A Little Trip to Heaven (2005)

To me, this movie is perfection.

The Worst Film Ever

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Jeremy Renner plays a white trash criminal with a wife played by Julia Stiles, (known from the Jason Bourne movies as the female agent). Husband and wife fake a claim for a million dollar life insurance after they staged an accident. Will they get away with it or will insurance agent Forrest Whitaker find out the truth?This insurance scam idea is great. Could make for great suspense. Unfortunately the story falls flat, because of some pretty big credibility flaws, things that just WOULD NOT happen in real life during an insurance investigation. Too bad, because the acting is great. However the story just lacks coherence and credibility, so however great the acting is, it still falls flat. With a more credible story this could have been a very suspenseful con movie, but unfortunately now only the directing and acting is left to be praised. What's good though are the many plot twists and turns that kept me curious about how it would all end. Not bad, but not good either. 6 stars. Funny endnote: the end credits of this icelandic production were rather special because it featured the names of ALL the extras that acted in this movie. That is never done in any other movie. I would love to be an extra myself. Knowing that I have NONE acting skills whatsoever I would be thrilled to play as an invisible extra. And what better proof that you took part then an actual credit with your name at the end!

Overall, this movie is pretty good. Forrest Whitaker does a good job as a detective in a rural area, and Julia Styles does a good job as an abused wife (if I remember). Overall, the movie's very slow for the first hour, but then it gets better within the last 30 minutes. I thought it was a complex, yet smooth movie to sit through. Styles to me is underrated as an actress and may be dated to the 2000s as peak, but that shouldn't discourage you from watching this. It also goes into detail about Life Insurance and the claims people will actually go through to protect the bottom line. This wasn't a big hit, but I think it will be popular in the future. It's actually my favorite Forrest Whittaker film.

This somewhat awkward transition to American markets finds Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur a bit over his head with this little mystery. In effect, A Little Trip to Heaven plays a bit like the watered down, third-rate cousin of the thriller Insomnia (nothing spectacular to begin with), although here most potential intrigue is crushed by the deadening weight of a charisma-lacking direction. A talented trio of actors do help elevate the often lifeless direction, but the movie does take an even greater toll by employing Forest Whitaker in the misguided lead. A shame to be coming out on DVD so quickly after his triumphant academy win, Whitaker's questionable Canadian-esqe accent paired with the boring, underdeveloped character he is written here just proves too bland for lead role material. Co-stars Jeremy Renner and Julia Stiles do offer more inviting performances however.Difficult as the actual lack of energy beaming off the screen may be, the film is not without it's subtle shade of merit. Beyond the b-grade artistry lies a filmmaker with a promising talent for composition, often showing his best, least obvious strength when setting up succeeding, more important shots. As well, the script might have seemed a lot more convincing when on paper (which would explain some of the big name interest), offering a humbly ambitious, localized little guessing game centering around insurance fraud. Sadly, the adaptation to screen just does not gel in any real compelling way, though the detail oriented plot should throw enough curve balls to keep mystery buffs afloat.

After a suspicious fatal car accident in Hastings where the identity of the victim was forged, the Quality Life insurance company sends their smart investigator Abe Holt (Forrest Whitaker) to identify the body. The unique beneficiary of the one million dollars death benefit is the sister of the victim, Isold (Julia Stiles), who lives with her son Thor and her husband Fred (Jeremy Renner) in a poor cabin in the middle of nowhere. Along the investigation, Abe discloses the truth about the fraud, but feels sorry for Isold and Thor and tries to help them with tragic consequences."Little Trip to Heaven" has a good premise, showing both sides of the insurance policies, with some fraudulent cases of clients and questionable procedures of the companies themselves. The story is good, with a suspenseful atmosphere in a dramatic and tense situation. In spite of the very disappointing conclusion, this movie worth watching. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "A Fraude" ("The Fraud")