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The Good Heart

Iceland, United States, Denmark, France, Germany

2009

95 Min
Color
2.35:1
English
  • Currently 3.4/5 Stars.
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DIR Dagur Kári

PROD Skuli Fr. Malmquist, Thor Sigurjonsson

SCR Dagur Kári

DP Rasmus Videbæk

CAST Brian Cox, Paul Dano, Damian Young, Isild Le Besco, Stephanie Szostak, Nicolas Bro

ED Andri Steinn

MUSIC Orri Jonsson, Dagur Kári

Toronto (Special Presentation), !F Istanbul (Hit Films), SXSW (Festival Favorites), Transilvania (Supernova), São Paulo (International Perspective), Edinburgh (Gala)

Synopsis

A homeless boy Lucas (Paul Dano), meets Jacques (Brian Cox), a grumpy bar-owner, whose unhealthy lifestyle has brought him five heart attacks. Jacques takes Lucas under his wing with the intention of having him continue his legacy. Everything is going according to plan until a drunken stewardess named April enters the bar. —tiff.net

Director

Original

Dagur Kári

He was born in Paris, France to Icelandic parents and returned to Iceland when he was 3 years old. Dagur graduated from the National Film School of Denmark in 1999, with art house short movie Lost Weekend. The film got off to a good start and gained the first popularity winning 11 prizes on the international festival circuit.
The first feature film Noi the Albino (Nói albínói) he released in 2003 and also won several international awards. Then followed with his second film, Voksne mennesker (Dark Horse), which was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.
In 2008, he finished his first English language film The Good Heart, starring Brian Cox, Paul Dano and Isild Le Besco. He is also a member of the band Slowblow, whose music featured in Nói albínói. 

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seakat

1Mar13

You never realize the transition in the films of Kári.

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Pedro Franceschini

17Jan12

Dagur Kari's other movies were fantastic, I had my expectations really high for this one. It starts really good, with great acting by Dano and Cox, and a kind of "dark" aesthetics (almost medieval) that works great. But somewhere along the way the film turns out just to be nice, losing some of its starting potential.

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Trickstian Shantih

14Jan12

Paul Dano like Buster Keaton, Brian Cox like a Beethoven sonata, and Estragon the goose, like a goosy character from a Beckett play. Dagur Kári, at his best. ('The Dark Horse' was too crazy and nonsensical, and even after all they shoot horses, don't they?, while 'Nói albínói' was depressing, cynical, too baldy and too much Kierkegaard). 'The Good Heart' is the real thing with a big heart in the right place.

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Katerina

22Sep11

cute except for the bitch wife

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Articles

Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.

SXSW 2010: THE GOOD HEART Review

By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
[With Dagur Kari’s The Good Heart screening as part of SXSW 2010 we now re-post our review of the film which originally ran when the film premiered in Toronto.]On this, the first day of the 2009 Toronto
→ read on Twitchfilm.com

Magnolia has a Good Heart

By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
Looks like producer Thor Sigurjonsson owes me a coke. Magnolia Pictures has, according to IndieWire.com picked up the US distribution rights to Dagur Kári’s third film The Good Heart, starring Brian Cox
→ read on Twitchfilm.com

Brian Cox and Paul Dano: Possibly The Oddest Odd Couple Ever. A Red Band Trailer For Dagur Kari's THE GOOD HEART.

By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
You know, I just really, really like Dagur Kari. The Icelandic director may not be the biggest or flashiest guy around but his stuff is just solid. Three features into his career now – each in a different
→ read on Twitchfilm.com

Brim and The Good Heart clean up the Icelandic Eddas

By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
Our annual film and TV awards, The Edda, was held on saturday and indy darlings Brim (Undercurrent) and The Good Heart took home a large chunk of the awards. Brim took Best Picture, Lead Actress, Cinematography
→ read on Twitchfilm.com

SXSW 2010: THE GOOD HEART Review

By Twitchfilm.net on July 17, 2010
[With Dagur Kari’s The Good Heart screening as part of SXSW 2010 we now re-post our review of the film which originally ran when the film premiered in Toronto.]On this, the first day of the 2009 Toronto
→ read on Twitchfilm.net

Magnolia has a Good Heart

By Twitchfilm.net on July 17, 2010
Looks like producer Thor Sigurjonsson owes me a coke. Magnolia Pictures has, according to IndieWire.com picked up the US distribution rights to Dagur Kári’s third film The Good Heart, starring Brian Cox
→ read on Twitchfilm.net

Brian Cox and Paul Dano: Possibly The Oddest Odd Couple Ever. A Red Band Trailer For Dagur Kari's THE GOOD HEART.

By Twitchfilm.net on July 17, 2010
You know, I just really, really like Dagur Kari. The Icelandic director may not be the biggest or flashiest guy around but his stuff is just solid. Three features into his career now – each in a different
→ read on Twitchfilm.net

Lists

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Reviews

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A HAPPY SURPRISE

By Ricardo Rodrigu​es on December 29, 2010

Many things have been said about the French cinema and its films with no soundtrack. However, the new generation of directors adapted their styles. Dagur Kári isn’t an exception. Born in Paris, he…  read review

Untitled

By mina on September 12, 2009

This is a beautiful film from Dagur Kari, the director of Noi Albanoi. I went to see this film based solely on having seen Noi Albanoi at TIFF many years ago and was interested to see what Dagur was…  read review

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