A Bluebird in My Heart (2018) User Reviews (24)

A bit formulaic, but a good film

[MK_Ultra_ · 7/10 · 16 June 2020]

Looked good from a trailer so went in on that premise and it delivered.

Nothing to outside of the realm of a gritty genre film. Recently released convict works for place to stay. Hotel owners kid befriends convict. Convict becomes her protector. Reminded me of a few films...and that's where the "formulaic" came into play.

It is worth a watch, mild complaints aside. It's a simple premise and storyline. Acting and cinematography hold their own.

6.5/10

Great lead character

[Draysan-Jennings · 5/10 · 18 November 2019]

The lead in this movie was great. Quiet mysterious dude straight out the pen. He didn't really do much talking but still managed to look like a total badass. Great character but the movie itself was pretty bland. It was a minimal dull story with nothing special. Movie needed more action and storyline. Felt they played it pretty safe. I want to give the movie 6 stars but it was just missing too much for more then 5. The shower scene was awkward.

Flying low under the radar

[djrmc24 · 7/10 · 7 November 2023]

A very solid drama/thriller indie film that flies very low under the radar. I happen to come across this film when channel surfing on YoutubeTv. The synopsis: Danny is an ex-convict who aspires to a quiet life, and becomes friends with his landlady and Clara, the latter's granddaughter, with whom he begins to have an affectionate fatherly relationship. Without spoiling what happens this film is very gritty and dark but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It doesn't matter how your story starts but matters how it ends. This movie features very strong performances and the cinematography is beautiful. My only beef with this film is that it feels very condensed/short. I feel like there may be a Director's Cut out there somewhere. A Bluebird in My Heart stole my heart and gets a solid 7 stars out of 10. Don't forget about the Indie films!

Good movie no need budget

[ks-60500 · 6/10 · 1 May 2020]

Good is good, this movie full of humanity. He's in prison before but not a devil. Everyone should deserves a 2nd chance. The movie just execute nicely for the story telling side. The characters have a unique charm.

Not bad, but

[MovieIQTest · 15 November 2019]

The screenplay and the movie both got some flaws. It was adapted from Dannie Martin's first novel published in 1995. The movie was shot in a very dark and cold tone, the background locality may be in Montreal, Canada just like where the novel located. The movie itself is not a bad one, with limited cast but quite a good casting job.

The movie put the leading character got a dish washing job in a Chinese buffet restaurant. But the filthy kitchen and the dish-washing area were so disgusting and so messy, it looked more like a dump instead of a well maintained one. I just wondered if Canada or the City of Montreal got Health Dept. like what we got in America that regularly inspected all the restaurants and food industries. If by the basic requirements and the standard regulations, the kitchen and the dish washing room of that Chinese buffet restaurant might have to be shut down and may not pass to have a permit to be allow open for business and serving food, until the guy was hired to do the dish washing job.

The movie itself is watchable, but there were moments that almost made me to give up, because it's a slow going and in a very boring tempo. Neither the mother nor the daughter got likable personalities, the boss woman of the Chinese buffet restaurant was also a deadbeat cast. As to the mobsters, just a bunch of poorly organized local thugs. All the fights, gunfights, shootings and killings, we didn't see any police presence, maybe it's the low and limited budget not big enough to involve more manpower and cop's cars?

This is just an okay movie.

Just beautiful.

[matic-borovinsek · 7/10 · 25 March 2020]

Liked the story. Just truly superman flick. It was just a mild slow in development. But I like superman stories.

Great story

[latinfineart · 8/10 · 9 September 2020]

Great film, outstanding story. Every once in awhile you find a film that is pitch perfect. This film had great direction, excellent editing, a wonderful and moody soundtrack, great performances and was very well written. This is the kind of film that Hollywood dreams about making, but just simply cannot make any more. It was made for adults, it was none of the Transformer, in your face, heavy action rubbish that Scorsese refers to as an amusement park ride. This was a real story, totally believable with amazing performances by Mollar, Le Lann, and Baetens. I just highly recommend this film.

What?!

[therealboblivion · 1/10 · 1 April 2020]

The film is disappointment. It has nothing in it. It is slow, bland, boring and just plain pointless! One of those "artsy fartsy" films made by hacks who think they're special. Reading the reviews and the ratings I'm pretty sure most of them are coming from the production. No way this film should be considered a masterpiece. It is everything but a masterpiece!

A hidden gem

[spas-grigorov · 8/10 · 25 December 2018]

Well thought, well executed, well acted. Minimum cast, minimum budget - maximum solidity and persuasiveness. A humble masterpiece.

A blue-what? Why?

[petyopetyo95 · 1/10 · 19 April 2024]

The acting in the movie was disappointingly subpar. The performances felt forced and lacked the emotional depth necessary to make the characters believable. It was evident that the cast struggled to deliver a convincing portrayal of their roles. The movie was highly overrated, with critics and audiences alike giving it more praise than it deserved. There was nothing special or unique about the plot. The script was particularly disappointing, with poorly written dialogue and a lack of compelling narrative structure. Despite being labeled as a drama/thriller, the movie lacked any elements of suspense or excitement that would typically define the genre. The genre should be labled - disapointment...

One of the great indie film !

[nonsensefans · 8/10 · 12 October 2020]

I loves watching Indie film, this movie are great cause the storyline and cast performances are great ! Especially Roland Møller ! I've seen him a lot in supporting roles.. He's an amazing actor, which are one of the reasons I'm interested to see this film.. Delivering his believable performances as always.. It's not a plain ass drama, it's dark & gritty with some actions.. Overall it's worth a shot

Roland Møller and Lola Le Lann are terrific!

[tccandler · 9/10 · 30 January 2021]

This terrific little thriller is one of those small film-festival darlings that will ultimately not get seen by enough people. Roland Møller stars as an ex-con, freshly released, who gets a job as a dishwasher while staying at a mother-daughter (Veerle Baetens & Lola Le Lann) run hotel. The two women each have their own issues... and trouble soon finds them all in various ways. This is a great story that asks the age-old question, "Can you teach an old dog new tricks?"

Surprisingly outstanding French-made crime noir.

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 9/10 · 23 November 2019]

Novice French producer and writer Jérémie Guez makes his full length feature film directorial debut in this stunning character study turned crime thriller noir.

This film is insanely watchable, mostly due to the overall soundness of its stunning cinematography and visual compositions, and the stellar performances notably from Roland Møller and Lola Le Lann. The great performances and old school tension are the key ingredients here, and they come together very intimately and surprisingly in this touching film about a man wrestling with his own fate, that morphs from a character study into crime film as the action grows more taut.

Although I'm not a fan of slow-burn films, this one is an exception. The 85 min runtime was perfect, and the constant tension and directors camera shots kept the suspense running non stop. Even the score was perfect and evident at the right moments.

For a non-Hollywood foreign-produced film, this is outstanding, and I hope it's nominated for multiple awards, deservingly so. It's a well deserved 9/10 from me, and I look forward to seeing more from Jérémie Guez.

To see more of my 1000+ ratings and 600+ reviews, click on my username.

Real-Life situations

[hankbrns · 8/10 · 21 March 2020]

Having worked in the corrections field, this was darn-near a perfect casting. The convict was what you'd see 6 out of 10 times on early release. The mother was a little jaded but alert--nothing got past her (most times). The young girl did what young girls likely do--sneak a smoke or some weed. The ending HAD to go that way, and it was an excellent finish. **I agree with another reviewer that the shower scene was awkward** I was pleasantly surprised by all aspects of this production--and I'd recommend it--highly.

6:9 whats with the low ratings

[eventlaunch · 10/10 · 15 October 2020]

Clearly not many people have seen this hidden gem, I caught it on Shuddar TV and I was blown away to describe it i would say A man from nowhere without the B S special effects in this movie the action is raw realistic and the story is just wow. Do yourselves a favour add this to your viewing list ASAP Its what Hollywood wishes they could make

Underrated

[BirkOrtell · 8/10 · 13 March 2021]

I don't understand the low average this movie has? It was a genuinly cool movie. If you like Leon, you will like this

Very good movie

[nickpedersen · 9/10 · 21 September 2020]

The story is a little dark, but the story is compelling, and the pace is good.

A Redaction of The Professional

[d_carlotaj · 10/10 · 4 February 2020]

"A Bluebird in My Heart," (2018). Directed by Jeremie Guez and adapted from Dannie M. Martin's novel, "The Dishwasher." Starring Roland Møller and Lubna Azabal. This film is in my top ten favorite movies of all times and is a Danish-Belgian production. It is a redemption story, the main character, Danny having been released on parole from prison. I am assuming that the setting is Belgian because the French language is not spoken by Danny, he is Danish, but he does read and speak German. Of course, English also because the film is about 90% in English, and there are subtitles. Danny is a person who lives by a moral code. He is strong, silent, wise, taciturn, competent, humanistic, loyal, truthful, punctual, thoughtful, all of the qualities that real men possess. He knows how to take care of business, has high values, and embodies the term masculine. His journey leads him into a course of action which endangers himself but protects the innocent and women. But he is aware that his status as an ex-con makes him vulnerable to the system. The people who open their hearts to him bring him acceptance and joy. He brings them protection and acceptance as well. This is a wonderfully uplifting story. It is on Amazon Prime's Shutter. Excellent in every way. Enjoy!

Atmospheric

[bbogacz · 8/10 · 25 March 2020]

Nice surprise. I never had heard of it before but thought I'd give it a try. Very similar story to the professional but much more realistic. The lead actor was great and the daughter shows so much vulnerability. It was films very well.

a well-edited and script-wise film

[sthibaudeau · 8/10 · 17 June 2020]

220/5000 an emotional, sensitive and touching film. I really appreciated the human relations in this film. To see because it's been a while since I had not seen a quality film in its form and content. To see therefore.

An exceptional indie

[stephenmsaunders · 9/10 · 14 January 2023]

The acting, plotting and pacing are all in total contrast to the typical fare available to movie goers today.

If you want to be invested in truly believable and imperfect characters and situations veering wildly between mundanity and terror, I can't recommend this highly enough.

The vibe here is very off beat, quite noir but not cliched. There's an industrial and murky feel that is more usually found in grim post apocalypse movies.

The three leads are exceptional. It even has a symbolic dog scene. What is not to love?!

Also, Roland Moller is such a gem of an actor. We need more of this fine fellow!

A surprising Shudder find : Excellent French Drama

[Fenrir_438 · 10/10 · 9 January 2022]

Though it's classified as a Drama/Thriller, I can confidently say that this movie falls more into the Drama category, which isn't what i expected when i found it on Shudder. A few scenes in the movie have a bit more tension and action in them, but not that many. Then again, judging by the grade I gave to the movie, you can guess it wasn't a problem for me at all.

A Bluebird in My Heart has a very slow pace, but i don't think it's a negative thing at all. It allows you to assimilate the more implicit exchanges between the characters, looks, body language, smiles and so on. This pace also makes you feel like you're not simply being told a story, you see it unfold and basically have the time to experience it with the characters.

The three main characters are at he very core of this movie. They all evolve in their own ways, going through serious life events, all involving serious topics such as fatherhood, violence, your relation to you past and so on.

If you're expecting a movie with a lot of sharp turns and twists, you might be disappointed. But if you don't mind a slow paced drama with few, but meaningful big events, then you're definitely in for a treat.

Great film

[tomstickland · 8/10 · 6 February 2023]

We found this on the free trial on Shudder, the Amazon prime subscription. Had a quick look at the reviews here on IMDB and decided to watch it.

I'm pleased we did because this is a very well shot, edited and acted film. The early scenes have an underlying theme of positivity and hope as he sorts his life out and fixes various things in the hotel and the restaurant where he works. There's lots of good shots of the slightly run down industrial area where it's based.

When things turn nasty his violence is quite shocking and you feel that he regrets his actions. From then on, things degenerate quickly as the local drug lords get involved.

Great film

[qfjjbyh · 8/10 · 14 April 2023]

It's incredibly frustrating that one ridiculous 1 star Review causes the average rating to dip so much, therefore probably putting a few people off. Frankly, given the amount of badly made dross out there, it's a brilliant film. Beautifully shot, with decent acting. Has a feel of "Drive" about it - a moody monosyllabic con Who you instantly warm to gets drawn into bad things. The bad review seems to focus on the Opinion that it's an artsy film - and expresses surprised at this, when it's clear from the trailer that it's hardly a bland "fast and the furious" type blockbuster. Disappointing that this hasn't got a wider audience. Definitely deserves it.