Heights (2005)

Heights: Directed by Chris Terrio. With Chandler Williams, Bess Wohl, Glenn Close, Elizabeth Banks. Spanning twenty-four hours, Heights follows five New Yorkers challenged to choose their destiny before the sun comes up the next day.

“Heights is, at its most basic, an exploration of desires. The characters around whom the movie revolves think they know, at the beginning, where theyu0026#39;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.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGlenn 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 u0026quot;loving husbandu0026quot; becomes more and more deeply involved with another woman, she begins to realize just how unfulfilling that philosophy is.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDianau0026#39;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 heu0026#39;s desperate to hide, potentially ruinous secrets heu0026#39;s working to keep from his wife-to-be.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe 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 Benjaminu0026#39;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.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis 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, itu0026#39;s still a bit of a downer, because of the raw exposure of the characters. There are uncomfortable moments when weu0026#39;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.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHighly recommended to fans of Closer and similar movies.”