Heartbreakers (2001)

All that matters here is Jennifer Love Hewitt

This is a must-have for any hetero male who can't wait for it to come around again on cable TV. Forget all the bad reviews; all that matters is that Jennifer Love Hewitt is painfully hot in this movie. Actually it's a half-decent film that rises above the level of sex comedies aimed at the 18-35 knuckle-dragging audience. But that doesnt' matter. Yeah, it's light fare but you won't care. The cast is full of A-listers (Gene Hackman, Sigourney Weaver, Ray Liotta, Jason Lee, Anne Bancroft, Nora Dunn, Sarah Silverman, Carrie Fisher) who turn in professional performances, but you might not even notice. Hackman is so adept as a hacking, liver-spotted geriatric that you might be grossed out, but you'll get over it. All that really matters is the amazing Hewitt bouncing around in an endless series of slinky micro dresses. I have a friend in the film/video industry who tells me that all the studio execs wish JLH was their girlfriend, and after seeing *Heartbreakers* I'm not surprised.

A definite desert-island pick. January 3, 2008

How can anyone like a movie like this?

I was going through some of the movies I liked the most ever, and some of the movies I most hated. This is one that I most hated. I wonder how anyone could give it 4 or 5 stars. First off, they are con artist, scammers, and heels in life. Why should the audience care if they find love and live happily ever after or not? I wanted them to get hit by a train, not find happiness. It was also gross and disturbing to see Weaver try to act seductive and sexy. She lost that 20 years ago or more. Gene Hackman, the evil cigarette company CEO, had a loud, annoying, and obnoxous hacking cough that was funny for about 1/10 of a second...not over and over for long periods of time. Finally, here is a spoiler, so don't read on if you haven't seen it yet...It seems like Weaver finds herself and true love, only to spy on her new love at the very end of the movie. He is cheating of course, and she smiles vibrantly like it is the greatest thing in the world. A horrible ending to a horrible horrible movie. November 24, 2007

Funny, a riot, on a difficult theme

HEARTBREAKERS offers a story rarely touched upon, is a good comedy, a
riot, in fact, such that many may not be able to not laugh out loud,
mainly from the curious aspects in the dialog, other times from the
quality of the acting, especially from Ray Liotta, and Gene Hackman,
both marks of the confidence ladies played by Sigourney Weaver, and
Jennifer Love Hewitt.

The marketing of the movie is succesful in the sense that the movie
delivers exactly was promised, in terms of comedy, quality acting
from veteran, proven successful actors, that relaxes the audiences,
and leaves them wondering how realistic is the behavior shown on
screen.

The controversial theme has a dual edge to it, with some finding it
objectionable to laugh at dispicable, insidious behavior, which is
the entrapment of single moderately wealthy to rich men, creating
incidents for divorce, and laughing all the way to the bank,
afterwards.

Other behaviors also covered are several examples shown in the
movie, such as freeloading at restaurants, hotel rooms, gas stations,
reinforcing the above analysis.

These pro's are experts in creating totally believable circumstances,
manipulating their mark's thought processes, to forgone conclusions,
which they carry out in public, or even among themselves, quite
surprisingly or not.


The cinematography is not too far from TV-like, but still has the
necessary ingredients to please most audiences, with a nice
wide-screen format, and a momentum that never lets down in terms of
action.

The critics to this movie, as well, may touch also upon the exuberant
youth projected by Hewitt, sometimes excessively so, compromising the
overall project's credibility in terms of acting, but also in terms
of the type of audience this picture will command, probably those
below 17 years of age. This stems from condoning the behavior of the
two ladies. I would not underestimate Hewitt, despite this.

Other questionable, or unnecessary aspects is the excess libido that
is relentlessly demonstrated on screen, suggesting that nobody can
shield themselves from their basic instincts, or avoid being played
on that basis, which is obviously a flawed theory. Some may find
HEARTBREAKERS somewhat sleazy, although the goal is to underline the
comedy aspect, the easy laughs that for some, may find gets old fast
over 90 mins.

Apart from the greed shown, thoughtless adultery is suggested as part
of ladies behavior as a necessary evil in their setups, which may
also be objectionable to some.

The only morality in this story, is Liotta, despite his own mobster
type of persona, vocabulary, mannerisms tells the ladies "Do you have
any idea how much therapy you need ? ", later telling them one thing,
but doing another, when he plays into their hands, as he is
manipulated and capitulates to their domination.

For those who appreciate comedy, even on a difficult theme like this
one, HEARTBREAKERS will win them over, if not for the charisma,
professionalism, and skill brought into the picture by Weaver,
Hewitt, and Hackman. Funny, a riot over 90 mins. June 2, 2007

Doesn't quite get off the ground

This film has its moments, mainly the occasional funny one-liner, but unfortunately it never quite seems to get off the ground. I like all the main actors/actresses, but there's very little on-screen chemistry between them, although they do things to Gene Hackman that you normally don't get to do to him on-screen. The concept of two beautiful, scamming sisters is funny enough, but as I said, the movie just doesn't quite make it work. And Sigourney Weaver's fake Russian accent during part of the movie is as phoney as a two-dollar bill, although I'm a fan of Weaver, who Hollywood never could seem to figure out how to make a lasting star. If you're a fan of Weaver or Hackman (who is good as an eccentric old tobacco billionaire), you'll probably still want to see it, but wait for it to come out on HBO. Actually, the funniest thing was the commentaries on the DVD about how the movie was made. That did provide some comic relief and insight into the movie. May 18, 2006

FUNNY FOR HALF ITS LENGTH, THEN A FOG OF INDECISION

For a chick-flick, the film does well to aim no higher than some shallow raunchy old fun. There is enough air in the beginning romp to draw you in. It is only when you find yourself predicting exact lines and jokes that you begin to wonder if there is much meat left past the first hour.

As the mother in a mother-daughter con-woman pair, Sigourney Weaver is by turns comical and lascivious. Subjective opinion: I found her significantly more fetching than the younger Jennifer Love Hewitt, who is pesky as usual but teenagers and brain candy diehards may find her entertaining in that lightly adoloscent way. Liotta I simply feel sorry for, what a tragic waste of Goodfellas calibre talent. Gene Hackman serves reliably as an aging stumblebum, but gets no more than ten minutes of actual screentime.

The theme has an unmistakable halo of the much sharper Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which leaves one hoping for that clever twist that never quite materializes. Instead the film breaks into a half-bummed pondering of profound issues: the need for the mother to Let Go, the importance of true love that trumps a grifter's dayjob, and suchlike. All of which is ham-handed and tacked on to the last hour in a rush.

At best a fluffy rental for evenings when nothing else is on. Know that you are watching a light chick-flick and you will do fine. April 17, 2006

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