Rated PG-13 - Running Time: 2:03 - Released 3/23/01
HEARTBREAKERS
Rated PG-13 - Running Time: 2:03 - Released 3/23/01
I must say this film exceeded my expectations. Heartbreakers,
a silly comedy directed by David Mirkin (Romy and Michele's
High School Reunion), while not a monumental icon of filmmaking,
generally hits its mark thanks to a clever script and a cast with
the ability to deliver the goods. Penned by Robert Dunn, Paul
Guay, and Stephen Mazur (the latter two of which worked together
on 1997's Liar Liar, among others), the story involves
a mother/daughter con team who have made a career out of seducing
wealthy men. Its surprisingly matched leading performers, Sigourney
Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt, work well together, and their
virtually all-male supporting cast, including Ray Liotta, Gene
Hackman, and Jason Lee, flesh out the story in vastly differing
roles.
The film begins during the wedding of auto dealership owner
and known womanizer Dean Cumanno (Liotta) and his lovely new girlfriend
Max (Weaver). After an uneventful wedding night (she falls asleep
from too much champagne), he returns to work the next day terribly
frustrated, only to be seduced by his sexy new secretary, Page
(Hewitt). When Max comes in unexpected and finds the two in a
compromising position, she sues for divorce, getting half of Dean's
fortune in the settlement. Only then do we discover that Max and
Page are working together, a mother and daughter who have perfected
the con to a fine art. But just as Page, who is sick of her mother's
domineering ways, decides to strike out on her own, the two are
approached by an IRS agent (Anne Bancroft) saying that they owe
nearly $250,000 in back taxes. They decide to stay together for
"one big final score" to pay off the debt before Page
leaves the nest.
The mark is Palm Beach billionaire tobacco baron William B.
Tensy (Hackman), a crochety old man whose smoking practically
has him in the grave already. Although Page reluctantly agrees
to participate in the scam, she also becomes intrigued by a down-to-earth
bar owner named Jack (Lee), who apparently has a $3 million offer
to buy his establishment. As the scam on Tensy progresses, Page
attempts to prove her ability to work alone by conning Jack, although
Max worries that she'll become romantically involved. Soon the
two cons become intertwined, and emotions begin to get in the
way.
I have never seen Jennifer Love Hewitt in anything but the
I (Still)
Know What You Did Last Summer
series, and I am pleasantly surprised by her talent as a comedienne.
She is sensitive in the more serious scenes, but she also has
the timing and delivery to support this film's clever comedic
script. Weaver, not quite as believable, has her moments, especially
when she dons a terrible Russian accent. Hackman and Liotta, who
reappears later in the film, are quite amusing also. Not since
My Cousin Vinny have I seen such an insubstantial comedy
with such a dazzling variety of costumes; Hewitt and Weaver go
through the clothes like fashion models on the runway, and they
both look great.
Heartbreakers is no masterpiece, but it offers some funny moments and some good performances by actors generally accustomed to other types of roles. It might be better to wait for the rental, though, when you can go to the kitchen for a snack during the dumb parts and rewind to watch anything funny you may have missed. ***½