This new art-house outing from Miramax is compelling from frame-one to the credits, but Heaven is almost two separate films. An interesting experiment really that pairs to very disparate film-makers. The script was written by the deceased Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski known for his slow to develop work (Red, The Double Life of Veronique). And directed by Tom Tykwer, the (frenetic) young German director of Run Lola Run. I would call Heaven a mostly successful compromise - which succeeds largely on the basis of a flawless script a compelling and smart story and spot-on performances by Cate Blanchett and Giovanni Ribisi.

Ironically this is the second time Cate has played a crusader against drug-lords, but this film is miles above Veronica Guerin in terms of movie smarts. I would also venture to say that it's the finest performance to date from Ribisi - who plays the love-struck young Italian accomplice with an almost supernatural restraint.

Blanchett plays an Italian school-teacher who has seen her husband as well as many of her students wither away due to drugs and it just so happens that the drug-lord who is one of those untouchable Italian types used to be college-mates with her deceased husband - the two have stayed in touch mainly out of her husbands fondness for drugs.

Blanchett's attempt to blow up the drug-lord in his high-rise office building goes terribly awry due to a bad twist of fate and soon she is imprisoned for the death of four innocent civilians. While the drug lord remains alive and just as untouchable. During her interrogation a young translator and court reporter played by Ribisi finds out the truth about the entire situation and in a moment that isn't altogether plausible, falls in love with her and is soon hatching a plan to effect her escape.

I don't want to give any more of the plot points away here, because it's a terrific film - I will say that following the escape there is a fairly dramatic change of tone in the film. It didn't bother me and made sense and became the most unusual of love stories, but some might find the ending slow and out of step. To each his own - The Boneman's in on Heaven.