Customer Reviews

Shot in the Heart

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I watched this movie over and over and over again. It is amazing - especially because it's true. The allusions and foreshadowing are so well done, and the references to blood atonement made my jaw drop. I had no clue this even happened until I watched this movie, but I'm glad I have an idea now. I know what "Looking Through Gary Gilmore's Eyes" is about now! But besides that, Elias Kotes is amazing as Gary, especially during the shoelace scene. And Giovanni Ribisi - I won't even begin to describe how wonderful he was. His character portrayed that of a man still growing up, and it was really cool to watch.
I seriously would have given this movie 5 stars, except that I'm a really weird person and not many people have the ability to sit and watch movies like this - it's a slow drama, and I can understand why others might click it off before giving it a chance. I'm going to buy the book soon. ;-)

With six days to go before he is sentenced to be executed,two-time murderer Gary Gilmore and his littlest brother,Mikal,meet for the first time in twenty two years.In these six days, meeting in a claustrophic prison,these two brothers have major epiphanies about who they are,where they have come from and where each is destined to go in life.The book,SHOT IN THE HEART by Mikal Gilmore is quite condensed,but compellingly brought to the screen by famed and very diverse director Agnieszka Holland (EUROPA EUROPA,THE SECRET GARDEN,COPYING BEETHOVEN,TO KILL A PRIEST etc).The camera stares into the very souls of these two brothers as they explore their shared family legacy that has produced nothing but death and heartache.Historically accurate and very well done from HBO.

This is HBO's movie version of director Agnieszka Holland's adaptation of Mikal Gilmore's book "Shot In the Heart". It is produced by Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana, the guys behind the late, great TV series "Homicide" and "Oz", and the end credits say the film was shot mostly in Baltimore, the locale of "Homicide" (there are some exterior shots of Salt Lake, including Temple Square; and Provo canyon.) Giovanni Ribisi plays Mikal Gilmore and Elias Koteas is Gary Gilmore (a far cry from his kind-hearted soldier in the movie "The Thin Red Line.") The playwright Sam Shepard portrays Frank Gilmore, Sr. and Amy Madigan is Bessie Gilmore. The film lacks the epic, time- and space-spanning quality of Mikal's book. It's more an intense chamber piece; I can easily envision a stage version. It's very reminiscent of an episode of "Homicide"; it has the same dark intensity. It uses Mikal's scary tales of rural Utah Mormon mythology: blood atonement, three Nephites (pronounced here "Neff-ites") and ghosts. We see things from Mikal's perspective, so it's possible to see these elements as part of a depiction of a disturbed family's collective world-view. We choose to see what we want to see, and the bloody ethos depicted here is real, but it's only a partial glimpse of the local heritage. It's a gripping film, but for LDS viewers, caveat emptor.

I can't say enough about this film. It is a very touching film with some great acting from the two leads. Giovanni Ribisi is one of the best young actors around now and Elias Koteas should really get more leading parts cause he's a wonderful actor, he reminds me of Robert Deniro a bit. After seeing this film I am dying to read the book that the film was based on. You have to feel sorry for Gary Gilmore when you see what kind of environment he grew up in. I'm glad his brother didn't end up going down the same road. A MUST SEE!

Great performances by all actors in this film make for a riveting account of Gary Gilmore's last days in prison and the attempt by his brother Mikal to make a human connection with him. Stongly recommended.

with two performances by Elias Koteas and Giovanni Ribisi this movie is special with its great story about Giovanni who plays Gary Gilmore who is going to be sentenced to death and his brother who doesnt remember him played with grace by Elisa Koteas. It's an HBO movie straight to video after it was on the channel.

The previous review mixes up the performers. Ribisi plays the brother and Koteas plays Gilmore.

SHOT IN THE HEART is based on the true story of murderer Gary Gilmore (well played buy Elias Koteas) who was the first prisoner to be sentenced to death in a decade. Set in the year 1977, the film revolves around the efforts of his younger brother Mikal (Giovanni Ribisi) to stop the execution, even against his brothers wishes; because Gilmore sees himself gaining permanent notoriety, he even has t-shirts with GILMORE printed on them. While well acted, the film's pace is rather stodgy and interesting only occasionally. That same year a punk song by The Adverts called GARY GILMORE'S EYES was released. The song is only a couple of minutes long. This movie is over 90 minutes. Download the song and try and find it in your heart to forgive screenwriter Frank Pugliese for making such a snoozer out of potentially interesting material. The film is based on the book by Mikal Gilmore.

This is about the murderer Gary Gilmore and primarily about the days before his execution. At times this film dragged and I liked the flashbacks the most. Where you got to know what made Gilmore the man he became. He had a violent childhood where his dad beat on him and his brother Frank but he got the worst of it. He was in and out of jail since he was 14.

I don't like the death penalty. I think incarceration for life is enough and let God be the judge. I find it highly disturbing that someone like Dubya can execute people when he spent his first years of his life a spoiled brat then a drunk until 40. How can someone like that make decisions on who should live and who should die? It's beyond me.

Anyway, I recommend Dead Man Walking over this if you want to view a movie on executions.