The Heart of Me

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The Heart of Me

R

Released Jun 6, 2003

1h 35m

Drama

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50%

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62 Reviews

61%

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1,000+ Ratings

A woman (Helena Bonham Carter) has an affair with her older sister's (Olivia Williams) husband (Paul Bettany) and bears his child.

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Critics Consensus

This movie about passion and betrayal finds itself severely lacking in the former.

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J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

A devastating performance by Olivia Williams anchors this emotionally complex British drama...

Aug 2, 2022

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Barbara Ellen

Times (UK)

How, one wonders, do movies like this still get made? Does everyone just turn up one day, and refuse to go home until a cameraman arrives?

Jan 3, 2018

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Charlotte O'Sullivan

Independent (UK)

The Heart of Me, inspired by Rosamund Lehmann's anguished classic The Echoing Grove, is a costume drama that wants to be more than the sum of its wardrobe.

Nov 15, 2017

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Aug 22, 2005

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Paul Sherman

Boston Herald

Rated: 1.5/4

Jul 16, 2005

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Kevin Devine

PopMatters

Percolates with neurotic insecurity, painful deceit, busted opportunity, and pervasive regret, but the movie never capsizes under its own weight.

Aug 30, 2003

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Alain E

This is a nuanced domestic tragedy, apparently incomprehensible for a great percentage of professional reviewers. It is not a period costume piece as some of them concluded, unless in the same category we include all Shakespeare and the Greek tragedies. It involves the interaction of two sisters and the man married to one of them. It is very well acted by the three protagonists and superbly photographed. The story occurs before and after WW II, so in addition drama happening inside four walls there are outside events that affect the characters. Available free on Tubi, so if you find out it doesn’t talk to you, easy to switch to something else.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/25/24

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Audience Member

I thought this movie was excellent and all that you'd expect from a BBC period production. The actors were marvelous and rendered all their charactors very well. The story didn't turn out as I wanted but it was classy and compelling to the very end. Well worth watching.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

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Audience Member

I thought this movie was lame.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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Audience Member

How did I miss this gem? Was it originally broadcast on television? Paul Bettany, in one of his strongest roles, makes adultery seem delicious in this period drama. The complicated love story involving sisters reminded me of Atonement (2007), a universal favorite. The love triangle with Helena Bonham Carter also reminded me of Wings of the Dove, a Merchant/Ivory production and a personal favorite of mine. I viewed a DVD from Netflix.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

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Audience Member

Unnecessary tale about the passions of two boring Brits. It's hard to feel anything for them, certainly not sorry. Especially Bonham Carter is annoyingly unsympathetic.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

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Audience Member

Wonderful performances.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

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Thaddeus O'Sullivan

Director

Helena Bonham Carter

Dinah

Olivia Williams

Madeleine Masters

Paul Bettany

Rickie Masters

Eleanor Bron

Ms. Burkett

Luke Newberry

Anthony

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Synopsis

A woman (Helena Bonham Carter) has an affair with her older sister's (Olivia Williams) husband (Paul Bettany) and bears his child.

Director: Thaddeus O'Sullivan
Producer: Martin Pope
Screenwriter: Lucinda Coxon, Rosamond Lehmann
Distributor: ThinkFilm
Production Co: BBC, Isle of Man Film
Rating: R (Some Sexuality)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 6, 2003, Wide
Release Date (DVD): Mar 22, 2005
Box Office (Gross USA): $196.1K
Runtime: 1h 35m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Surround

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