| Home | All About Heath | Photo Gallery | Trivia Game | Heath Fan Survey | NEW! GuestMap Find out where Heath fans are located - put yourself on the Map! | Write to Heath | Links | Email Me | |
 | FILM CREDITS
Two Hands (1999) - as - Jimmy
Paws (1997) - as - Oberon
TV CREDITS Roar (1997) - as - Conor |
The Four Feathers - - -
An epic tale in the Sudan full of lavishly beautiful photography and tons and tons of extras in elaborate battle scenes. For my first viewing of this film I decided to go to a very good theater to get full benefit of a large screen and terrific THX sound - so went with my hubby to Hollywood and saw this at the original Grauman's Chinese Theatre (at which there were only about 50 people in the audience, a Sunday matinee, and I practically felt like I had the place to myself considering that this is an extremely large theater!)
In this film, Heath plays Harry Faversham, a young Englishman who resigns from the army just before they are about to be sent to fight in the Sudan in the late 19th century, and his friends proceed to send him four feathers for cowardice. He then sets out on a journey to redeem himself.
I was slightly disappointed in the film as it first began and for the first segment in England. But soon changed my mind as the movie really began to pick up when Heath's character goes to the Sudan. Filmed in Morocco, the story now leads us into incredible shots of sand dunes, tracking camera shots rolling over hill tops to reveal masses of tents or people on camels coming across the screen. This movie just got better and better as it progressed until by the end I decided it was really quite a good film.
I sat close enough to the screen to really feel the tracking shots zooming across the desert and the gunshots were just flying over my head, sounded really realistic. If this film receives any Oscar nominations I wouldn't be surprised if Sound was one of them. Really great, although since I was in a theater with such a good sound system, perhaps I was biased to begin with on that score. I loved the music in this film too. Beautiful orchestral score by James Horner, and I loved the combinations of music with drums - both battle drums and the native drums of the area blending with the music as the action proceeded on screen.
Now as for Heath - he and all the other actors did a great job in this. Although I really didn't care for Kate Hudson in the part of his fiance, Ethne. When Heath had to kiss her it came across as very, very fake - no chemistry at all. Why, oh, why can't they ever cast an actress opposite Heath that he has some chemistry with - I really only like him with Julia Stiles in Ten Things. Oher than that - zippo chemistry for all his leading ladies (with the possible exception of the girl in Two Hands). I must say, by the way, that Heath is a VERY good rider on horseback. And I especially enjoyed the relationship in the film between Heath's character and the character of Abou Fatma, played by Djimon Hounsou. As for Heath's appearance, well, I wasn't that keen on his short haircut look in the first part of the film. When he goes to the Sudan and suddenly has long hair, beard, and sunburned face he started to look very handsome indeed. Soon he began to look just like Jesus (in fact, I really think Heath should play Jesus in some upcoming film!). But in the last part of the film, back in England, Heath looked as handsome as I have ever seen him. Better than his look in Two Hands, Ten Things, The Patriot, even than A Knight's Tale. He had straight, a little bit longish dark brown hair, and clean-shaven with sideburns - just absolutely gorgeous. Wow, is all I can say!
(October 1, 2002)
A Knight's Tale - - -
This is a super fun movie, a sort of Monty Python meets Robin Hood romp. Heath plays a young peasant who enters jousting tournaments as a nobleman, meets a princess and falls in love.
There is a Seventies rock track in the background that very effectively gives this film a modern day feeling to it, even though set in medieval times. I love the way the camera sort of rocks and rolls along with the music. For example, in the beginning of the film the camera sort of tilts back and forth with the music as it zooms along into the crowd scenes. In my favorite scene of the film, the dance scene to David Bowie's Golden Years, the camera kind of moves in and out along with the beat of the music, rocking in almost a rhythm with the dancers. Most of the jousting scenes have the music and fast editing typical of an MTV music video.
Heath is stunningly gorgeous in this film, with his long blond curls flowing around his face - he is just beautiful. He reminds me in a vague way of the beautiful youth Tadzio (that is, a Tadzio as he may have been all grown up and filled out a bit!) of Death in Venice as played by Bjorn Andresen in the 1971 film with Dirk Bogarde. Slim body, fair skin, golden locks, angelic face - - oh, baby!
The film has quite a bit of Monty Python type humor, what with it's goofy group of Heath and his entourage. In one early scene where Heath gets the front of his helmet smashed and is sheepishly standing before the judges, I half expected to see John Cleese step out from behind that costume!
I enjoy all of the scenes of the movie. My one complaint about it is that I think there is a lack of chemistry between Heath and the girl who plays his love, Shannyn Sossamon. She definitely has a sort of princess-type quality in a kind of Audrey Hepburn in "Roman Holiday" sort of way. But when they kiss I just don't see the chemistry at all!
This movie has parts of it that remind me of the old "Adventures of Robin Hood" with Errol Flynn (a gorgeous man of his day, just as Heath is today!) - - - Heath and his group of "merry men" walking along, meeting others along the way (like Robin Hood meets Little John), the lady, the bad man (Rufus Sewell as the Basil Rathbone character of Robin Hood), the competitions (this has jousting, Robin Hood competes in archery).
One point I wonder about is, what's up with the beard and dreadlocks that Heath is sporting in the beginning scenes of the movie - is it meant to be because he has been traveling for a long time on the road (but the other guys don't look like that!) or did Heath get called in to do some last minute reshoots after he had already started filming Four Feathers - hmmmm!
I highly recommend the DVD version of this film for the widescreen presentation (see more of Heath - no "pan and scan"!), digital sound, plus the extras that include the HBO documentary on the making of the film, interviews, deleted scenes, theatrical trailers, and more. Super!
(December 12, 2001)
The Patriot - - -
A fine film shot on location in South Carolina, with excellent costuming and art direction, and a very nice musical score by John Williams, who composed such classic film scores as that for Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Empire of the Sun, E.T., and Jurassic Park.
This is a film about the Revolutionary War, family, revenge, patriotism, and a father and son. I tend to favor movies that are lavish period pieces with lots of costumes, drama, handsome men, and a wonderful orchestral score by a great film composer like John Williams, Thomas Newman, etc. - - - - and since this IS a lavish period piece with lots of costumes, drama, handsome men, and a wonderful orchestral score, I really love this movie!
It is beautifully photographed - a film full of light and shadow. Light filtering through trees, soft light moving into rooms, wonderful shades of trees and autumn colors. The movie contains many battle scenes, and although quite gruesome (!!!), very accurately portray the way these battles would have really been. They are filmed in a way that reminds me a lot of the battle scenes in the film Glory with Matthew Broderick (another of my faves!). Especially I thought the final battle scene in The Patriot was kind of shot and edited like the final battle in Glory - the men moving forward, faster and faster cuts as the battle proceeds, etc.
The DVD version includes some scenes that were deleted from the final film and, to be honest, I think a few, if not all, of these scenes should have remained in the film. They have elements that, while maybe not essential to the plotline, give the film that little extra sparkle. When I watched the deleted scenes, it gave me the same impression I get when I see a film I like on commercial TV, with all the best bits cut out. TV stations always seem to remove my favorite scenes - those that aren't important to the story, but give a little extra humor or something that changes a mediocre or even good film into a great film. This was how I felt when I saw the deleted scenes. One in particular, called "The Creek", I thought was one of the most effective scenes in the film (now cut out!!).
As for Heath, well, nothing more need be said than this: I love a man in a uniform! - said with a sigh and a swoon! By the way, there are a few brief interview segments with Heath as part of one of the Bonus Featurettes on the DVD in which he looks really, really gorgeous - Wooooo!
(January 16, 2002)
10 Things I Hate About You - - -
Here's what I love about this film - -
lots of good music, interesting tracking shots, it's funny and happy, Heath's cute freckles, Heath playing paintball, the chemistry between Heath and Julia Stiles, plus I get to hear Heath sing - which he does quite well, by the way - swoon, swoon!!
I watched this film three times this week to write this review - I enjoyed it so much - last night when I watched it I laughed and smiled through the whole movie! I was thinking of The Patriot as my fave of Heath's films - but I have been enjoying 10 Things so much that it has really grown and grown on me the more times I see it - so as of today I am picking 10 Things as my current favorite.
Full Review Coming Soon!
(February 1, 2002)
Copyright � 2001, 2002, 2003 Love My Heath.