Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageHeartlands (2002)
Director: Damien O'Donnell
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Midlands newsagent Colin (Sheen) spends his days behind the counter, his evening on the darts team at the local, and the rest time in blissful ignorance that his beloved spouse is having it away with the darts captain. With the national pub darts championship in Blackpool approaching, the conventions of romantic comedy would seem to dictate a 'triumph of the underdog' finale with the very last dart of the day. Writer Paul Fraser (Shane Meadows' regular collaborator) and East Is East director O'Donnell take a sidestep, however, by charting the scooter-riding path to self-realisation of one of life's milder souls as he phutt phutts across country in pursuit of the faithless lovers. As the route through the Peak District broadens Colin's horizons, you can feel the movie opening out too, forsaking broad suburban knockabout for an unexpected English pastoralism as Alwin Küchler's poetic camerawork basks in the landscapes and the music of folk songstress Kate Rusby comes into play. Sheen errs on the side of 'hello clouds' naivety here, but credit to him elsewhere for keeping us rooting for a deeply unprepossessing protagonist. Addy's brash, Jag-driving pub landlord is a bitterly funny study in male menopausal self-delusion.Author: TJ
Cast & crew
Director: Damien O'Donnell
Producer: Gina Carter, Richard Jobson
Cast: Michael Sheen, Mark Addy, Jim Carter, Celia Imrie, Ruth Jones, Phillipa Peak, Jane Robbins, Paul Shane, Mark Strong full cast
Duration: 91 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Has David Cronenberg turned tame?
Has director David Cronenberg veered too far from his radical and bloody roots with new film 'A Dangerous Method'?
The 10 worst date movies
Just in time for Valentine's Day, we present ten of the least romantic films ever made
Where to watch this year's Oscar-nominated films
Find out where to watch 2012's Oscar-nominated films in London cinemas
10 unlikely badboy biopics
Featuring Phil Collins, Jeremy Clarkson, Nick Clegg, David Starkey and a host of other unlikely subjects
Interview: Sean Durkin on 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'
The first-time director of the brilliant new thriller discusses religious cults and robot boxing
Pop-up cinema for Valentine's Day
Side-step romantic clichés with some alternative Valentine’s viewing
What do you think?
Post your review now