Customer Reviews

Heartbreakers [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This friendship story about two thirtysomething bachelors who have divergent lifestyles comes close to capturing the uncertainity of adulthood. Blue (Peter Coyote)is an artist whose fetish artwork is unappreciated by critics and mainstream audiences. Blue's five year, passionless relationship with his girlfriend suddenely ends. He then directs his energy inward, confined to a rumpled loft where he continues his quest for a gallery show of his work highlighted by paintings of a buxom callgirl named Candy played by Carol Wayne. Blue's best friend Eli, (Nick Mancuso) is a player who is unhappy with his unfulfilling sexual conquests. Eli's discontent broadens when he inherits the family's clothing business when his father suddenly dies. The film centers on a series of relationships that draw and pull apart Blue and Eli. Blue is unsuccessful in his attempt to lure his ex-girlfriend back who has shacked up with a rival artist. Blue is drawn into a sexual encounter with Candy and in the film's most erotic scene, Eli also becomes part of the sexual liason. Eli enters into a relationship with the film's most complex character Lilianne, who happens to be a receptionist at one of the most acclaimed galleries in the city. Lilianne becomes the seductive female force that Eli wants to tame. Her sexual allure drives the two friends apart and her screen time commands attention. The final scene where Blue cries hysterically is an embarrassment and should have been edited and reworked. The director tried too hard to resolve the conflict between the two characters. Sometimes less emotion and few words provide enough of an understanding. Carole Wayne in her final film appearance before her untimely death looks gorgeous. Her ample body is on full display and the director should have expanded her screen time and characterization.

While there are women in this movie and the two main characters have relationships with them, the main theme is the friendship between two men. Peter Coyote plays a starving artist (Arthur Blue) and Nick Mancuso stars as rich kid Eli Kahn who is a successful executive in the garment industry. They are very good friends and you learn how deep their relationship is early in the film. Blue's wife leaves him for a competing artist and he goes to Kahn's upscale house. Kahn is not home, so he climbs the gate and enters via an unlocked door. Kahn returns with his date, manages to get her breasts exposed and is moving in for the score. When he gets his date horizontal, he finds Blue leaning over them. Rather than being furious, Kahn begins a conversation with Blue about his problems. Now that is a close friendship, although it is a little strange when the bare-chested date starts contributing to the discussion.
There is another strange scene in the movie. Carol Wayne, known primarily for her appearances as the tea time movie lady on the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson and the size of her chest, is Blue's model for his latest art work. Blue and Kahn do a threesome with her, and she is really hot. In terms of size and shape, no one has a better chest and she exposes it and does some hot dancing clad only in thong underwear. However, when the two men get her vertical her reaction is that of a confused person. It is almost creepy in how she seems so vacant as the action gets serious. After this, Blue and Kahn go to Blue's artist warehouse and invites Kahn in for a drink. When Kahn declines, Blue tells him how he had a good time that night. It sounded very much like a woman saying goodbye to a man when she does not invite him in.
However, there is a reason for why the relationships are portrayed this way. While the relationship between Blue and Kahn is close, it very co-dependent. Blue has been a failure at an artist and Kahn has been supporting him. They clash over a woman, exposing all of these flaws. Suddenly, Blue is a rousing success and Kahn is jealous. The meet in their favorite diner and for the first time, each expresses how much he hates the other, Blue is jealous of Kahn's wealth and Kahn is jealous of Blue for having a loving relationship. At the end, they hold each other, realizing that their affection for each other is far stronger than their hatred. It is in no way a homosexual relationship, just two guys that are incompetent in their relationships with women. In many ways, they are all each other has in terms of a caring relationship.
This is a movie about dysfunctional relationships. Where other movies have women searching for intimacy, even the female characters in this one have relationship problems. The one woman that Kahn appears to care for will have sex with him in the car, but will not invite him into her home. While the movie has a dark side, it does express many of the complexities of life and is very well worth viewing.

This is a low-key examination of two single men and the conflicts produced by the weaknesses of one of them (Peter Coyote). Coyote is a talented, but minor, painter who is self-absorbed to the point of self-destruction, and who is generally disdainful of the women he beds. He may have met his match in an exotic gallery manager, but his inability to deal maturely with success and women threatens his relationship with his best friend and anchor, Nick Mancuso. Tender moments and resolution keep this movie human and hopeful.

I am a visual Artist and I looked beyond the buddy picture/love triangle part and saw the movie as an inspiration for
Artists and Painters to keep the faith in Art. Most people think an artist's life is all fame and champagne. It's not for a lot of them. I know many who live like unemployed actors. It takes a lot of faith in yourself and in your talent. Give the film a shot for this alone! It is very inspiring and also shows some of the commercialism in the artworld (sadly). It might be considered a small film but then again...Warhol was laughed at even at the time the original soup can show happened....now look at his legacy!

As an Erotic and Fetish artist myself, I was Captured by this movie and it's participants, it was a great Movie, good plot, and very good acting

"Heartbreakers" covers much of the same territory covered 10 years later in "In the Company of Men", but in a much more watchable and sympathetic way. While there are still times that I'd like to slap the lead characters Blue (Peter Coyote) and Eli (Nick Mancuso), they don't make my skin crawl like the guys in ITCM. "Heartbreakers" is more about these best friends breaking each others hearts than about abusing women.

All performances are strong, but I was especially surprised by Nick Mancuso. He's generally a better actor than the films that he's in, but hey, we all gotta eat. Also, this was the last film made by Carol Wayne before her untimely death. She does a fine job in a rare dramatic role. Too bad she'll only be remembered as the "Tea-Time Movie Lady" on the Tonight show.

This movie is very good nd I consider it to be one of the best movies that I have seen in 2001. It is a very comical move with a good plot which keeps you tuned in throughout the whol movie. Jennifer Love Hewitt gives an excellent performance and so does everyone else in thtis movie. It will keep you laughing for hours. If you have been wondering if you should buy it, then stop wondering and go for it! It's worth it