Release Date: May 29, 2015 (Limited)
Directors: Ben Safdie, Joshua Safdie
MPAA Rating: R
Run Time: 94 min.
Often narrative films will strive to convey a realistic approach to storytelling, drawing inspiration from real-life scenarios and using non-actors to bring the viewer a documentary-like experience.
In Heaven Knows What, directors Ben and Joshua Safdie blur the lines between narrative and documentary even more by crafting a film based on the life of a young homeless girl named Arielle Holmes and then having her star in the movie as herself. This alone makes the film instantly more compelling to watch and greatly compounds the impact of Arielle’s tragic life, making this a movie you will never forget.
The film begins with Arielle attempting suicide after a breakup with her psychopathic boyfriend Ilya, played by Caleb Landry Jones, and is preceded by one of the best opening titles sequences I’ve seen this year. It sets the stage for the chaos we’re about to endure and lets us know that this isn’t going to be an easy ride.
Like Larry Clark’s Kids, Heaven Knows What is an exploration into the darker side of New York City, as seen through the eyes of one of its youth, left on the streets and a slave to addiction. Arielle is a passionate person – guided through life by only her strong emotional ties to Ilya, despite knowing he’s a monster – and her never-ending quest to find her next score. As viewers, we want her to make it through the situation she finds herself in, and even though we know she does, it doesn’t in any way undercut the emotional heft dumped onto us.
Her story is not necessarily uncommon, but it’s rare to see such a raw portrayal of this lifestyle within a fictional narrative…something that left me transfixed for the duration of the film. This is due in part to the performance of Arielle herself. As a non-actor tasked with re-enacting some of, what I would presume to be, the most painful moments of her life, she showed an incredible amount of range and depth. Caleb Landry Jones also nails his role as Ilya, delivering a completely transformative performance as Arielle’s perpetually stoned ex – a role that, according to the directors – he completely immersed himself into with nearly dangerous results.
The thumping EDM score by Claude Debussy and Isao Tomita is the perfect complement to the out-of-control energy of the film and is accentuated at just the right moments. It doesn’t overpower the story and for the most part stays within the periphery, but when it comes in, it hits hard and fast.
Heaven Knows What is an unflinching look at life on the street in New York City and is simply one of the best films I’ve seen this year. It oozes with style but never feels flashy or glamorizes any of its content, and its strong performances plant it well within the must-see category.
