Review of Angel Heart (1987) by Tom D — 15 Apr 2014

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, though it was creepy enough to make my skin crawl. I sensed a palpable stench of death throughout the film. The acting was excellent, even "Cosby daughter" Lisa Bonet's. DeNiro was fantastic as always; just the sight of his extra-long fingernails made me shiver. Mickey Rourke was great in his starring role as well. It's a shame what has happened to his face since this movie was released, but his new appearance does make "The Wrestler" more authentic.

At its heart, this film is a mystery in which all characters have something to hide. Every stone Harry Angel overturns reveals more questions and more corpses. I also enjoyed the twin settings of New York and New Orleans in the 1950s, although the settings were more effective at contributing to character development than being really accurate at portraying the period. While the overall mood and characters were excellently drawn, the plot did have holes. Why have Angel on a quest looking for himself? Couldn't Satan have killed these people by other means? I just didn't completely buy the ending based on the events the precipitated it. All in all, I highly recommend it.

Note to PIs: Never trust a client who's willing to pay ridiculously more than something's worth. He has a hidden agenda from which you may not be able to disentangle.