A Disappointing Continuation

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

I was glad that this particular story was fictitious but such cruelty does happen to boys by sadistic mothers & women. High female abuse statistics suggest that sexual abuse of females are way more prevalent than males. That is only so because male sexual abuse is not recorded world wide as females are. I'm glad a film finally came out exposing the truth that there are mothers & women out there just as evil & depraved toward sons/boys as fathers & men toward daughters/girls, opposing the societal feminist pseudo view that females are inherently kind & males are innately contemptible. But you wont hear me bullshit about how I've never had a problem with any male I've known or label all females fools that sicken me. The deceptive heart is a human trait, residing in every gender & race.

Asia Argento presents a bleak, disturbing and horrific film. Argento refuses to undermine the story by offering no final solution. The films main purpose is to make the audience feel very uncomfortable. Problems like child abuse are easy to put aside as coverage of real life events must always be handled with tact. Argento goes for a more direct approach. Argento and the boys all give sterling performances, and are aided by a never-ending stream of boyfriends from Manson-Renner. Each of these is not only a credible character by themselves. They also tools to build upon Argento's character. The Sprouse boys have certainly come along way and their performances are intune with each other. Wonderful, but not light, stuff.

Tartan DVD, 2005: in a 13-minute interview, director Asia Argento (Mrs Hyde to Sofia Coppola's Doctor Jekyll) discusses how she came across the novel (film writer Billy Chainsaw sent her a copy); her initial reaction to the original novel ("for the first 30 pages, I was pretty shocked"); and how she set about turning it into a movie, via a quick treatment.For Argento, film-making is a matter of "life or death"; The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things wasn't just a movie for her, but an intense friendship between her and JT Leroy. "He said to me, he had a feeling that I was the right one to do this." Elsewhere, she admits "I'm a lazy actress" (really?) and decided to play Sarah, to "simplify things." In Asia's world, simplifying matters included having "to do exercises to drive myself nuts." Still, she comes across as sincere. And it's the matter of sincerity which brings us neatly to the other interview with JT Leroy. Because JT Leroy may or may not be who 'he' seems; according to reports surfacing in 2005 and 2006, 'JT Leroy' may well be a fictional construct - a hype-savvy publishing ruse concocted by writer Laura Albert, with front 'man' Savannah Knoop standing in for the boy wonder.Watching this, you might be forgiven for thinking this is precisely the case: if Leroy isn't a woman, he's the least convincing young man you'll ever see. Who are they trying to kid? Or, is this some kind of massive joke? If so, it's kind of lost on us. Because sitting before us, is, well, to all intents and purposes, a woman - with long blonde tresses, dark shades and a cowboy hat, which Leroy tugs over his/her face protectively. "I started writing this book for my therapist" Leroy haltingly says, "because I couldn't remember one thing to another." Truly bizarre. And so shallow is the whole venture that the trailer's pretty much all you'll need to grasp this film in under 2 minutes.

On a night that I couldn't sleep, I turned on the television and the title caught my eye. The truth in the title, The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things, can lead even a child into curiosity that should not be touched. As a young girl I also grew up in situations, some unbearable, some unspeakable, and almost all unbelievable. I consider myself a survivor, and I have shared my story with many, but some things should only be heard and not seen. This story, though it may be true, will likely cause the young actors that played a true mans part, trouble for years. A child's innocence should never be taken from them. Although I sympathize with J.T. Leroy for the pain and the trauma that he went through, in essence he has just made three young boys, play out his role in what I consider a very disturbing movie. They have now been exposed to the trauma and craziness of his life. Not all children are exposed to these conditions. We as a society have overlooked the rights our children should have to preserve their innocence. We believe that because we have experienced such trauma and been through these unbelievable circumstances, that we should be able to share them as we see fit. This movie may be the outlet that J.T. Leroy chose, but what about the inlet that our young ones have now become a part of? What about the young boys who played this part? What about the young ones, despite a parents warning, that may see this movie? Writing your story, is a much more mature way to share with the world your experiences. Making this movie was a selfish act that if seen by the wrong audience, could cause a traumatic effect. If there is a child out there who is suffering anything similar to the young boy in this movie, they may lose hope on a way out. This may lead to their death. One can only know, if they read the book, that this was inspired by a true story, and that the author actually survived and made it. An adult would most likely seek out a book like this for reading, for understanding. Not a child. What about the movie? There is no happy ending for that child. There is no hope seen. There was nothing good to offer. I wish I could actually find the words right now that my heart wants to say. I am glad that this movie was not released as a major motion picture. I could only imagine the damage it may have caused, if it hasn't already.A concerned SURVIVOR, Sunshine