Heartbreakers (2001): Shenanigans in Short Skirts (Heartbreakers (DVD))

Member Name: ross1979

Product:	Heartbreakers (DVD)
Date:	24/08/01 (130 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Short Skirts and low-cut tops, Some good laughs, Interesting plot

Disadvantages: A little silly, Not hilarious

I couldn't find a category for this one on dooyoo, so by writing this I am suggesting that there could be one created. This film is one of this year's better comedies and worthy of a little attention!

'Heartbreakers' is a light-hearted American comedy about a mother and daughter con team who regularly prey on unsuspecting men to swindle enough money to fund their luxurious lifestyle. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sigourney Weaver play the terrible twosome. They seduce their men by wearing dresses which barely cover what needs to be covered and low-cut tops which leave nothing to the imagination. But thats not the only reason you should watch it (!), there a few decent laughs and a fairly gripping story in there as well.

Their game is simple - Max (Weaver) seduces and marries rich men before Page (Hewitt) tempts them to cheat on their new wife, after which there is a large divorce settlement. Max's latest victim is a dodgy chop-shop owner Dean (Ray Liotta), who finds Page's seductive charms irresistable.

Weaver, Hewitt and Liotta all put a great deal of effort into these characters to inject some life into the film. However, the real fun starts when old favourite Gene Hackman enters as William B. Tensy, a tobacco giant who spends his life chain-smoking at his luxury home on Palm Beach, Florida with his dragon of a housekeeper (Nora Dunn). He wants everyone to take up his disgusting habit, despite the fact he can hardly walk down the street without falling over in a coughing fit. He says 'once nine and ten year old kids get over the vomiting, they cant get enough of the stuff!'

Max moves into Tensy's life and attempts to improve on her 'record' of how long it takes for her to marry her victims. Weaver approaches Tensy as a wealthy Russion lady at an auction when she bids for a naked statue. However, when she is called up onstage at a Russian resteraunt, she runs into problem
s. Her response to this emergency is superb, and got the majority of the audience at this preview chuckling. There is also an amusing incident which ends their relationship with the aforementioned statue!!

But meanwhile there is a problem, Page is forming a relationship with Jack (Jason Lee) who is the owner of a Palm Beach Bar. She sets out trying to con him, but (somewhat inevitably) ends up falling in love with him. You could see this happening a mile off - but with her mother desperately trying to keep her away from developing feelings for him, it becomes a very up-and-down romance.

So that is the basic plot, without giving away too much since I do think it is worth watching. The direction was by David Mirki, who is known for charming romantic comedies such as 'Romy and Michele's High School Reunion' (1997). You would struggle to describe this comedy, with all the manipulation and greed, as charming. It also appears a little dragged out in places making the gags a little erratic.

However, with such disastrous state-side efforts this year as 'Say it isn't So', this film is quite clever and certainly delivers enough laughs to leave you fairly satisfied that you havent wasted your money at the cinema this time. This has been a rarity this year!

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