Heartburn: 'Play by Heart' and Lose

PLAYING BY HEART

Directed by Willard Carroll

Starring Sean Connery, Angelina Jolie,

Gillian Anderson, Ryan Phillipe

On Valentine's Day, even the most frigid hearts of men and women turn to fancy when affairs of love and crass commercialism embrace in whirlwind of red and pink, of flowers and diamonds, of greeting cards and candy hearts. It is a time when soul mates rejoice and starcrossed lovers lament. On such a day, what do lovers do? Enjoy a quiet evening by the fireplace? Take a ride in a horsedrawn carriage? Dine in a five-star restaurant?

Of course not! Hollywood expects us to resist the urge to express sincere feeling for or exchange passionate vows with a loved one; instead, we are supposed to immerse ourselves in the sappy melodrama of Playing by Heart, a film that explores the superficial relationships of photogenic Los Angelinos looking for love in all the wrong place. Playing by Heart does not just serve up a single silly, teary-eyed plot that is drawn out over an hour and half. Rather, you get six sappy stories of seemingly unrelated couples that are murderously extended for two full hours, a great deal at $7.50 a ticket with no strings attached. What more could two unambitious lovebirds possibly ask for on the most amorous day of the years?

Playing by Heart has plenty of potential and merit as long as you skip the movie and just watch the trailer. The cast is very talented, sporting names such as Sean Connery, Gena Rowlands, Jon Stewart, Gillian Anderson, Dennis Quaid, Anthony Edwards, Angelina Jolie and Ryan Phillipe. Producers must have expected that an ensemble of such famous actors would draw the crowds, although if often seems quite ridiculous that some of these beautiful people have not found dates in years. Also, the trailer displays every laugh-out-loud moment found in this romantic comedy in less than five minutes, a time span much more endurable than the full two hours of the feature presentation.

The poorly scripted, quasi-interwoven story is almost as confusing as it is melodramatic, particularly when improbable, Dickensian coincidences and secret character connections begin to surface after the 90-minute mark. The characters are developed only enough to continue the simplistic plots, leaving little desire to empathize with them. In a movie devoted to the pain and pleasure associated with love, an emotional connection between the audience and the characters must be established and strengthened throughout the film. But the multiple jumpy, unrelated stories show only brief glimpses into the relationships, which prevents viewers from ever becoming involved in the amorous affairs.

Playing by Heart often feels like a high-budget soap opera, with so many characters and thin, unoriginal dialogue. Each relationship is basically stereotypical, with some clever little twists sprinkled in from time to time. There are so many names and details to remember that the director often provides scenes that reiterate redundant plot developments for the less observant or the temporarily narcoleptic viewer. First, there are Paul (Connery) and Hannah (Rowlands), as older married couple experiencing conflict on the eve of the reconfirmation of their wedding vows. Trent (Stewart) is a slick lawyer pursuing Meredith (Anderson), a neurotic theater director. Strangely, these two seem to be the only characters that work at anything other than finding their true love. Mildred (Ellen Burstyn) bonds with her son (Jay Mohr) on his deathbed, where they exchange long-concealed secrets. Gracie (Madeleine Stowe) pursues an adulterous, purely sexual relationship with Roger (Edwards), a no-strings-attached acquaintance with an ironic occupation. The most compelling story involves Hugh (Quaid), a character who wanders through various bars and restaurants telling pathetic, and each time different, sob stories to the people he meets. Finally, the night club atmosphere is the setting for love between the obnoxious, talkative Joan (Jolie) and the quiet, mysterious Keenan (Philippe).

The director deals with one aspect of the multiple mini-plots very well. The issue of introducing each character's name and personality presents a promising opening to the film. Carroll throws the personas at the audience in a whirlwind of brief conversations and interactions for each character clinched with their written name appearing on the screen. It is obvious that the director understood the confusion that could result from a menagerie of seemingly unrelated stories and effectively compensates with the introduction. Unfortunately, this only keeps the knotted plot untangled momentarily, as you quickly become mired in the intrinsic flaws associated with staggered storytelling. Playing by Heart has a great cast and some potential, but the sappy melodrama and scarcity of truly humorous moments leave much to be desired. This is one Valentine's Day dud that deserved to flop.