User Reviews

Heart of Midnight had really great potential. Writer/director Matthew Chapman had some really great ingredients for this `old dark house' melodrama. The `hedonist nightmare' set which makes up the interior of the `Midnight' Theater is a genuine classic. Jennifer Jason Leigh is just so good, I didn't really mind she was playing the cliche `neurotic (psychotic?) damsel in distress' and Peter Coyote was a masterful choice as `Detective Sharpe`. It's too bad director Matthew Chapman let down writer Matthew Chapman. He should have realized by the rushes that he was blowing the mystery too early, leading to a tedious, if satisfying conclusion. NOTE TO DIRECTOR CHAPMAN: Jennifer Jason Leigh is NOT Nora Jones. DON'T have her waste celluloid and my time filling screen minutes with boring songs.

WARNING: SPOILERS Chapman should have used a LOT tighter camera work on the `maintenance guys' in the beginning and their plotting to rape Leigh. This would have given this sequence more impact without necessarily resorting to the lurid `rape' subplot. It would also have been better to have the real `Detective Sharpe` delayed from visiting Leigh. His murder happens too early and doesn't really add all that much to the drama of the film. Also, the mystery of Coyote's `true' identity and behavior would have been more tense and the exposition stretched out over several scenes. Having several scenes of mistaken identity between Leigh and Frank Stallone muffles the tension and undermines credibility. Certainly the police would have searched for Sharpe when he turned up missing.

Having Coyote turn out to be `Uncle Fletcher's' partner could have been handled better as well. This taints the character unnecessarily and makes his responsibility for failing to help his sister seem an even graver sin. Throwing in the hallucination sequences for shock was annoying and unnecessary. A little restructuring of the story would have enabled the director to milk the truly scary sequences for maximum shock value. Maybe having Leigh taking psychotropics for recurring nightmares rather than a full-fledged mental patient would have made it easier to relate to her character. Having the `psycho sister' explain the story dissipated the shock value even more. Better to have Coyote reveal what was going on before he was shot. I wasn't quite clear what sexual acts `Uncle Fletcher' had performed on Leigh and the `psycho sister'. Rape, sodomy? Pretty hard to do on a 2 year old without leaving physical evidence. If `Uncle Fletcher' liked little girls, why was the `psycho sister' dressed and coifed like a boy? Too many kinky questions, too little time.

The major plus of `Heart of Midnight' is the last scene, revealing a ravishing, sexy Leigh dancing with Coyote. Chapman and Leigh and Coyote reveal in one skillful, sensuous, romantic scene sexual and emotional catharsis. Had the rest of the movie been so skillful, he would have created a masterpiece. Leigh once again demonstrates why she is one of the screen's finest actresses. How she looks in the last scene alone is worth the price of admission. I love to redo this movie with a more coherent storyline. If writer/director Chapman is interested, I'd love to run a few ideas pass him.

The extremely intense Jennifer Jason Leigh really could have been up there today with the top stars who came out of the 1980's, but for the most part, she stayed out of the mainstream, choosing roles and stories of a more avant garde nature, and this thriller is no exception. It is a film that will not be for all tastes, but Leigh's performance and the details that she puts into her characterization are absolutely brilliant. She's a troubled young woman who inherits her uncle's old nightclub, and what she goes through upon moving into the apartment above it would destroy a strong person let alone one with her inhibitions and fears.

While there are horror movies with symbolism, I've never seen one so filled with them as this it. Whether it be the red walls, a single apple in the refrigerator, the dead uncle's Hawaiian shirts or a weird video room, everything is there to make you think. Leigh goes through the experience of a horrible rape, made even worse by her dislike of being touched, let alone in a sexual way. A rather aggressive "detective" (Peter Coyote) takes on her case and gradually gains her trust, indicating that her uncle was not the person she believed him to be. Denise Dumont is very good as Leigh's counselor, while Brenda Vaccaro adds mystery and insight as her mother. But things and people are not whom they seem to be.

This is not a film that I could imagine watching again, the perversions vastly disturbing, so this one shot deal had me mesmerized from start to finish. It is a film of many different moods, themes and attitudes. Some of what is going on is a mixture of subconscious and nightmares, horrors without a monster or mad man to go along with them. If this had one message to deliver to me, that is to always look clearly at what I am seeking, because sometimes, the darkest nightmares come from a real place in our minds that we refuse to visit. At any rate, it brought back my forgotten respect for Jennifer Jason Leigh, an actress of integrity who went one step beyond the traditional and created a character who was emotionally over powering.

Heart of Midnight is a very strange movie, and I mean that in a good way. Broadly speaking I guess it falls within the horror genre, but it draws upon elements from many different subgenres and works on many levels. You can take it as a haunted-house movie, a ghost story, a psychological thriller and a character study rolled into one.

Jennifer Jason Leigh gives a superb performance as Carol Rivers, a fragile and sensitive young woman recovering from a nervous breakdown. When her estranged uncle dies of AIDS, she mysteriously inherits his deserted nightclub and, upon moving in, discovers its seedy past as a "massage parlour". From here on in, the story gets darker and more twisted, but suffice it to say that it contains many of the ingredients of full-bore horror: moaning voices in the night, taps dripping blood, secret passageways, beheaded rats, apples that ooze maggots and so on. For much of the film, we're kept in the dark as to whether Carol is privy to hallucinations and sinking into another nervous breakdown, or whether there is actually a dark force living in the empty nightclub with her.

Heart of Midnight is not a perfect film. There are some plot loopholes and the usual budget limitations of a B movie, including a pesky boom mic that dips into the frame a few times. But it makes up for its flaws with a strong visual style and a convincingly claustrophobic atmosphere so thick you could cut it with a knife. Along the way there are several recognizable nods to films like Peeping Tom, Suspiria, The Shining and two Roman Polanski classics - Repulsion and The Tenant.

Jennifer Jason Leigh really gives it her all in the lead role as Carol. She is an exceptionally talented and striking actress, and Heart of Midnight provides the then 25-year-old with a strong early showcase for her talent. Her portrayal of the frail but determined Carol is passionate, believable and always sympathetic. She's a horror-movie heroine of unusual strength and intelligence, which means we really root for her during this often harrowing nightmare. Peter Coyote, Frank Stallone and Brenda Vaccaro all lend decent support, but it's Leigh who makes this dark journey worth taking.

Really fanatical film buffs have long considered Jennifer Jason Leigh's performance in "Heart of Midnight" deserving of 1989's Best Actress Oscar. She was at least as good as runner-up Isabelle Adjani ("Camille Chaudel") and clearly superior to winner Jessica Tandy ("Driving Miss Daisy"). While ironic that Leigh's best performance was in her least seen film, it is understandable considering the subject matter and almost expressionistic style of "Heart of Midnight", which needs at least two viewings to be properly appreciated.

The film, which is better directed than it is written, should be seen simply for Leigh's performance but is also a stylish little horror film with a few genuinely scary moments. Leigh plays Carol Rivers and the story (which includes a number of flashbacks) is told from her point of view. Carol seems to have an innate distaste for physical contact and a history of psychological problems of unknown origin. It is slowly revealed in the film that she was abused as a child. Leigh researched the role extensively, speaking with women who had been abused as children and experts in the field.

"Heart of Midnight", an odd mix of "Repulsion", "The Tenant", "Exotica", and "The Story of Adele H"; is about Carol's descent into madness. It was probably inspired by the two Polanski films; and Catherine Deneuve's "Repulsion" character was also named Carol. The twist being that this time it is actually a voluntary descent into insanity. For most of the film Carol grapples with why she does not like herself. Once she discovers the reason for this, madness becomes preferable to existing with that knowledge.

Although Carol's conduct throughout the film seems bizarre, once you understand her background everything is logical. But it is only predictable in retrospect so many viewers will find the film uncomfortable viewing. Carol is often forced to retreat but admirably forces herself to confront her fears. Leigh has a real gift for communicating the depth of her character's fear and pain.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Like another reviewer I, too, don't understand the low ratings given this film. Granted, it probably won't be everyone's cup of tea. I saw this film first soon after it came to cable and before I knew much about Jennifer Jason-Leigh or had come to appreciate the power this amazing young actress can exude in the careful and often understated nuances she brings to her craft. She was as good then as she is now. Credit should be given, also, to the set design with it's seedy candy apple red painted cinder block walls, stark bare light switches and yards of metal conduit lining long hallways off of which open rows of cribs which we come to realize housed all sorts of perversions. We learn that her uncle not only pandered to and reveled in those same perversions but was also willingly sacrificed his own life by enslavement to those same twisted desires and actions. This was a timely and bold film, also, because it dealt squarely with the oncoming invasion of the heterosexual world by AIDS at a time when most straight folk still believed themselves immune. The suspense and terror builds credibly and effectively and manages to take the worn out "damsel in the old dark house" plot and not just dress it up but actually transform it into something new and original. But, you've got to see it at least twice...once to let your head adjust to the oddness of the story and then a second time to really experience the multiple levels of terror present in this film, both real and imagined, the most palpable being that lying buried in the human soul.

I was surprised that I hadn't heard of this film until recently, being a Jennifer Jason Leigh fan. It's not for all tastes and this may account for why so few have heard of it. The recent release on Blu- Ray may remedy that. Many reviewers here are not sure what genre it falls into, as it seems to have elements of several. That makes it all the more fascinating and compelling to see the directions it could go.

Carol Rivers (Leigh) is hoping for a fresh start after a history of mental instability and the club that her uncle Fletcher left to her seems the ideal place to start. Despite her mother's (Brenda Vaccaro) objections, Carol feels that this may be her last chance at independence and goes for it. Although her uncle had been estranged from the family, Carol has a few fond memories of him, despite the fact that the nightclub, "The Midnight" had a seedy and dark reputation. She has contractors working, and hopes to turn it into a respectable place, but she gets more than she bargained for, in more ways than one. The place is filled with strange rooms, lurid videos that seem to play on their own, and Carol begins to feel uneasy as she senses that she's not alone. Is it all in her head or is someone or something out to get her? After being attacked by three of the construction workers (lead by Steve Buscemi), Carol is dismissed and ridiculed by police lieutenant Ledray (Frank Stallone) who throws her history of mental instability in her face. Only social worker Mariana (Denise Dumont) shows Carol any compassion. Ledray does make a point of saying that they will send an officer, Detective Sharpe, over to check on Carol, and not long after, a mysterious man (Peter Coyote) shows up and claims to be the said policeman. He seems to know much more than he's willing to reveal to the traumatized young woman. Who is he and what does he know? As the film progresses, Carol begins to realize that she and Uncle Fletcher had a "special" relationship, and that it was far more disturbing than she initially thought.

It's not a perfect film, as some have stated, the low-budget often shows, and there are some plot holes, but writer/director Matthew Chapman keeps you guessing, and the use of sound and colors (particularly red) have a significance to the story. All of the actors do excellent jobs but it is Leigh who holds it all together, and as always, she does a magnificent job. She carefully researches her roles and here she creates a character who has been so damaged by something in her past that is buried in her subconscious mind, and the movie serves as a reminder that even suppressed memories can manifest in other ways. Carol struggles with low self-esteem and recoils at physical contact with others, particularly men. Emotionally fragile and very vulnerable, Carol is a sympathetic figure and Leigh has the quality that often makes audiences want to protect her.

Although the similarities between this movie and Roman Polanski's "Repulsion" (1965) cannot be denied, "Heart Of Midnight" has a unique quality all its own. You may find yourself jumping at the slightest noise after seeing this, but more than that, it will make you think, and maybe look at some things differently. Jennifer Jason Leigh should be commended for portraying a character whose past experiences and issues are unfortunately very relevant today.

OK. In a nutshell (no spoilers i promise), the main character (Jennifer Jason Leigh) inherits this big old building that has a night club downstairs and living quarters upstairs. As soon as she moves in, strange things start happening. Things move around, crash.. feelings of being watched, etc. This guy, who gibes you the impression that he is some sort of City Official/Detective type, starts showing up trying to calm JJL down as she is scared witless due to the aforementioned abnormalities. Soon enough, she gains the strength to explore this dwelling and finds more rooms and doorways. OK, I gotta stop here. It gets weirder... and KINKY!!!