What Is the Story About?
Netflix’s ‘Heart Of Stone’ centres on MI6 spy Rachel Stone (Gal Gadot), who also works for a secret global organisation of spies called The Charter. The Charter is driven by a powerful AI setup called the ‘Heart’, which can hack into supercomputers, collate trillions of data, and predict events with high accuracy. When the Heart is stolen by rogue elements, it falls upon Rachel Stone to save the day.
Heart Of Stone is written by Greg Ruska and Allison Schroeder, and directed by Tom Harper.
Performances?
Gal Gadot is all fire and fury as Rachel Stone, but only in the action sequences. The rest of the time, she is curiously bland and insipid. She leverages her tall, wiry frame to maximum effect in the action sequences, carrying them off spectacularly. Alia Bhatt is good as hacking prodigy Keya Dhawan. She exudes chutzpah underlined by an endearing innocence. Her delivery of dialogue could have been better, though. Jamie Dornan is well cast as Parker, the spy with an agenda. Sophie Okonedo is superb as Nomad, head of the Hearts arm of the Charter, as is Matthias Schweighöfer as its resident AI geek, Jack. The rest of the cast is average.
Analysis
Netflix’s Heart Of Stone is the prefect example of the adage, “all style, no substance”. The movie features a parade of well-shot and choreographed action set-pieces, which make an appearance one after the other in dizzying succession. But when it comes to a riveting plot and interesting characters, it delivers a damp squib. Coz the plot is virtually non-existent, while the characters are as interesting as cardboard.
What’s more, Heart Of Stone has no defining visual grammar that it can call its own. The styling and cinematic grammar are similar to the Mission Impossible and James Bond movies, complete with globe-trotting locales, larger-than-life action sequences set on snowy mountain tops, mid-air face-offs and other hijinks.
The plot gallivants across the globe, from the snow-covered Alps in Italy to the hot deserts in Senegal, to Lisbon and London in between, finally culminating in icy Reykjavik in Iceland. The action sequences too cram in a gamut of shenanigans – from a casino ambush to a fast-paced descent down mountain slopes to hand-to-hand combat to a thrilling car chase across Lisbon, to a mid-air heist, a motorcycle chase and lots more.
The action is choreographed well, though it’s nothing new by any means. It’s enjoyable to watch, but not quite memorable. It’s a movie that’ll be out of your mind as soon as you’ve finished watching it. Worth a one-time watch, and nothing more.
Music and Other Departments?
Steven Price’s background score is decent, though nothing to write to write home about. George Steel’s cinematography is good. He’s captured the stunning locales and pacy action sequences well. Mark Eckersley’s editing is sharp and crisp.
Highlights?
The action set-pieces
Drawbacks?
Predictably non-existent plot
Bland and insipid
Did I Enjoy It?
I found it average
Will You Recommend It?
As a one-time watch
Heart Of Stone Movie Review by Binged Bureau