MovieChat Forums > Heli (2013) Discussion > Extremely impressive

Extremely impressive

posted 10 years ago by sc_taylor
7 replies | jump to latest

Just watched this after seeing it referred to in Mark Cousins' The Story of Film.

A tough watch, for sure, but it's about a tough subject, so that's entirely appropriate. The treatment is ultra realist and the focus is on the devastating effects the drug wars have on ordinary Mexicans. The violence is never glamorised or voyeuristic and nothing is simplified or hurried in service of the plot. The events play out almost in real time with the camera merely observing, often at a distance as if reluctant to intrude too closely on the action.

The main character is no cipher; his weaknesses and defects are shown as well as his goodness. All the performances are excellent.

Highly recommended.

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My God, it's full of stars!

[–] berna-slb1995 10 years ago

Really great film. A bit tough to watch some parts like you said, specially one.

I was really impressed too. I'll keep a good eye on this director.

[–] benman46 10 years ago

An excellent film which, as you say, is not an easy watch. The violence is not filmed voyeuristically but dispassionately. The real horror of the burning genitals scene is not in the burning itself but the young kids watching, who seem more interested in a video game or filming the incident. In an interview the director said kids as young as 11,12,13 are routinely used by drug gangs to torture or murder. Also it is worth catching the directors' previous film Los Bastardos. Again an excellent film.

[–] sc_taylor 10 years ago

Thanks for the recommendation about Los Bastardos. I shall check that one out

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My God, it's full of stars!

[–] slipcat555 9 years ago

I thought Heli was an improvement over Los Bastardos. They are both made in a similar style, in which long-held shots of quiet stillness alternate with scenes of shocking violence. But Heli has more story to it; in Bastardos I felt like it was all about the style, and there was clearly not enough of a plot to sustain a full-length movie. Many shots were obviously prolonged just to make the film qualify as a feature. They are both good films, but in Heli the director has perfected his craft.

[–] polisemia 10 years ago

I completely agree with you. The director had a way of making me feel like I was not supposed to be watching the violence, since he did not glamorize it all. It's so sad to think that a lot of people suffer much worse from the drug wars than Heli did in this movie.

[–] Errington_92 10 years ago

Heli's visual power was immense and disturbing, as it was meant to be.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.

[–] Sophoclaw 7 years ago

I have just seen the complete "The Story of Film" by Mark Cousins and did not see any reference to "Heli". Can you say in which episode of the series you saw it, so I can check it up. Thank you.