Harry Angel, a low-rent private detective, has been hired by Louis Cyphre to track down a man with whom he has some sort of contract. The investigation leads Harry from person to person, from New York to New Orleans, through many dark twists and turns. As he goes deeper into the case, he gets pulled into a world of Voodoo, the occult, and murder and finds that he himself is involved somehow. He struggles to find out the truth behind everything going on and when he does, it's quite the revelation for him.
It took me several viewings to finally grip Angel Heart. The film is a bit difficult, not in that it's hard to understand the plot but that there are so many details to sort through. You must pay attention to make sense of all the names mentioned, the flashbacks, the twists, and a tricky back-story that is given to us piece by piece. That said, when all the things come together, it does work well for the most part. Alan Parker's direction is both subtle and sharp, and he really does a fine job capturing the noir-type mood. He's also able to bring the 50's era to life without going overboard or relishing in it, he just simply shows it. The slushy New York locations contrasted with rainy, humid New Orleans suit the story very well (the change in climate being a reflection upon Harry's own comprehension and, indeed, fate), as does the bluesy/jazzy soundtrack. And that pounding heartbeat really helped to turn the tension levels up. Mickey Rourke is excellent as Harry. He's got just the right amount of New York accent and brings true emotions to his character; formidable, frightened, or distraught, he performs realistically. Now Robert De Niro, it's just a pleasure watching him as a sly Satan! His mannerisms, from a slight grin to a menacing glance to eating an egg, are wonderful. I've read some negative remarks about Lisa Bonet's acting in the film but I thought she did just fine with her role, as did the rest of the cast.
So, aside from the sometimes confusing plot points, I thought Angel Heart was a very good horror mystery and holds up well for being nearly 20 years old. I really do enjoy story-driven films dealing with such subject matter and was not disappointed with the one in Angel Heart.
It took me several viewings to finally grip Angel Heart. The film is a bit difficult, not in that it's hard to understand the plot but that there are so many details to sort through. You must pay attention to make sense of all the names mentioned, the flashbacks, the twists, and a tricky back-story that is given to us piece by piece. That said, when all the things come together, it does work well for the most part. Alan Parker's direction is both subtle and sharp, and he really does a fine job capturing the noir-type mood. He's also able to bring the 50's era to life without going overboard or relishing in it, he just simply shows it. The slushy New York locations contrasted with rainy, humid New Orleans suit the story very well (the change in climate being a reflection upon Harry's own comprehension and, indeed, fate), as does the bluesy/jazzy soundtrack. And that pounding heartbeat really helped to turn the tension levels up. Mickey Rourke is excellent as Harry. He's got just the right amount of New York accent and brings true emotions to his character; formidable, frightened, or distraught, he performs realistically. Now Robert De Niro, it's just a pleasure watching him as a sly Satan! His mannerisms, from a slight grin to a menacing glance to eating an egg, are wonderful. I've read some negative remarks about Lisa Bonet's acting in the film but I thought she did just fine with her role, as did the rest of the cast.
So, aside from the sometimes confusing plot points, I thought Angel Heart was a very good horror mystery and holds up well for being nearly 20 years old. I really do enjoy story-driven films dealing with such subject matter and was not disappointed with the one in Angel Heart.