Heartbreakers *** (2001, Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Gene Hackman) – Classic Movie Review 1716

Director David Mirkin’s 2001 movie stars Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt as Max and Page Conners, a mother and daughter who pair up as con team to swindle rich bachelors out of their fortunes, using their feminine wicked wiles. Max seduces wealthy men into marrying her and then Page seduces them so they’re unfaithful and Max can take them to the cleaners in the divorce court.

Written by Robert Dunn and Paul Guay, this is a solid, occasionally sparkling but overlong and sometimes clumsy black comedy. It must be counted a near miss, though it’s still enjoyable and Weaver and Ray Liotta as one of her targets who comes back to haunt her are super. And Gene Hackman is hilarious as a chain-smoking would-be victim.

Alas, though, the excellent Jason Lee can’t make much of the grotty, conventional romantic stuff to do as Hewitt’s love interest. The notable cast also includes Anne Bancroft, Jeffrey Jones, Nora Dunn, Julia Oscar Mechoso, Ricky Jay, Sarah Silverman and Zach Galifianakis (in his third film).

Danny Elfman wrote the theme music only and the rest of the jaunty score is by John Debney.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1716

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