Heights (2005) User Reviews

Secrets and lies

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 2 July 2005]

Decepcion and secrecy seems to be the root of the burden Jonathan is carrying in his troubled soul. During the course of a few hours he will have to face the truth about himself as his past comes back to haunt him in ways he didn't realize it would affect him.

Amy Fox has opened up her play by writing a wonderful screen treatment that Chris Terrio, the young and multi talented director presents for us with great panache. Ms. Fox created strong characters that come alive in the film. We are taken to some of Manhattan's rooftops and terraces to get a first rate account of people trying to deal with real problems. A point the film is trying to make is about how well do we know people close to us, even those we think we are in love with.

At the center of the movie is Elizabeth, who is living with Jonathan. They are planning to get married. Elizabeth is a talented photographer who is a free lancer. Jonathan is Jewish, but she is not; he wants her to go to see the Rabbi who is going to marry them. It's clear they are not at the same wave length, and not because they come from different religious backgrounds.

Diane, Elizabeth's mother, is a much admired actress in the New York stage. She has an eye for spotting handsome young men, as it's the case when she auditions Alec, a young actor that wants to be in a play she is going to direct. It's clear she likes him for other non acting role as well. Diane and her present husband are married for appearances sake, as we get to see him in action with another woman.

"Heights" makes an interesting point in showing how inter connected all these characters are and how a small, innocent incident, will unravel things as Elizabeth gets to see first hand how wrong she has been about the man she is going to marry.

Glenn Close, as Diana, makes an amazing appearance in the film. She is such an elegant performer that knows well what makes Diana act the way she does. She is not a diva, on the contrary, she seems to be a grounded woman whose love for her daughter is clear. Elizabeth Banks is wonderful as Diana's daughter, Isabel.

The surprise of the film came via George Segal, who as Rabbi Mendel, clearly sees what's troubling Jonathan. Mr. Segal is a welcome sight in the film after being absent so long. James Marsden, Jesse Bradford, Rufus Wainwright, Eric Bogosian, Michael Murphy and a lot of New York based stage actors are seen in minor, but effective roles.

This film clearly demonstrates the talent of Chris Terrio bringing all these actors together to do ensemble work. Mr. Terrio is lucky to be working with Jim Denault who has photographed the film with such an elegant style. Also the music by Ben Butler and Martin Erskine enhances the film.

A thoughtful story about desperation

[m_baker · 8/10 · 13 February 2006]

I truly enjoyed this film. I had heard so much about it online and from friends, so I finally watched it the other night. I was very impressed. It's so nice to see Glenn Close back in the limelight this past year. She is one of the best. Ms. Close was also the perfect actor to play the role of Diana Lee. She brought veracity, desperation, and charm to a character that may have otherwise been easily disliked. Desperation can be a truly likable quality in a film's character. Each one of the characters in this story had a quiet desperation about them. Desperation and denial. Key aspects of all human lives. I challenge anyone to tell me these were not realistic characters. The story itself or the situations they were put into, maybe not. You have a famed actress who has everything except a stable relationship with her husband, a struggling photo journalist slowly realizing her life isn't a perfect as it seems, a youthful lawyer seeking the perfect way to forget himself, and a young actor needing more than just a steady gig onstage. I highly recommend this film. You'll come away feeling something, and that is the most important thing.

How much truth is good and needed? Maybe all of it.

[secondtake · 8/10 · 15 December 2015]

Heights (2004)

An interwoven series of stories, with a stellar performance by Glenn Close as a Broadway actress (and aggressive cougar) and a steady convincing performance by Elizabeth Banks as her daughter struggling for her own path. A third thread is multi-faceted, and a bit facile, but its important, too. That is, a man is engaged to this daughter but he seems to have had—or might still have— feelings for men.

If the improbabilities of coincidence seem to much (as they do to some in "Crash" or in half of Shakespeare) then this won't hold water after awhile. But as a tightly controlled piece that has characters interacting on several planes, as a theater kind of piece made for film, it's really good. It helps a lot that the acting is intensely right without being overcooked. And the direction, but the director, Christ Terrio, brings his literary background (and limited Hollywood experience) to bear very well.

It's become a commonplace to film in New York with all its new upper working class charms. But that's part of the appeal to the film. There are glimpses of the theater, some rooftop views, and so on. And lots of "regular" New Yorkers, people striving for relationship and career success. Which is what we all are going through at one point or another. And really, that's where the pleasure lies, so give it a go. A good one.

Do we ever want what we think we want?

[erialc0 · 18 July 2005]

Heights is, at its most basic, an exploration of desires. The characters around whom the movie revolves think they know, at the beginning, where they're headed, what will happen to them, what they want to happen to them. But as the movie progresses, their certainties are challenged and sometimes swept away entirely, and their carefully constructed lives begin to unravel.

Glenn Close is Diana, a brilliant 40-something Shakespearean actress and somewhat irresponsible mother. Her open marriage once seemed like a terrific idea--have your fun on the side, have a loving husband at home--but as her "loving husband" becomes more and more deeply involved with another woman, she begins to realize just how unfulfilling that philosophy is.

Diana's daughter is played by Elizabeth Banks, in a very Scarlett Johanssen-esquire role. Isabel is a struggling photographer who makes ends meet by taking wedding pictures, while still trying to pursue a more serious career. Her second thoughts begin to appear when her upcoming wedding to Jonathan becomes an obstacle to a once-in-a-lifetime chance to use her talent. Jonathan himself has a past he's desperate to hide, potentially ruinous secrets he's working to keep from his wife-to-be.

The situations are strung together by the existence of a never-seen photographer named Benjamin Stone, who is scheduled for an exhibition in a few weeks. A man named Peter, who we are given to understand is Benjamin's current flame, is tracking down his previous models (and incidentally, lovers) to compile his memoirs. His work loosely ties in the rest of the characters, providing some structure to the interlocking plot lines.

This movie has the power and appeal that you generally find in beautiful films about unhappy people. No matter how happy or hopeful you find the ending, it's still a bit of a downer, because of the raw exposure of the characters. There are uncomfortable moments when we're privy to deep-seated emotions and unsettling situations, but there are also remarkably tender moments. The acting is generally understated and simple, with a few intense moments--your basic fare from a character study movie. But the adaptation from stage to screen, though apparent, is nearly seamless, and the text translates well to film.

Highly recommended to fans of Closer and similar movies.

Focus on the Wrong Character

[old_prof · 6/10 · 8 August 2005]

Since this play was written by a young woman, the focus on the young woman (Isabel, played by Elizabeth Banks) is logical, but misguided. Despite the many close-ups of her agonized pretty face, the young woman is NOT the character with the problem here. In fact, the authors contrive a soft landing for her (I won't spoil this one). But it's the young man who has the problem that won't go away after the last frame. I wish Hollywood had the courage to confront the effect of the patriarchal ideal on homosexual males. A gay friend once told me, "These people who say homosexuals choose their life are crazy. If I could choose, I'd have a wife & a house & kids to come home to every night." Some gay guys think they can have it all, & maybe in a few cases they manage it. But to focus on the young man's initial desire to have it both ways, then on his eventual decision (under severe pressure) to give up that dream, and finally to extend the film to include his subsequentexperiences at the office & elsewhere, would be to turn this film upside down. (Also, to keep the length down, several subplots would have to go. Do we need the mother--even mesmerizingly played by Glenn Close--at all?) Perhaps the playwright, like the young woman in the film, has to learn the art of empathy. Good writers begin by writing about themselves, but great ones go on to write about other people.

Modern relationships go bust in the city.

[Lauren_Simpson · 6/10 · 10 September 2005]

The last of Ismail Merchant's films, set in New York City, is a voyeuristic journey into the interlocking lives of five people struggling in their relationships and in their own skins. An actress, a photographer, a lawyer, a wannabe, a journalist - "Heights" is a montage of New York characters, some intriguing, some as dull as dishwater. In fact, Glenn Close admits as much, at the very beginning of the film. Most of us, she says to a group of Juilliard students, are like "tap water," we lack passion, electricity, and the will to take action.

Close's character, Diana, a famous veteran of the Broadway stage, who specializes in Shakespeare, fails to take her own advice and is in fact tiptoeing around the open affair her husband is having with her understudy. She is, however, the most fearless of all the characters in Heights. She is as sassy as Mrs. Robinson and as layered as the Lady Macbeth she plays on stage. And, with Glenn Close in a role like this, you're almost begging for some over the top theatrics. But Close delights, instead, by grounding this potential caricature and pulls off a riveting and realistic performance.

This is in contrast to Elizabeth Banks, whose portrayal of Diana's daughter, Isabel, is dry, simplistic and not half as artful as the performances seen in Closer. One critic compared this film about modern relationships to Mike Nichols'unforgiving drama about the same thing. Heights, however, suffers, with a couple of wimpy characters who don't pull their weight. The problem isn't so much Banks, as it is the script. The character Isabel is a little bit too written. She is the stereotype of a young, New York, professional: a photographer who graduated from Yale, smokes, but is trying to quit, cohabitates with a young lawyer fiancée (James Marsden) in a Manhattan apartment, dreams of shooting for the Times, has an actress for a mother and is having second thoughts about her Manhattan wedding. It's all very New York and looks like fertile ground for character development but, as it turns out, it's all very uninspired.

If the film smacks of its stage play routes anywhere, it's in its representation of Isabel, not in the thick stage references in Close's scenes. Isabel is a walking character description who only needs to glance in the mirror to remind herself of what a wicked bore she is supposed to be. Banks can play insipid to perfection, but one wonders if someone else might have added a little more nuance and life to the cardboard cut-out writer Amy Fox and director Chris Terrio shafted her with. Also, why should we care about such an empty navel-gazing soul? The same goes for John Light's character, the journalist who keeps pestering Marsden and Banks about skeletons, and other things, in the closet.

Yes - about half-way through "Heights," it becomes clear that resolutions to the interweaving plots are all going to focus on Isabel and her fiancée, which is a disappointing turn of events because that particular character is so lackluster. I would've preferred it if the spotlight fell more on the enigmatic Jesse Bradford, the pitch perfect Isabella Rossellini or Glenn Close. The only thing about Banks's performance that really shines is her hair. Prettiness simply doesn't cut it, though. Not in this film, which is trying to be the opposite of superficial. "Heights" is a good effort, but the best thing about the film might be the shots of New York City, which are gritty and gorgeous as always.

Official Site: http://www.sonyclassics.com/heights/

Copyright (c) 2005 by Lauren Simpson

Serendipity as Chamber Music

[gradyharp · 10/10 · 3 November 2005]

Often a film succeeds because of the story, or the writing, or the cast, or the direction. HEIGHTS succeeds brilliantly because of the combination of all of these elements in one of the finest films of the past few years. Beginning with the play and screenplay by Amy Fox, and as carefully and lovingly directed by Chris Terrio with a sterling cast, this film works its subtle magic of a story about serendipity and coincidences and how these alter our lives by accidental occurrences. Or are they accidental? Each of the well-drawn characters in this story is functioning at a level that involves the masks behind which we each hide our personal secrets or idiosyncrasies: each character is either at a 'height' or approaching one, and it is the interplay of these disparate people that creates phrases of music which ultimately combine in a series of themes and variations like a well-composed work of chamber music. And this all occurs within a twenty-four hour period in Manhattan.

Diana (Glenn Close) is the reigning New York actress currently preparing a production of 'Macbeth' with friend director Henry (Eric Bagosian) while simultaneously giving Master Classes at Julliard to a group of acting students who she declares lack passion! Diana's 'height' is challenged by her current anxiety over her open-marriage husband's rather serious affair with one of her students. She holds auditions and a young, struggling, and handsome actor Alec (Jesse Bradford) catches her interest and she sees in him the passion she craves and invites him to her party that evening. Alec, fearful of his chance at his 'height', hesitantly accepts.

Meanwhile Diana's photographer daughter Isabel (Elizabeth Banks) is fired from her portrait job only to be offered an important gig in Eastern Europe by an ex-lover, offering Isabel a chance at her own 'height'. Isabel is engaged to young ambitious lawyer Jonathan (James Marsden remembered for this superb acting in 'The 24th Day') who in preparing to marry a non-Jew is in counseling with his Rabbi (George Segal): there are obviously stresses on the incipient marriage that Jonathan has not revealed.

In another area of Manhattan, at Vanity Fair, Liz (Isabella Rosselini) taps reporter Peter (John Light) to do a story on a famous and gifted photographer known for bedding his nude male models. Peter is to interview each of the models for the story, and one of those models happens to be Jonathan! The entire group comes together at Diana's party and there the secrets of each of the characters gradually surface in coincidental ways and the story of how each of these interesting but tainted people respond to discoveries makes for the resolution of the story. Director Terrio uses finely honed techniques to slowly introduce each character, adding layers of information gradually, until the magnitude of these coincidences becomes dramatically tense and fascinating. This film is like standing in a darkroom watching a photograph slowly develop, revealing more of the details with each washing, until the final picture is filled with extraordinary details - some expected, others not. The cast is wholly superb and the degree of ensemble acting surpasses that of films of the recent past. If there is a criticism of the film it is a minor one: the ambient sound and musical scoring at times cover the dialog which make us strain to hear the whispered interchanges. But this is a brilliant film that immediately assumes a role in the pantheon of fine cinematic art. Highly recommended. Grady Harp

It shows potential, but proves to be mediocre

[turkam · 6/10 · 13 June 2006]

Overacting, a sloppy ending, soap opera twists and a director trying to be too hip ultimately work against some good acting, mainly by the supporting cast, and what is a good fast-moving screenplay in the first two-thirds of the script to make for an OK film that had a lot going for it. There are some films which would be better if they ended at the 75 minute mark. I have to think "Heights" may be one such film. But, there is a great moment in the film when the title character goes into a hospital to check on someone she knows and gets caught up in red tape. We've all been there. Of course, people who are in the medical field may not sympathize with her as much as the rest of us. I think that one moment in the field captures what post-9/11 America is really all about-a bureaucratic nightmare devised of measures which are supposed to make us feel more secure. But, alas one great moment and a really talented, gorgeous Elizabeth Banks in the lead can only go so far.

Passion and Urban Ennui in NY

[wbryant1976 · 9/10 · 17 May 2005]

This film begins with the Glenn Close character, a famous actress who could be Close herself, giving a master class in Shakespeare to a bunch of Juilliard acting students, in which she laments the lack of passion she sees in their performances and, more broadly, in the world she inhabits. Which is a fitting, and ironic, prologue for a movie that looks at the ennui of urban lives and the emotional earthquakes that disrupt them. This is a contemporary New York character-driven drama, but it reminds me of a 1970s movie -- in a good way. There are slightly retro split screens, long-lens conversations like mid-period Woody Allen movies, and a sense of lightness in the directing style that never becomes slickness. It's also refreshing to see an independent film that doesn't completely deteriorate in the third act -- it's almost become taboo to tell a story that is satisfying in the world of independent film, because it's seen as a concession to Hollywood. But this manages to do it in a convincing way without selling out to the forces of cheesiness or convention.

A bad case of overexposure

[mikeg994 · 7/10 · 9 September 2008]

I was prepared to dislike this film. I feel somehow that too much film has been exposed in and around New York for its own good. I thought: yet another story about the big city and the so called "beautiful" people. Haven't Woody Allen and many others done movies like this enough already? Apparently not.

Isabel is a photographer living with her boyfriend, Jonathan and they are planning a big wedding. Jonathan is Jewish and she is a "shiksa" as his Rabbi rather crudely puts it, but that is not the problem. As it gradually becomes clear, Jonathan has been leading a double life. A British journalist who is writing a piece about a famous gay photographer is going about on assignment to talk to people he knew and about a forthcoming book of homo-erotic art photographs. And one of them is Jonathan.

Eventually things unravel for Jonathan who is trying to make some kind of transition. Meanwhile Isabel seems vaguely unhappy in her relationship with Jonathan, perhaps because of his sexual ambivalence or perhaps because of wedding jitters and a fear of commitment. They seem to be drifting apart anyway, Jonathan and Isabel. She passes up a wonderful opportunity to work as a photojournalist overseas and gets canned from her portrait studio job because of her wedding plans. It has just royally gummed up her life. Meanwhile her mother, Diana (Glenn Close) is a high-powered actress and dramatic arts teacher at Juilliard. Even in New York it is a small world. Diana also knew the Mapplethorpe like photographer and when the gay British journalist helpfully shows her the pictures at a big dinner party and things really hit the fan.

It is an above average film and another New York story. Moral of the story? If you must get naked, for chrissake don't let anyone take pictures. And if you must get married, skip the ceremony. The bigger and more expensive the party the less fun it tends to be for all concerned. As Thoreau once sagely observed "Beware all occasions that require new clothes."

Turgid, uninspired, and vacuous

[etherdog · 4/10 · 15 September 2006]

What a wasted cast.

This is one of the most disappointing films I've seen.

Usually Roger Ebert does not let me down, but I feel cheated after seeing this movie.

The only thrill is seeing Elizabeth banks in her bra. That is a sorry statement about this movie. It held so much promise, but it was like dry humping a transvestite.

This is self absorbed tripe.

I cannot express deeply enough my bitterness at having sat through this movie, and hope I can forewarn you of the same disappointment.

Fascinating to watch and satisfying to experience

[carlacryptic · 9/10 · 3 June 2006]

What I like about this film is that it moves like a panther. I feel like I'm outside of it but close enough to smell it. There is lots of intimacy and wonderful performances by everyone, some of which weren't fully comprehensible until the end. Glenn Close is an amazing person to watch doing anything and it was a double treat to see her, in dark hair no less (which I loved), playing an actress going in and out of character all of the time. Elizabeth Banks grew on me - at first, I just wished it were Parker Posey (whom she reminded me of at first). But, as the film developed and I could get over that resemblance, I enjoyed her performance. Jesse Bradford, who has been showing up in a lot of interesting roles the past few years, was notable as always. I liked George Segal as the rabbi without a clue until his being exactly where and what he needed to be when it really counted. Another thing about the film overall which I really liked was that the gay, straight, and everyone in between characters were all so much more real than they usually are in film. They were all over the map and that's where we all are in real life so it was a pleasure to see that. There were nuances on top of nuances and that, too, is what most of us experience but rarely see on film. James Marsden was great as Jonathan from the beginning to the end. I really liked Rufus Wainwright's character Jeremy... reminded me of a good friend of mine. There are too many good moments in the film to list them all.

A Film Grounded in Solid Writing of a Good Play

[correcamino · 7/10 · 24 August 2006]

I understand a lot of the criticisms I've read so far of this film. I can see how the characters might bug some people with their self-absorption. But for me, the movie had a central pillar of integrity because it was originally a play, and I thought the writing gave it intelligent coherence. For me, there always was a point.

What most struck me about the film from the get-go with Diana Lee's scene (Glenn Close) teaching the master acting class was the notion that we've all become cel phone-talking, latte-drinking, status conscious zombies afraid to bust out and take a damn risk. I thought the director sort of layered this idea on top of the film in a way that I imagined Crash tried, unsuccessfully, to do. The result was, as some have noted, not a plot driven movie but a character-based one, one in which we are not surprised by much, but, again as someone else pointed out, the point is the characters' reactions to each other. I really gravitated to this idea that we have sold our souls to ambition, our future, and feeling secure in it. This idea has particular resonance for me. In their own ways, living like this dehumanized the characters. This was particularly obvious for the fiancé, Jonathan.

Elizabeth Banks looks remarkably like another actress these days, not Parker Posey, but someone else -- Julia Stiles or Kirsten Dunst. I thought the entire cast was pretty decent and interesting. Isabella Rosellini's scene was excellent – she captured that subtly bullying personality perfectly.

Unlike a lot of others, I actually thought Glenn Close was a little flat in her scenes away from the theater. Maybe she was supposed to be.

Roger Ebert's review had some weird grammatical or spelling and sense mistakes.

Rightly or wrongly the notion that corporations have won and have won us really grabbed me while watching Heights.

This was one of those quiet movies. I don't mean quiet film as in understated, but literally a quiet movie/sound script. It's one of those dvds you can fall asleep to. It's so soothing, no loud noises, slow, nice, tinkling soundtrack, everyone's voices are soft. It wasn't boring. I watched it once, then started it over and fell asleep to it the second time.

alternate title

[indy-39 · 1/10 · 24 June 2006]

I thought they should have called this movie "Whites" instead of "Heights". Godawful...the kind of film that makes people hate New Yorkers. People who are so self obsessed and think their lives are so important...give me a break. Such a lily white cast that Glenn Close was the most ethnic character in it, this film was crying out for someone real to come in and steal it...and so they introduce, get this, a character even whiter than the rest of the cast (I thought he was an albino at first)who's supposed to be Welsh!I'm still trying to decipher that accent! Intellectually dishonest...this movie is the kind of film that's able to fool so many people into thinking it's worthwhile because it has the trappings of something more ambitious. Better to fill the theaters with MI5-10 than with this pretentious crap...must have been a better play because you can't fall off the floor.

Normality vs. Obscurity

[movieratings03 · 12 November 2006]

HEIGHTS ***** A cross between 'Playing By Heart' and 'The Ice Storm', 'Heights' is a ferociously clever montage of character triumph and fumble, played within an aura of amorality and dark secrecy. Callaborators Chris Turrio and Amy Fox seem to have the simple intention of penetrating an interplay of character dynamic to the audience, making sense and importance out of each scene, and reaching a faithful finale. The film's quasi-surreal blend of musical score (Ben Butler, Martin Erskine) and direction (Turrio) makes the story seem more complicated than it really is because, in truth, the viewer can relate to its societal or interpersonal issues in a degree. The story presents a search one takes in finding something more fulfilling when life has either grown weary or boring. The densely layered characters all have this hunger, with modulated performances that govern the transition between normal thinking and obscure behavior amid their struggles. Within the famous theater actress (Glenn Close), who has skill and a passion for her work, we sense delicate vulnerability due to an impacting marital issue she's facing. Her daughter (Elizabeth Banks) has troubles of her own: Finessing her decisions between the welfare of others and meeting her own needs, particularly in terms of whether to marry a burdened attorney (James Marsden). I don't believe it's a film to take lightly, but it's definitely a rewarding viewing, with accolades deserved by all involved.

Parts vx. Whole

[adamshl · 7/10 · 22 August 2012]

What a fine, talented cast we have here, with Glen Close and James Marsden heading the list. What high artistic efforts are made at every level, from scene to scene.

What's so strange about all this is that the film as a whole is much less successful than its parts. In the end, there's little real feeling for any particular character. The hop and skip format doesn't seem to yield a satisfactory entry into any one character's situation.

However, there's a real authentic look and feel to the inner circles of the Broadway world. We're provided a candid backstage view of intimate relationships, both personal and professional. Also New York City has been intimately captured as a background for this multi-character story.

With this work we also say goodbye to the Merchant Ivory team, as Mr. Merchant passed away. A wonderful partnership that produced many great cinematic artworks.

A failure of pretense

[Chris Knipp · 7/10 · 4 July 2005]

The friend with whom I watched "Heights" concluded it was "interesting" and I had to agree. We were equally bored by it. Isn't being -- patiently -- bored what "interesting" means?

"Heights" fails to live up to any of its pretenses. It's supposedly made up of "interwoven stories," but any resemblance to such ambitious and challenging works as "Short Cuts, "Magnolia," or the recent "Crash" is minimal. Hardly anybody comes into the "interweaving" accidentally or unexpectedly here. The main characters are a famous actress and acting teacher, her photographer daughter, the daughter's fiancé, various young hopefuls, friends, associates and neighbors, and a notorious gay British photographer (never seen) whose latest lover has been sent to America to interview his attractive male subjects, most of whom posed in the nude and were his bedmates. This threatens to pull some skeletons out of distinctly fake-straight closets.

But nobody comes in out of the park, and the movie's hints that it might somehow relate to Fred Schipesi's sparkling, breathlessly suspenseful filming of John Guare's play are a serious mistake. There's some unfortunate talk about how the "six degrees of separation" are really just "two" in New York. This merely means there are only so many calls for actors, and that when somebody sleeps around a lot people are going to run into other people who've slept with the same person. The coincidence Glenn Close's character notices turns out not to be one. People in the same apartment building tend to run into each other too. I guess that's "no" degrees of separation, if the walls are thin enough.

This is a "sophisticated love round" in which there's no lovemaking, not much love, and not a whole lot of sophistication. It's a story with a "surprise ending" that's clearly foreshadowed in the first fifteen minutes and successively hinted at all the way through. One of the characters is relieved when it comes, and so are we, because it means the movie's over.

"Heights" is a "little inde" picture that stars Glenn Close and has the likes of George Segal, Eric Bogosian and Isabella Rossellini in supporting roles as well as a bevy of attractive younger actors with excellent résumés, including two particularly cute young men whose secret affairs are part of the finale. Though it has various grundgy apartments it's an expensive-looking production with elaborate crowd scenes, the star's flashy pad, some nice office spaces, and glam shots of New York at night. These are the "heights," which take us up to the roofs for some glittering panoramic views. The movie doesn't live up to its implication of smallness or edginess, and has an "inde" plot only in the negative sense of lacking mainstream energy. It wanders around like a stranger at a cocktail party and then gets tired and sits down.

"Heights" has plenty of good-looking people in it and is "watchable" -- which is about on a level with "interesting." Glenn Close is dynamic and elegant, but still wasted -- and not stretched, except insofar as it's hard for an actor to play himself -- as a "famous" actress with Oscars on her shelf who teaches acting and is giving classes in "Macbeth" at Julliard the same time she's preparing to play Lady Macbeth on Broadway. That keeps the references simple, and a lot of her punch lines are just Shakespearean tags, but the dual-"Macbeth" situation is a pretty far-fetched kind of overlapping and the tag lines, even delivered by someone as good as Close, are obtrusive and wince-inducing.

The "interweaving" is completely obvious, save for one guy unacquainted with anybody but Diana (Close), who's collecting attractive young men to get back at her blatantly unfaithful director husband. He's Welsh, this new face -- which signals major degrees of separation. Glenn Close's daughter, Isabel (Elizabeth Banks) is impressed that he had the courage to cross the ocean without knowing anybody. He has some sprightly lines and then gets rushed off to the hospital. I won't reveal any more, because this little film trades much on its wan surprises. The way the Welsh guy's name is revealed is cute.

The two main guys, James Marsden (Jonathan) and Jesse Bradford (Alec), have charm as well as sex appeal. Elizabeth Banks is convincing as a young woman with shut-down feelings. Is she really acting, though, or just going around with a stiff neck? Most of the time the young people exhibit the same dysfunctional lack of affect that Ms. Close (Diana) bewails in the actors reading "Macbeth" at her Julliard class. This is like "Fame" without the energy. The cast seems fine, but they have nothing much to do but look busy -- or stiff-necked, and no amount of charm or sex appeal can save this limp plot.

This is the last movie the late Ismael Merchant produced. Too bad he didn't go out with something of the quality of "A Room with a View" or "The Remains of the Day." But the fact is, Merchant/Ivory have been behind a lot of genteel mediocrities, including disasters like the recent "Le Divorce" on which director Chris Terrio, who's been on the team for some years, did the "electronic press kit." I guess this is a step up, but it's not as far up as the title would suggest.

A fast-paced, intelligent urban drama

[kirschinny · 10/10 · 20 December 2004]

(This is based on a preview screening -- movie may have changed). I went to this not knowing what to expect and came away wanting to see it again. The movie takes place over 24 hours in Manhattan and follows various characters whose lives eventually interconnect. Glenn Close seems to be playing a version of herself -- a NY stage and film actress -- and she's brilliant at it. And there's no Cruella or Stepford Wives mugging: she's real and vulnerable. The surprise, though, is that the younger actors hold their own against her -- James Marsden (it's nice to see him act without those XMen glasses), Elizabeth Banks (who I didn't know but was apparently Jeff Bridges' wife in Seabiscuit) and Jesse Bradford all carve out their own niches in the story. And it's a treat to see cameos by Isabella Rossellini, Rufus Wainwright (musical genius), Thomas Lennon (who is Dingle on Reno 911) and others. A really satisfying film.

interesting but not exciting enough

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 18 December 2015]

Diana (Glenn Close) teaches acting and a renown theatrical director. Her daughter Isabel (Elizabeth Banks) is a wedding photographer. She's getting married to lawyer Jonathan (James Marsden). She encounters an ex Mark who suggests a compelling oversea job. Peter is assigned to contact art photographer Benjamin's exes for an exhibit. Joanathan is one of those in his pictures. Alec (Jesse Bradford) auditions for Diana.

Chris Terrio tries directing. It's not visually exciting. There is a nice interconnection to the stories. Glenn Close is a powerful presence. The stories play out nicely but it does need more intensity.

Why I love independent movies.

[jaybob · 9/10 · 23 June 2006]

Heights is an independent film starring Glenn Close & featuring Up & coming actors from TV & film, Many of who I did not recognize.

We follow a small group of people for one full day,In one way or another they are all connected.

This is an intelligent well written script, very well acted, You (I at least) had a feeling that either I know or would like to know each member of the cast.

There are all sorts of relationships here,including very well handled gay ones.

Being an independent film with no special effects, it did not play in too many theatres. This is one of the tragedies of current film distribution. I saw it on cable TV, . It is available for rent.

I highly recommend this film. You will not be disappointed.

Rating ***1/2 out of 4, 92 points out of 10, IMDb 9 out of 10.

Eclectic and unique not unlike Manhattan; Banks shines amidst the angst

[george.schmidt · 7/10 · 29 June 2005]

HEIGHTS (2005) **1/2 Elizabeth Banks, Glenn Close, James Marsden, Jesse Bradford, John Light, Eric Bogosian, Isabella Rossellini, George Segal, Rufus Wainwright, Michael Murphy. A day in the life of several people in New York City – some related and some a stranger one degree separated from – all come to a head in Amy Fox's adaptation of her stage play of mannered behavior, infidelities and assorted secrets and lies. The ensemble is eclectic and unique not unlike Manhattan which is the backdrop for this often strained character study although the fresh scrubbed beauty of Banks (resembling Elisabeth Shue) shines through the angst and ennui reverberating as an engaged photographer seeking "something" in her life and handles her own with Close as her mother, a celebrated actress whose birthday has more than one surprise before the end of a hectic day. (Dir: Chris Terrio)

Almost good

[Pilatunes · 5/10 · 20 November 2005]

A movie that attempts to offer a thoughtful contemplation of lives and relationships, but comes up short.

I am content to watch movies that focus entirely on characters, I don't need action to be entertained. However, the characters have to be fully developed, the relationships believable, and the plot devices 'fresh'.

The souring of the previously open relationship between Diana Lee (Glenn Close) and her husband has been well trodden in the past, most recently in Six Feet Under the HBO series.

The breakdown of the relationship between Isabel and Jonathan is telegraphed from very early in the movie, and these two actors have no on screen chemistry whatsoever. The aborted love scene seems like an almost obligatory attempt to show that, yes, there really was passion between these two at some point. It's a pity, because Elizabath Banks is both beautiful and talented, and is really the only actor in this movie who gets to stretch her acting muscles.

The arrival of Ian, the philosopher cum artist who opens Isabel's eyes to the shortcomings of her lifestyle is hackneyed and could have been totally dispensed with.

And the big reveal at the end, where Isabel finally learns the truth about her husbands other romantic entanglements, looks like a hasty attempt to get things wrapped up.

There are other subplots in the movie, which serve only to distract from the primary story lines. Eliminating these would have allowed for a more meaningful examination of the relationships that we are supposed to be intrigued by.

In summary, the most interesting part of the movie was admiring Elizabeth Banks beautiful face. The rest was too superficial to really draw one in.

Destiny, Moral Ambiguity and Rufus Wainwright

[GenevieveCMartin · 9/10 · 19 June 2005]

Take the unpremeditated nature of Eric Burn's "Sidewalks of New York", the vulnerability of "We Don't Live Here Anymore" and the poetry of "Bande á Part" and you'll have a good feeling for how multifaceted this film truly is. While this film may attract a smaller audience it's well worth it. Many smaller films nowadays exude ostentation or leave an audience alienated, however; Terrio cleverly constructs a small,yet relevant world. Like the characters in Shakespeare's plays, Terrio's characters are greater than we, nevertheless they exemplify universal experiences; Ennui, Betrayal, Loneliness. We never truly enter one character's life enough to become intimate with them; they always remain just a little too far away. Characters interact but never truly unite, which even reflects the structure of the film which is reminiscent of vignettes. Like in Macbeth, destiny and moral ambiguity play an integral role in this film.

Quite good and gripping, but not perfect

[rlaine · 7/10 · 14 January 2014]

I'm a bit of a sucker for NYC based dramas, having liked Woody Allen's work since 90's. This is no Woody Allen movie, but quite good nonetheless.

The acting is good all the way, the script too. It's interesting, the dialogue is never boring. The intertwined story lines don't feel forced.

Like someone else here stated, I'm not sure if Isabel's story is the most interesting here, even tho she's clearly in focus most of the time. Ms. Banks is good here, and her career has gone up since this movie for a good reason.

The most interesting character here is probably her to-be husband Jonathan (James Marsden) who battles with a serious dilemma. It's at the same time one of the most interesting aspects of this movie, but also a bit of a problem. It's difficult not to write about it without giving anything away, but in the finale was slightly questionable. Stop reading here if you don't want to be spoiled.

In the end Isabel breaks up with Jonathan, but it's not quite clear if she does it because he was cheating on her, or because he was gay/bisexual - or both. She's just shocked to see him kissing a guy and in the next scene they've separated already. We don't get a better resolution for the relationship.

It's a good movie anyway. Recommended. I hadn't heard of this before, but it caught my eye on Netflix and I don't regret the time spent.

Up On The Roof

[Lechuguilla · 30 July 2007]

Progressive relationships and theatricality figure in this contemporary character study set in Manhattan wherein four main characters that are at or approaching some "height", either professional or personal, interact in ways that threaten their dreams and ambitions.

Diana (Glenn Close) is a lover of Shakespeare who teaches theatre to students. Her daughter Isabel (Elizabeth Banks) is a photographer. Isabel is engaged to Jonathan (James Marsden) who has some well-kept secrets. A struggling young actor named Alec (Jesse Bradford) auditions for Diana; she learns that he lives in the same building as Isabel and Jonathan. Diana invites him to a party. Unplanned circumstances and the interrelationships of the various characters conspire to render assumptions not valid, which in turn forces everyone to alter their perceptions about themselves and others.

In lesser hands, this material could easily descend into melodramatic soap opera. But here, the technical execution is sufficiently high quality to avoid that pit.

The film's lighting and music create a mod, artistic look and feel. The film starts off in a lighthearted mood; the second half is darker, more somber.

There are some good photographic shots of Manhattan, both exterior (the Woolworth Building, for example), and interiors (the Cherry Lane Theater and offices of Vanity Fair). Some scenes take place on building rooftops, a visual reference to the story's internal theme.

You won't find anything especially new or original, insofar as concept or story. It's the quality of execution in writing, direction, acting, editing, cinematography, costumes, and production design that renders "Heights" a credible film, one that is easy to like and worth the time to watch.