BULLETPROOF HEART
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1995 Steve Rhodes
[This film was previously titled KILLER when it played in film festivals.]
RATING (0 TO ****): **
BULLETPROOF HEART is a movie with a strange name and a bizarre twist on an old theme. Anthony LaPaglia, who was great as the Mafia boss's nephew in BETSY'S WEDDING, again plays a Mafia type. This time he is a highly paid professional hit man. He gets a quick contract from Peter Boyle to kill Mimi Rogers. The twist is that Rogers knows this and is waiting for LaPaglia to show up at her place to kill her. The mystery is why is she being killed and is she actually in favor of it or not.
The script is good and provides several large laughs. One of my favorite scenes involves LaPaglia's incompetent sidekick played by Matt Craven. Craven explains that the reason he seems afraid of his own shadow is that he has a Magnesium deficiency. He pops these little Magnesium pills at the right time and instant courage just like the badge for bravery on the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz.
The acting was good all around except I did not like the character played by Craven--he got on my nerves after a while. I have seen Rogers give much stronger performances (see sometime SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME or THE RAPTURE), but she was pretty good here. (She certainly is one beautiful forty-year-old woman! An age I can certainly indentify with.) The best work was done by LaPaglia and Boyle.
Ultimately BULLETPROOF HEART is not a mystery as it is trivial to guess the simple twists in the plot. The ending is certainly telegraphed from the beginning. This movie is a two-person character study, and either that works for you or it doesn't. For me, I liked some of the banter of the dialog, but kept feeling left empty. The show never offends, has some quite good moments, but it just did not work for me.
If you see the show, be sure and stay to the absolute end. After you have learned in the credits that this New York and "Jersey" movie was actually filmed in Vancouver and after the very last credit has rolled past, you get more movie! I am not sure if you would call it a serious outtake or an epilogue, but whatever it is and whatever it is supposed to mean, most people will probably miss seeing it--unless they are smart enough to read my reviews that is.
The movie runs about right at 1:37. It is not rated, but I suspect it would get a (soft) R for its very low key, less than most TV shows, violence, some heavy and a little unusual sex, and 10 milliseconds of female nudity. It would be fine for any mature teenager, but I can not bring myself to recommend it to anyone. I award it ** for the script and some good acting.
**** = One of the top few films of this or any year. A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = One of the worst films of this or any year. Totally unbearable.
REVIEWED WRITTEN ON: February 24, 1995
Opinions expressed are solely mine & not meant to reflect my employer's.
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