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‘The Violent Heart’ Review: A Young Romance Challenged by Society, Undone by Fate
Peter Debruge Chief Film CriticSometimes, when a movie ends with a twist, it makes you want to rush back and rewatch the entire story to see how the filmmakers pulled it off. Where did they hide the clues? What new insights does a closer look reveal? In other cases, it’s best just to accept the surprise and move on, salvaging what you can of the experience.In “The Violent Heart,” writer-director Kerem Sanga (“The Young Kieslowski”) wants us to believe that we’re watching a sensitive post-racial romance about a goody-goody white Tennessee teen who challenges her family’s unexamined biases by hooking up with the local bad boy — who is Black and six years her senior — when in fact, the movie pulls a fast one in the final act.