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Playing By Heart [1999]


RRP: £14.99
Our Price: £3.42 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Playing by Heart is an amiably amorphous comedy-drama about a myriad of articulate and witty people pondering the meaning of love. It was originally titled Dancing About Architecture, since, as one of the lovelorn puts it in trying to explain the elusive nature of desire, "Talking about love is like dancing about architecture". However, with the way the characters in Willard Carroll's film talk, it sounds like they could dance a samba around Frank Lloyd Wright. This undiscovered gem doesn't have a particular destination in mind, as it weaves in and out of the stories of its high-profile ensemble, but it does offer some hilarious, sharp dialogue and quiet surprises.

Carroll focuses his film on four couples, all in one way or another battling with the problems of relationships, ranging from long-marrieds (Gena Rowlands and Sean Connery) to Gen-X club-hoppers (Angelina Jolie and Ryan Phillippe). Ostensibly, part of the film is invested in the mystery of how all these characters are interrelated, but keen viewers will be able to discern the connections among them all. It's the uniformly excellent performances, though, that make Playing by Heart compulsively watchable. Most striking, surprisingly enough, are Jolie and Phillippe, the youngest members of the cast who reveal heretofore hidden depths of talent. Jolie in particular increases her already-soaring stock as an actress. Equally impressive are Gillian Anderson and Jon Stewart, who transcend their yuppie personas in their awkward enactment of the timeless dating rituals. Other cast members, including Dennis Quaid, Anthony Edwards, Ellen Burstyn, Jay Mohr and the always-luminous Madeleine Stowe, are quite good, though saddled with story lines that are occasionally less than compelling. The only complaint you'll have is that once everyone's connections are revealed, you'll wish this cast had more of an opportunity to interact. The journey toward the film's bittersweet end, however, is marvellous in and of itself. --Mark Englehart, Amazon.com


A GOOD Chick Flick...? Eh?
Review date: 2008-02-02 Rating: 8 out of 10

I wondered what made such a superb ensemble appear together in a single movie. Sean Connery, Gena Rowlands, Madeleine Stowe, Dennis Quaid, Angelina Jolie... the list goes on and on, and I'm counting several Oscar winners and nominees. What made them all come together; money? Hardly. After watching the movie, I came to the conclusion that all these guys must have agreed to do this because the script is excellent. Good actors like to play interesting roles in good movies; it must be that simple.

To be honest, I only watched this because I saw Connery's name on the board. I was amazed. I really HATE "chick flicks", and there's a lot of talk about love and life and that sort of thing here... it's a movie made for girls, no less. So what made me like it?

1. The acting is first-rate. Jolie did this only the year before her acclaimed Oscar-winning performance in "Girl, interrupted", and you get the feeling here that she's really getting warmed up. Some times you can't help but think of such shallow roles as Lara Croft or Sara Wayland from "Gone in 60 seconds", but this performance reminds you that she's actually a talented actress. Sean Connery is flawless, of course, and his dialogues with double Oscar nominee Gena Rowland are both deep and interesting. Normally, while your girlfriend cries during scenes such as these, a normal guy is bored stiff. Not so, here, for some reason; it never gets to that point. And how about Gillian Anderson playing against "A daily show" Jon Stewart? Then there's Ryan Phillippe, Jay Mohr, Anthony Edwards... people you'd almost expect to make a mess of it all. What would you say if I told you Phillippe is actually good in this movie? Incredible, isn't it?

2. The plot is very tidy; the one objection I have is that things are some times moving forward a bit fast. You feel like you've landed in the middle of a story which you should have heard from the beginning. Yet, if you've ANY sort of reasoning mind, you'll soon put things together and find out what is going on. The movie is jumping from one story line to another, and at times it seems you're watching two different films. Still, if you pay attention to the language used and to the things that happen in the background, you begin to understand that everything is connected. How, for instance, do three people who are seemingly not connected, all use the term "anger ball"? The five major story lines are tied together near the end and everything makes sense.

If you're looking for a movie to watch with your girlfriend, look no further. This will keep her more than happy, and you won't be wanting to gouge your eyes out to somehow end the boredom. It's really survivable, and you won't be sorry you watched it. As for the girls, this film is about life, love and people - and it's a really well-built story played out by excellent actors. Enjoy.

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Reviews


its all about love be it new or old, dead or alive....
Review date: 2006-04-21 Rating: 8 out of 10

An interesting movie that takes us through several different relationships as individual stories only to tie all the characters together piece by piece.

Joan (Angelina Jolie) is an aspiring actress who has just come out of a relationship that ended badly and finds herself falling for a guy she meets in a club (Ryan Phillipe) who says he 'does not date' and keeps brushing her off. She tries everything but he remains aloof...

Meredith (Gillian Anderson) is a play writer who has been burned one too many times and cannot see a future in any relationship. A pessimist inside and out she meets an architect who threatens to make it behind her walls which terrifies her causing her to push him away even harder.

Gracie is having an affair with a man about whom she knows nothing. To her that is the beauty of it. They come into the room without baggage and leave without any either. But why is she doing it? And what does her hubby know?

Paul (Sean Connery) and Hannah are a couple who have survived the decades only to find out that Paul has a brain tumour. Hannah finds a picture of another woman (who she is sure he had an affair with years ago) in his desk and delves into the past asking him for the truth. It leads to a very sticky situation and shows that even 40yr old marraiges have there problems but you just have to wade through it.

These are the main characters but there are a few more stories running alongside these ones. Its not all happy and wonderful and there are a few tear jerking scenes as is the way in real life...

A good movie, with an excellent cast and some fine acting. Worth watching. Im just not sure if its worth purchasing the dvd! There are no special features (unless u count subtitles!!!) and all you get is the movie really.
Maybe one to rent....?

Warmly involving drama of lost and found love
Review date: 2006-03-22 Rating: 8 out of 10

The film revolves around four relationships, all given roughly the same amount of screen time, and all dealing with the problems of relationships in contrasting ways.

The older generation are represented by Paul (Sean Connery) and Hannah (Gena Rowlands) squabbling about a love affair Paul had twenty five years ago as they approach their fortieth wedding anniversary. It is a pleasure to see Connery acting a part and not playing himself as so often happens.

Two of the couples Joan (Jolie) and Keenan (Phillip), Meredith (Anderson) and Trent (Stewart) are trying to recover from the trauma of failed relationships, Gracie (Stowe) and Roger (Edwards) are cheating on each other, and mother love comes in the form of Mildred (Burstyn) whose gay son Mark (Mohr) is dying of AIDs. There are also other occasional characters that slightly confuse the plot with other problems.

This is a well acted, well directed film, moving and warmly involving, and arriving at a feel good but not sentimental ending that makes for a very satisfying evenings viewing.

Timeless classic...
Review date: 2006-02-17 Rating: 10 out of 10

This film delves into the range of relationships that people can have today. It examines the mother/son relationship, the family relationship and a range of others yet presents problems that people may not have suffered from a 100 years ago. Over the course of several evenings, this film follows the lives of the protagonists as they learn and play with new feelings and situations that may be uncomfortable at times but they overcome their fears in the end. This film is well worth a watch and then you will fall in love with it like i did.

Very Touching!
Review date: 2003-11-22 Rating: 10 out of 10

That's a great movie. It deals mainly with the unpleasant situations that can arise in a couple's relationship. It makes you feel good knowing that it's not the end of the world if something goes wrong sometime... We are humans afterall!
Lots of great actors and great perfomances. I liked it and I recommend it!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Ellen Burstyn
Gillian Anderson
Anthony Edwards
Sean Connery
Angelina Jolie

Creators:
Gillian Anderson (Primary Contributor)
Ellen Burstyn (Primary Contributor)
Willard Carroll (Writer)
Bob Weinstein (Producer)
David Witz (Producer)
Guy East (Producer)
Harvey Weinstein (Producer)
Kacy Andrews (Producer)
Kurt Albrecht (Producer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm
EAN: 5017188884341
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2006-06-15
Number of discs: 1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 116 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2000-06-29
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: German (Original Language)

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