How much do you really know about your girlfriend? (Heartbreakers (DVD))

Member Name: kitten26

Product:	Heartbreakers (DVD)
Date:	15/02/09 (101 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great dialogue, stories and performances. Amazing costumes.Sigourney Weaver.

Disadvantages: Not for everyone, occaisional predictibility

This is one of my all time favourite films, I saw it for the first time at the cinema over seven years ago and I still enjoy it as much now as I did on the first viewing.

My synopsis will be very brief as I cannot say much without giving away too much of the story and unravelling the narrative is certainly a large part of this films enjoyment. Mother (Sigourney Weaver) and Daughter (Jennifer Love-Hewitt) are two con artists who persuade men to marry them in a short space of time. After an uneventful wedding night the man is presented with the potential for an extra-marital affair that is discovered by the wife. She then divorces him taking half his assets. Quite unfair to the man you may be thinking, but then again... he shouldn't be cheating on his wife!

I won't reveal anymore of the narrative but this is a thoroughly entertaining story that will keep you entertained for a long time. So aside from narrative; what else is good about this film? Well to start with a fantastic star-studded cast, with excellent performances from all, in particular Sigourney Weaver!!!!

Sigourney Weaver is wonderful in this film, she is the perfect lady. She demonstrates grace, poise, intelligence and she is very attractive. There is a wonderful contrast created between the mother and daughter in both personality and looks. In one particularly notable scene, mother Max lectures Paige on the dangers of smoking and red meat. Paige is eating a bloody meal while Max dines on a healthy fruit and veg dish. This contrast is often reflected in food such as their later ice cream dishes. This small touches work so well to convey their different personalities and to also highlight the strong maternal bond between them.

Costume is such a huge part of this film. Sigourney Weaver's outfits are designed by Ann Roth, who the actress personally chose for this film. Not only are they very flattering, but they reflect so much of her charm and personality. The costumes make it easy to understand why the men who fall for Max find her so irresistible. The change is costume is also important to distinguish between Max and Paiges' different identities as wigs and outfits are clear determiners of the new 'characters'. I wish i could find wigs like this because they look very great!

Sigourney Weaver is amazing, but the rest of the cast also adds a lot to this film. Ray Liotta is terrific as Dean Cumano as is Gene Hackman as William B. Tenzies. The film takes these two well-known actors out of their standard genres and places them in unknown territory. This creates a whole new level of comedy in the film as you're seeing these actors in unexpected situations. This makes what happens to them even funnier as it is such a difference to what you are used to. I think one of the reasons this film works so well is that it feels as though the actors had a good time making it which makes it more fun for the audience. Anne Bancroft is also a welcome sight in this film and her character is particularly interesting... although I can't reveal too much!

Jennifer Love-Hewitt is very sweet as Paige and there is a lovely connection between her and Sigourney Weaver, there is a really believable mother/daughter relationship between them. All of the relationships in the film work very well which is so important because it makes the film a lot more interesting for the audience. A lot of chick flicks I have seen suffer heavily through a severe lack of chemistry between characters but that is certainly not an issue here. The relationships are believable and the dialogue is easily exchanged between them.

Speaking of dialogue, this film is very well-written with some lovely one liners coming at very unexpected moments. While the film does set up plot points within the narrative, a lot of what happens comes as a complete surprise. I think you can predict some things, but I don't think the story is at all dull or tiresome.

The majority of the film is set in Palm beach, Florida. Location is an important aspect of this film and creates some lovely narrative moments. Some of the locations are absolutely gorgeous. Particularly the hotel they stay in!

I've said a lot about why I enjoyed this film, and I definitely would recommend this to watch! But of course, no film is perfect. This is a chick flick. I think because it is very funny it can be enjoyed by male audiences too but it is largely aimed at women. There were a few characters I found semi-annoying but they do work within the film, I think the housekeeper, in particular was a bit of a pain.

Also, this probably isn't the most politically correct film. I wasn't sure if it was celebrating female independence or just showing women as taking advantage of overly trusting men. There is an interesting debate here as the film leaves you thinking about whether or not the women are justified in their actions. Taking advantage of men is definitely wrong, they are con artists and they go into these relationships with the full intention of using and abusing them. At the same time, the men don't have to cheat, that is their choice so they are also in the wrong.

I really enjoy this film every time I watch it. I think it has a gorgeous aesthetic, particularly in its locations and costumes. I really enjoy the performances from the cast, especially the wonderful Sigourny Weaver. It's far more interesting than the standard chick flick and is also a lot more thought provoking. This is a film that I can watch over and over again and it still has a lot of comedy values. There are a lot of memorable narrative moments and lines of dialogue that makes for a really fun, interesting story.

Summary: A film that never gets old for me