Lawless Heart (2002)
75%RT Audience Score: 58%
Awards & Nominations: 9 wins & 7 nominations
Lawless Heart is a film that delicately weaves together the intricacies of human relationships with a deft hand. The overlapping scenes and perspectives create a tapestry of emotions that is both charming and intelligent. The film’s subtle exploration of love and regret is a refreshing take on the genre, and the strong ensemble cast brings authenticity to the story. While some may find the plot a bit soap-opera-esque, the film’s honesty and wit make it a delightful watch. Overall, Lawless Heart is a triumph of storytelling that will leave you pondering the complexities of the human heart long after the credits roll.
Lawless Heart is a film that will make you laugh, cry, and feel all the emotions in between. It’s a guy’s flick that even the ladies will enjoy. The overlapping scenes and different perspectives keep you engaged and guessing until the very end. The performances are authentic and unadorned, making the emotional explorations all the more powerful. This film is a natural high that you won’t want to miss.
Production Company(ies)
Bandai Visual Company, Cine Qua Non Films, Engine Film
Distributor
First Look
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Maldon, Essex, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong sexuality/nudity and language
Year of Release
2002
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 50m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 21, 2003 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 19, 2003
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Douglas Henshall, Tom Hollander, Bill Nighy, Clémentine Célarié, Josephine Butler, Ellie Haddington, directed by Tom Hunsinger, Neil Hunter, written by Tom Hunsinger, Neil Hunter, Comedy, Drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Brandon Judell, Charlotte O’Sullivan, Emily Russin, Marta Barber, Robert K Elder, Adam Nayman, Emanuel Levy, Matt Kelemen, George Varga, Laura Kelly, Jeff Vice, Sean P Means, R MPAA rating, friendships, relationships, love, heartbreak, English riverside town, funeral, cousin, betrayal, regret, last chances, lessons in love, ensemble cast, three stories, interwoven, mystery, creative, original, understated performances, intelligent dialogue, subtle, tripartite narrative structure, music score
Worldwide gross: $539,596
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $894,954
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,622
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 97,596
US/Canada gross: $330,067
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $547,437
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,304
US/Canada opening weekend: $15,544
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $25,781
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,427
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Tom Hollander – Nick
Bill Nighy – Dan
Clémentine Célarié – Corrine
Josephine Butler – Leah
Ellie Haddington – Judy
Director(s)
Tom Hunsinger, Neil Hunter
Writer(s)
Tom Hunsinger, Neil Hunter
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
9 wins & 7 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (53) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (46) | Rotten (7)
It has the emotional wallop of a Mike Leigh offering and the acute intelligence of an early John Schlesinger effort. This is a film about learning how to seize the day. And this is a film that does just that.
June 28, 2018
Brandon Judell
indieWire
TOP CRITIC
Hunter and Hunsinger show what can happen if you opt instead for the humour that accompanies can-I-feel? quiet. Turns out wit and warmth and keen observation produce their own euphoria — what you might call a natural high.
November 15, 2017
Charlotte O’Sullivan
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
A guy’s flick whose charms are many and faults are few.
August 29, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Emily Russin
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
A modern and mature story about love and loving, a film as intelligent as it is charming.
August 22, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/4
Marta Barber
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
Lawless Heart is so well crafted, so original, that each overlapping scene swells with new life and interpretation.
July 10, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/4
Robert K. Elder
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
The skill with which these temporalities are connected is considerable.
July 8, 2003 | Rating: 3/5
Adam Nayman
eye WEEKLY
TOP CRITIC
Mildly engaging melodrama that’s more sharply written than directed.
June 19, 2011 | Rating: B-
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Subtle in its use of cause and effect, Lawless Heart is a light-hearted study of relationships and regret, of last chances and lessons in love.
April 30, 2004
Matt Kelemen
Las Vegas CityLife
Like so many British movies, it seems made for actors who make what they humanly can of it, their expertise meshing.
August 1, 2003 | Rating: 2.5/4
George Varga
San Diego Union-Tribune
Never shouts out its emotional explorations. Instead, it employs a soft, secure voice, and the viewer is lulled even more by the authentic, unadorned performances of a strong ensemble.
June 13, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Laura Kelly
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
There is a real honesty to this British comedy-drama that is appealing, and which also makes its soap-opera plot a bit easier to swallow.
June 6, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Jeff Vice
Deseret News (Salt Lake City)
Complex but never confusing — thanks to the three-act structure, which replays the same moments from different perspectives.
June 6, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Sean P. Means
Salt Lake Tribune…
Plot
Devastated by Stuart’s death, his brother-in-law, lover and best friend decide to take their lives in hand. Dan is a faithful and loving father and husband, until the day he meets Corinne. This buxom and sublime Frenchwoman seduces Dan with her honesty and hedonism, so much so that he wonders if he hasn’t missed out on life. Nick, a homosexual restaurant owner, begins a relationship with a high-spirited young woman right after losing his lover, Stuart. When their apparently innocent relationship takes a more intimate turn, Nick is troubled by his feelings for his female comrade. Tim, carefree and charismatic, comes home after eight years abroad. Still looking for that “elusive something” that has been missing in his life, Tim finds it in a woman who works in a fashion boutique. But confronted with his future for the first time, the only thing that stands in the way is this unknown woman’s past.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Bill Nighy delivers a strong and understated performance in Lawless Heart.
Tom-Hunsinger.jpg
