Scott Reynolds may not exactly be well known; but his excellent 2001 thriller When Strangers Appear really took me by surprise, and while Heaven is not as accomplished as the aforementioned film, it's still a very good thriller that takes in multiple different elements, which are somehow combined into a mostly coherent whole. Like many post-Pulp Fiction crime thrillers, this one features a fragmented plot which is told through various flashbacks. The main character is Robert Marling; a man with a gambling addiction. He is recovering from a nasty split with his wife Jennifer, who also wants custody of their son. Robert is friends with Stanner; the proprietor of a strip club and employer of transvestite dancer Heaven. Heaven has an unusual ability to see into the future and takes a shine to Robert when she recognises him from one of her premonitions. The plot thickens when it emerges that the psychologist treating Robert is having an affair with his wife and also treating Heaven...Most of the film is kept within the realms of possibly; the only exception to this being the mystical abilities of the title character, which comes off as being a little strange despite being integral to the plot. Initially, I had the film pegged as a rip-off of The Crying Game; but actually it doesn't make a meal of its gender-bending lead character at all. The plot does flow surprisingly well considering that it is put forward in a fragmented manner; the strong screenplay manages to put everything across in such a way that it all makes sense. There's no shortage of memorable characters, with strip club owner Stanner standing out most in that respect. The strip club itself is very well done and the director ensures that it has a fantastically sleazy atmosphere; it's just a shame that it isn't featured more! The ending is suitably strange and ambiguous; therefore suiting the film well. All in all, this is not quite a brilliant thriller; but it's well made and gripping for the duration and therefore I recommend it.

Okay, I am a Martin Donovan fan first of all, and Heaven was an incredible vehicle for Martin to show us once again his great acting skills. In fact, the entire cast did a great job. Yes, the sequence of the film was a bit confusing, but then became very surprising and enjoyable -never predictable. Martin is a master of subtlety and watching him perform is pure delight. Next to the Book of Life, this is my favorite Donovan film.

Finally after years of post-production, Heaven becomes a feature film. There were various hold ups along the way including the directors attempt at claiming this was HIS original screen play (which it is NOT), and of course there was the censorship battle due to the nature of the depicted sexual violence. I first read Chad Taylor's Novel, HEAVEN, the year it came out, 1994, and found it an outstanding read. One day a friend of mine told me of a film he was working on (lighting department) and he asked me if I'd read the book, my reply in the positive, so he handed me the script to borrow in exchange for the book. After reading the screenplay I realised that Tarantino had a lot to answer for with his introduction of a new wave of neo-noir cinematography and on screen violence, which was the subsequent theft of all HK action films. Both the book and the film are justly different from one another but I still suggest the novel is read first, and if you are worried about a spoiler, the endings are completely different and are indeed different ends of the spectrum, which means both should bring satisfaction. Overall I'm still undecided which is the better and although I finally got to see the film 6 years later, I still remember the book vividly. But I really must stress that if you can obtain, the now almost impossible to find novel, definitely read it first.

I took a chance on this rental, and was so glad I did. It literally, 'kept me on the edge of my seat' throughout the entire film. The writing and direction is so well done, that I felt like 'I' was the one having the psychic flashes. The acting was also very good. I felt so much for the character, Heaven. If all thrillers were this inventive, I'd have a new favorite genre.