Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply Her Best!, October 28, 2005
This movie blew me away. I either like a movie, or I don't, but I never spend hours obsessing over a story... I obsessed over this one. I thought it was going to be a movie along the same lines as 'The Truth About Cats & Dogs' (which I really liked), but I was way off the mark. Once 'Sweethearts' was over, I hit rewind and watched it again. When it ended, I made my husband watch it with me. He hit rewind and watched it again. It is such a thought-provoking story, a true antithesis of the basic Hollywood romantic comedy. The foundation of the story, the relationship that develops, is beautiful because it doesn't sugar-coat anything. Janeane's performance is flawless, and you feel each moment with her. The ending is gut-wrenching, but is integral to the story... If it were changed to match the banality of the "Hollywood Ending", the movie would suffer greatly. Do yourself a favor and buy (or at least rent!) this movie. After being a rare item for almost eight years, it is finally available on DVD. Margaret Cho and Mitch Rouse are wonderful, as well.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
the antidote to vapid romantic comedy, June 29, 2005
When I 1st rented this, it was due entirely to Janeane Garofalo being in it ( I'd watch her read the paper ) & what seemed like an interesting, off-beat story idea. It is the only movie that has given her enough substance to really sink her teeth into on screen & a pleasant suprise for those who like their entertainment dark & complicated.
The Set-up : An average guy ( Mitch Rouse ) places a personal ad. A gal responds ( Jeanane Garofalo ) & what results is the 'blind date from hell' including a gun, a hostage & a caustic bartender ( Margaret Cho ).
What transpires feels almost like a play, sparse and character driven. There is some comedy ( low key ) and romance ( unexpected ), but what really makes this stand out is some dark, intense, emotional scenes that don't pull their punches & an ending that avoids tidy completion in favor of ambiguous thought provocation.
Kudos to Aleks Horvat who has writing / directing / producing credits - he really went out of his way to create something different without insulting anyone's intelligence, & Jeanene Garofalo, for giving what has to be one of her finest performances.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Janeane Garofalo's best performance, January 21, 2006
Sweethearts is worth seeing for one reason-Janeane Garofalo (she also co-produced the film). She gives her best performance of her career. She plays a complicated, very emotional woman (not unlike herself) who is looking for a companion for what may be her last night on Earth, as she says she wants to commit suicide. She may be looking for someone to save her, or maybe not. Janeane's performance is a tour-de-force of all human emotions, and it's quite remarkable. She shows depth and substance that was indeed very rarely shown in the "ironic" 1990's. Much of Janeane's film work is awful, which is really a shame, as she actually has talent (which is on vivid display here). I never understood why she became a comic, as she has a very serious and intelligent side to her. Comics have great difficulty in taking anything serious, and are, more often than not, not particularly bright (except for the great ones, like Lenny Bruce, Bill Hicks, Richard Pryor, Rodney Dangerfield, etc., etc). Luckily, Janeane got into acting, which is where she belongs. This woman can act if she's just given the right material. Too often she chooses horrible projects (like some horrible made for TV movies and TV shows past their prime, like The West Wing and 24). One feels there's a huge low self esteem issue in her, a real one, that she feels she can't really do anything too complex. I say BS.
Unfortunately, the film itself is a little sloppy at times, and the lead actor (Mitch Rouse) is barely adequate. His performance is very weak, especially when compared to the magnificence of Janeane's performance, and it subsequently drags the film down. The comic relief of Margaret Cho and Bobcat Goldwaith is out of place as well. For some reason, the film never made it to theaters, and was released directly to video around 1998. Luckily, it's on DVD now. While the film itself isn't perfect, Garofalo's performance is really something to behold....
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