The Good Heart

"Everyone needs a refuge from the world."

2009 1h 35m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 99

DramaComedyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Jacques is the curmudgeonly owner of a gritty New York dive bar that serves as home to a motley assortment of professional drinkers. Jacques is determinedly drinking and smoking himself to death when he meets Lucas, a homeless young man who has already given up on life. Determined to keep his legacy alive, Jacques deems Lucas is a fitting heir and takes him under his wing.

“Everyone needs a refuge from the world.”

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Cast

Brian Cox
Jacques
Paul Dano
Lucas
Stephanie Szostak
Sarah
Isild Le Besco
April
Bill Buell
Roger Verne
Ed Wheeler
Jonathan
Clark Middleton
Dimitri
Edmund Lyndeck
Barber

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Dagur Kári
Writers: Dagur Kári
Languages: English, Italian
Countries: Denmark, France, Iceland, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 17 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: Denmark, France, Iceland, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Dagur Kári, shot by Rasmus Videbæk. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Slowblow. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Andri Steinn shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Brian Cox and Paul Dano and Stephanie Szostak carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Dagur Kári directs. Rasmus Videbæk behind the camera. Slowblow scores. Andri Steinn cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Denmark, France, Iceland, United States of America. Dialogue in English, Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $3.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Released 17 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.
4International production across 4 countries: Denmark, France, Iceland, United States of America.
5Directed by Dagur Kári, shot by Rasmus Videbæk. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Slowblow. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Andri Steinn shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Brian Cox and Paul Dano and Stephanie Szostak carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Everyone needs a refuge from the world.".
10IMDB entry: tt0808285 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Only 99 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
12Classified under 8 themes, including "friendship", "homeless person", "san francisco, california", "suicide attempt".