I’ve often wondered whatever happened to Philip Ridley, who made two of the most interesting films of the 90s: The Reflecting Skin and The Passion of Darkly Noon. Well, it turns out that he’s going to be back behind the camera for a new horror film, Heartless, starring Jim Sturgess and Timothy Spall.
Jamie Morgan has a large disfiguring birthmark on his face, in the shape of a heart. It’s a unique deformity that has left him alone in a cynical society. He lives with his mother, Marion, in the East End of London – in an area notorious for its violent hooded gangs. The news reports say that the gangs are now wearing demon masks. One night, Marion is attacked and brutally murdered. Jamie realises that the gangs are not just kids wearing masks, but real demons, and hell is starting to descend on the city. Jamie embarks on a mission of revenge and comes face to face with the master demon – Papa B. Jamie is offered a deal, a second chance at life. The chance to get rid of his birthmark and become normal. It’s a shot at everything he’s ever wanted – friends, happiness, a chance to fall in love. But there is a price. In return, Jamie must join them and become part of the violence that Papa B is orchestrating from the rooftops of East London. Jamie agrees and out of a fierce, agonising fire, is reborn a beautiful young man. He returns home and within no time Papa B’s promises of a wonderful new life come true. However, his new found happiness is short lived as his murderous end of the deal must be kept. Thus begins the fight for Jamie’s soul and the discovery that all the demons are in fact, something even more terrifying.
Sounds like it has all the director’s trademarks: magical realism, alientated protagonists, weirdness in a pop culture framework. I really hope this doesn’t get axed – Ridley should have made a good half dozen films by now, he’s one of the best British filmmakers out there (and it looks like he’s actually filming in the UK this time).
Oh, and while I’m on the subject, what about a dvd release for The Reflecting Skin, please? I only have a shakey old video that I recorded from TV a dozen years back… this was a film made for DVD.
There’s a pretty good widescreen DVD of The Reflecting Skin available from Japan, though there are rumblings about a special edition in the UK for possibly next year.
Phil’s been trying to get film projects off the ground since Darkly Noon but the vagaries of the British film industry (plus his unwillingness to surrender final cut) have prevented him from doing so. I’d recommend the plays and children’s books he’s written in the interim as a look at what you can expect from Heartless.