Heaven [2002]

Written by late Polish director Krysztof Kieslowski and Krysztof Piesiewicz (the team that made the trilogy BLUE, WHITE, and RED) and directed by German master Tom Tykwer (RUN LOLA RUN), HEAVEN is the first part of a trilogy. Cate Blanchett is Philippa, a strong-willed English woman who teaches in Turin, Italy. At school she witnesses young students torn apart by drug addictions, poverty, and family struggles. Her husband, similarly, died of a drug overdose. She takes the law into her own hands when she decides to go after a major drug czar. But when her plan goes terribly wrong, and she's taken into custody and accused of being an international terrorist, she finds herself in a hell she never imagined. Her only hope is Filippo (Giovanni Ribisi), a young cop and translator who wants to help her.
Tykwer delivers a visually stunning film with HEAVEN, using aerial photography, 360-degree pans, and gorgeous wide-angle shots to deliver a dreamlike otherworldly feeling. The chemistry between Philippa and Filippo resonates through to the end of the film, while the smartly suspenseful story keeps viewers guessing about the fate of this destined duo. An understated piano score completes the prolonged feeling of tension, intrigue, and ultimate escape, making HEAVEN an impressively successful merger of Kieslowski's eerily effective writing and Tykwer's stylish directing.