Sunday was a day for fairy tales, with two films using a modern setting and characters to tell stories that were not too far removed from the world of Hans Christian Anderson or the Brothers Grimm.
The first of the two was "The Good Heart", directed by an Icelandic director named Dagur Kuri.
A curmudgeony bar owner (Brian Cox) "adopts" a homeless man (Paul Dano), determined to make him into his successor. Imagine Pygmalion, if Henry Higgins was an alcoholic, chain-smoking misanthrope and you're part of the way to understanding Cox's character.
The film is very funny and succeeds on the ability of the two leads and a talented troup of actors to create believable, three-dimensional characters. Even the bar itself (a confined, smoky, dirty, tall box stuffed with bric-a-brac) becomes something of a character in the film.
Although the twist could be predicted fairly early on, it wasn't fatal to the enjoyment of the film.
Apparently there is no distribution deal for North America yet, but I suspect one may be closed this week, based on the very strong response of the audience.
Recommended.
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