...but with a beat that's arrhythmic at best, "Heartless" suffers from a distinct case of artsy-fartsy pretension and disjointed storytelling. Jim "Across the Universe" Sturgess is quite good as the doomed protagonist who strikes a Faustian deal in search of release from inner torments, but writer/director Philip "The Krays" Ridley indulges in far too much easy symbolism to deliver a satisfying morality play; he needs a brush-up lesson with Syd Field. Truthfully, there's a lot to like about "Heartless," but the simplistic, muddled plot isn't really dark enough (or clever enough) to properly illuminate the psychodrama its creator wishes to convey. All the elements are there--nice DP work, a decent supporting cast (with the possible exception of the romantic interest), an evocative score and soundtrack--but it all boils down to the unsatisfying script. Worth the free watch I enjoyed courtesy of my local library, but sadly I can't recommend searching this one out; there are simply so many better thematically similar films out there. "Jacob's Ladder" springs instantly to mind.
