, regulars-only bar called "The House of Oysters." The name might seem ironic for an all-male retreat, as oysters have their own, ahem, feminine associations. The stated reason in the film is that the bar used to be a seafood restaurant. Jacques, in failing health, longs to see this forgotten, creviced bar-untouched by time-live on in the hands of someone who can appreciate its value.

What makes the surrogate father-son bond between Jacques and Lucas so compelling is its depth and authenticity. Their relationship recalls the words of "philosopher entertainer" Alan Watts, whose soothing voice is so often heard layered in today's music. Watts once said, "Dad is a clown. Why? Because he goes away to a mysterious place called the office or the factory, in which the family as such have no part and no real interest." The father then returns from this distant occupation with only an abstraction called money, creating an alienation within the family unit. We see this illness everywhere now, but it's absent in The Good Heart. Here, Jacques owns his bar; his investment is real. He provides Lucas not only with life skills but also with a genuine upbringing, embodying a largely forgotten, premodern model of mentorship.

This is a rare film for men; while countless movies cater to male tastes and mostly male directors, few speak to men's hearts. In this dialogue with men, the film treads a fine line between exploring a sensitive topic-the impact of sharing one's life with a woman-and flirting with misogyny in its portrayal of that impact. Jacques is certainly not pleased when April arrives and seduces Lucas. Jacques' resentment may stem from an old wound or even a grudge warped into bigotry; regardless, he sees April as a threat to Lucas's "upbringing." The resultant strife disrupts the rhythms and routines of The House of Oysters, and while April is portrayed as both a positive and negative influence, Jacques sees her presence as destabilizing.

One of my favorite takeaways from the movie is a wonderful analogy about life: it's like a coconut-hard and unyielding on the outside, but with sweetness inside if you can figure out how to break it open, and something you have to share once you do. The film's strong twist ending offers another good message: when we meet others on a deep level, both parties should be transformed. In the end, Jacques is changed by Lucas just as much as Lucas is by Jacques.

Visually, The Good Heart is a masterpiece. The muted tones and warm lamplight seeping through years of varnish create an amber glow, transforming the bar into a timeless cocoon. The setting feels like a liminal space between waking and dreaming, adding to the story's melancholic charm. This film would pair beautifully with Light Years Away (Les Années lumière, 1981), Alain Tanner's exploration of another peculiar apprenticeship. The Good Heart is a rare gem, and we may not see its kind again-not until our society fully reckons with the crisis in masculinity.