HEARTBREAKERS

USA, 2001, 124 minutes, Colour.
Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ray Liotta, Jason Lee, Gene Hackman, Anne Bancroft, Nora Dunn.
Directed by David Merkin.

Heartbreakers is an entertaining comedy, a focus on two women, a mother and daughter, and their ability as confidence tricksters. Sigourney Weaver in the mother. Jennifer Love Hewitt is the daughter. The film also focuses on the rivalry between the two women, trying to outdo each other in the confidence stakes.

The setting is Florida, the easy pickings amongst the men who have more money than sense. However, Jason Lee is a young man who genuinely falls in love with the daughter and precipitates a crisis.

However, the film is stolen in a cameo appearance by Gene Hackman as a smoking executive. If ever there was a comedy in somebody suffering (but enjoying it) the effects of smoking, it is Hackman in this performance. An entertaining light comedy.

1. A popular and light entertainment, romance, confidence fraud? An entertaining and humorous combination of both themes?

2. The title and its reference to Max and to Paige, their relationships, marriages, breaking up marriages? Their actually falling in love?

3. The New Jersey opening, the contrast with Florida, Palm Beach and its affluence, the water, mansions? The affluent setting for confidence tricks? The range of songs used in the background, the commentary of the songs on characters and actions? Musical score?

4. The opening with the wedding, Max and her devotion, Dean and his enthusiasm, the ceremony, the celebration afterwards, the dancing together, Max dancing with all and sundry, Dean weary? The wedding night, her going to sleep? The next morning, Dean sitting there, waiting, Max pretending to be sick? Dean and his frustration, going to work, Wendy in her short dress, the temptation, his succumbing, his being caught? The divorce settlement and his being taken to the cleaners?

5. Max and Paige as mother and daughter? Their plans, getting the money from Dean? The continuous comparisons between generations, shrewdness and experience? Max and her dominating of her daughter, not wanting to let her go? Paige as wanting to do the last trick, go out on her own? The background of her mother's pregnancy, the absence of her father, her mother's resentment towards men? Paige suspicious of men?

6. The IRS, Mrs Vogel and her pressure, forcing Paige to do another confidence fraud? Her demands to go to Palm Beach? The bet as to who could get the client to give them the drink first and the various devices of coughing, sore throats etc? Max winning?

7. The various tricks that they used for not paying bills water on the floor and slipping, pretending injury? The hotel management and their trying to do everything to pacify the guests? Putting glass in the meal and not having to pay at the restaurant? (And Mrs Vogel later doing the same trick?)

8. Surveying the field from the boat, the doctor and his being a mother's boy, Max's attempt to flirt with him, his being injured and seeking his mother's help? Mr Tensie and his tobacco fortune? Paige and her being part of the set up
in order to lure Mr Tensie into the trap?

9. Gene Hackman's comic turn as Mr Tensie, the smoking, his make up and face, his coughing and spluttering, his wealth, his statements about the anti smoking conspiracy? His being attracted towards Max, her pretending to be Olga, the encounter, at the restaurant, her winging her way with pretending to understand Russian and paying off the waiter? Their outings, golf, her pretending that she had to be expatriated, his proposing, her acceptance? The marriage and kissing him with the smoke? Tensie as a character, his relationship with his Mrs Danvers like housekeeper, her threats to Max, Max threatening her and winning by the planting of the gift and the jewellery? Introducing Paige as the potential housekeeper?

10. Paige and the chance encounter with Jack, waiting, thinking he was the bartender and being rude to him, discovering that he was wealthy? The comedy of their encounters and his attraction towards her, her being on again, off again and disappearing? Her pretending that she was an environmentalist, stuck in the mud, his getting her to watch the stars and the skies? The confusion in herself? On the beach, happy with him? The proposal?

11. The character of Mr Tensie's housekeeper, her being on to Max, threatening her, losing out and being arrested?

12. The growing complications: Dean and his Mafia connections, dismantling cars? His still being attracted to Max (thinking she was Angela)? His tracking her down, arriving at the hotel just at the wrong moment? His discovery of the truth, her tricking him? His gradually being drawn into the plan, his
collaboration?

13. Tensie and his collapse, what to do with the corpse? The background humour of the statue, Max inadvertently buying it at the auction, the breakage, its being restored by Tensie, in the apartment? Their dropping Tensie from the balcony? Getting him into the car and getting rid of him?

14. Paige and her discovering that Jack didn't have any more money? Being in two minds, her mother spying on her? Her decision then to participate in the trick? The wedding, Max and her trying to seduce Jack, the appearances, his giving everything to Paige in the settlement? Max having a change of heart, telling the truth about Jack and his integrity, the happy ending?

15. Max and Dean, working together, liking each other, marrying again? Participation in the tricking of Paige? Happy at the reconciliation?

16. Ray and his becoming a confidence man, tricking Mrs Vogel?

17. The humour of the screenplay, the strength of the screen presence of the cast and their characterisations to give the film more foundation than it otherwise might have?