Written and directed by Scott McQuaid, The Heartmith is a fantasy fairy tale about a man who fixes the broken hearts of people brought to him by The Umbrella Man (Sylvester McCoy). The Heartsmith (Aniq Durar) one day stumbles upon a girl with a heart of gold (literally) but in order for her heart to be fixed, she needs pure gold from a mountain called Jagged Heights. However, they are not the only ones on the hunt for the pure gold. Mr Cross, a corrupt and evil man is suffering with his black heart. If he doesn’t receive treatment with the gold, he will surely die. Being too important to carry out his own adventure, Mr Cross (who is often very cross indeed) employs the ruthless Dr. D to carry out his dirty work.
It’s here that the fantasy world feels somewhat impaled by the character of Dr. D who is presented at a cold blooded hit man, dressed in a sharp suit and wielding a silenced pistol. Far from the steampunk style fantasy established in the opening, Dr D feels more like a James Bond villain than a bedtime story character. Despite this, Zhang Quan as Dr D. is one of the most captivating characters and has the most compelling story line. Especially in contrast to The Heartsmith and Sundae’s journey, which is fairly tame in comparison. Aniq Durar as the Heartsmith has a quiet, endearing quality whereas Imogen Storm as Sundae has a bubbly naivety. These qualities are delivered in a slightly awkward way that is initially endearing as the characters are established as likeable and fairly comic, but it quickly becomes repetetive. Between them, there is no real depth of character – no discernible arc of development. They are at the end as they were at the start, and suffer no hamartia nor personal crisis or questioning of self. Even the most basic fairy tales are often didactic, where the characters learn something in the end. The Heartsmith and Sundae float through the narrative, granted they encounter challenges, but their sense of self and their understanding of the world around them remains painfully unscathed. Without flaws, the pair feel like cardboard cutouts on a stick being moved up a mountain.
The interesting parts of the narrative come from the many weird and wonderful people/ creatures on the journey to Jagged Heights. While the funky costume design and frequent injection of a new personality is exciting, these characters still fail to add any depth to the story and exist mostly as bolt-on extras to drag out the journey up the mountain. They’re not woven intricately into the plot to create a rich tapestry within an imaginary environment, but each feels like an entirely separate entity. The fantasy elements combined with the very not-so-fantasy elements, including Dr. D, gives a somewhat parodic effect. The incongruity of a quick shooting assassin in a supposed bedtime fairy tale makes the audience feel like we’re constantly waiting for a joke that never comes. It’s an interesting genre choice, but not an entirely ineffective one – just odd!
Where the film does succeed is its choice of locations and set design, and the cinematography used to capture this. There is some skilled camera work used that gives the film a professional edge over the other elements which need to be improved to match. The Heartsmith might have worked more effectively as a short film of a higher quality, rather than stretching a limited story and resources over an hour and a half.
Despite the issues facing The Heartsmith, it is still a story you want to get to the end of. With the murderous Dr. D, there is just enough action to keep you on the edge of your seat and the warmth from The Heartsmith and Sundae will certainly make you smile.
Watch the full film on Amazon here!