HEARTBREAKERS (2001)

Directed By: David Mirkin 
Written By: Robert Dunn, Paul Guay & Stephen Mazur 
Cinematography By: Dean Semler 
Editor: William Steinkamp 


Cast: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sigourney Weaver, Gene Hackman, Nora Dunn, Ray Liotta, Jason Lee, Sarah Silverman, Ricky Jay, Anne Bancroft, Kevin Nealon, Carrie Fisher, Michael Hitchcock, Jeffrey Jones, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Zach Galifianakis 


Max and Page are a mother and daughter con team. Max seduces wealthy men into marrying her, then Page seduces them into infidelity so Max can rake them over the divorce court coals. And then it's on to the next victim.

One of the better film roles of Jennifer Love Hewitt. Wish it would have Gotten her better roles. As it seems she is more in her element here. As either romantic comedy or just plain old comedy. Here she is riding off the stardom of the horror films she starred in that were surprise hits. This was actually one of the last hit movies she starred in unless you count the GARFIELD movies. She seemed to Star in more family oriented films after awhile. Which seemed to be a choice. As she rarely if ever starred in more adult oriented dramatic roles. As she seemed to not want to get pigeonholed in horror films. 

This film like some of her later TV roles seems to rest on her attractiveness, her cleavage in particular. Though rarely in her actual acting talents. Now of course she is gorgeous, but never quite seemed or really for the roles of femme fatale. Which this time seems to need a bit more of, instead she has the Looks of a bad girl, but you know will have a change of heart.

Gene Hackman is good in his role. This was one of his last screen appearances, but alas it feels like he is slumming for a paycheck and not entirely engaged. Most of the cast feels the same way, except for Ray Liotta who plays his role for all it’s worth and steals the movie. The rest of the cast needs his type of energy. As he plays the character more realistically and menacing. So much that he feels like he came in from another movie.

The film feels like a sitcom from the 80’s or 90’s that you grew up with, funny and good enough at the time that you remember it fondly and then once older and watch it again. It’s not as good as you remember.

The film is watchable but for a movie about con artists. It never feels that smart. Nor does it ever rise to a surprising level with any surprises. Nor any grittiness as it always stays light and clean leaning heavily more to it’s romantic comedy roots. Which really ends up watering down what could have been.

As like Hackman’s performance the film plays more cartoonish then serious.

The film is never quite as sharp or smart as it carries itself. Nor as the lead characters are or seem to be. The film never seems to hit quite as hard as it should. So while it does engage with the audience. It never leaves tot quite as interested or invested as you should be. Especially considering the talent involved it should be more memorable. 

Most of the con’s seem to depend on Hewitt’s sexiness and guys throwing themselves at her. After being denied while romancing Sigourney Weaver’s Character. None this Is believable. Again as at least to me Jennifer Love Hewitt is still one of the most attractive screen actresses of all time. Wish she still worked even if only in the occasional romantic comedy. Which she seemed to be aiming for. Though she and Sigourney weaver were not the original choices. As the film was almost first made in 1998 directed by Doug Liman (GO!) with Cher in Sigourney weaver’s role and Alicia Silverstone in hewitt’s after Jennifer Aniston turned down the role. Others considered for the roles were Alyssa Milano, Cameron Diaz, Sarah Michelle Gellar for the daughter and Glenn Close, Cathy Moriarty and Anjelica Huston as well as at one point Aaliyah with Whitney Houston

The material needs to be a but more cynical like how the characters and the material is at the beginning of the film. So that it could infect the other characters. Instead the leads and move become more lightened pretty much for. The beginning of the scandals and all the other characters are already there.

As soon as Gene Hackman comes into the film with his comedic portrayal the film soon follows. It also seems ridiculous that sex is he line the con-artists seem to refuse to cross. As desire and getting caught in the middle but right before seems to be their main long game goals in cons. Though makes the film seem juvenile actually and far fetched, but ok for the film. The film tries to be more of an updated female take on DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS

Grade: C+