 Movie
Reviews
with Evelyn Gough.
Heartbreakers (M)
Directed by David Mirkin
 Half-hearted: Jason Lee and Jennifer Love-Hewitt in Heartbreakers.
Despite talented actors like Sigourney Weaver, Gene Hackman and Ray Liotta, the most eye-popping and memorable performance in this latest film by the makers of Romy and Michele's High School Reunion comes from Jennifer Love-Hewitt's breasts!
Talk about scene stealers! (Apologies to regular readers, I must stop looking at movies through the eyes of 16-year-old boys…)
In Heartbreakers Sigourney and Jennifer star as a mother and daughter con team whose major scam involves a wealthy sucker, seduction, marriage, adultery and a quick divorce with a large financial settlement. These girls are tough, forget heartbreakers – ballbreakers is a more apt title.
When marriage number 13 to a small time crook (Ray Liotta) is over in less than 24 hours Max (Weaver) and Page (Hewitt) head for Palm Beach and richer pickings. But there is division amongst the ranks. Page wants to go solo, much to her mother's horror. Plus they have the IRS on their backs, a pissed off ex-husband with a gun wants his Mercedes back and most dangerous of all, Cupid's arrow is about to strike! (The biggest no-no in the amoral world of the con artist).
While all the performances are excellent, (my favourite being Gene Hackman as tobacco tycoon William B Tensy) Heartbreakers just misses out.
The screenwriters obviously had a dilemma – play it for maximum laughs with an over-the-top comedy along the lines of a female version of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels or go for the dramatic, gritty angle. Unable to decide they opted for an amalgamation and while it almost works, the tone of the film is a little uneven. I would have preferred more jokes and less cleavage and angst.
There are some genuinely funny scenes and watching the extremely talented Weaver, not to mention Gene Hackman ham it up is a delight. But at just over two hours long Heartbreakers begins to drag. Next up, Page needs to marry a decent film editor to save the rest of us being conned
Rating: 3 stars
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