Jacques (Brian Cox) is a nicotine- and booze- encrusted misanthrope who, in “The Good Heart,” owns an underground downtown New York City bar where no women or new customers are allowed.
When he shares a hospital room with a suicidal but sensitive young hobo (Paul Dano), the geezer adopts him as his unofficial heir. Soon the younger man is learning how to be a discreet barkeep who knows his patrons’ drinks and keeps a professional distance from their sorrows.
But he’s far too kind to live down to his boss’ expectations, and when he helps out a beautiful girl (Isild Le Besco) who wanders into the bar, the diseased harmony of the fetid little room is threatened by sunshine and smiles.
The saloon banter and the atmosphere give the movie some substance, and Cox has a lot of fun playing the blustering codger who practically detonates in anger if you give him a cake on his birthday. But his performance is one-note, and Dano’s spacey-rabbit act is growing tired. The movie begins to wear out its welcome even before a conclusion of breathtaking corniness.