Heartbreakers

“Heartbreakers” is a film that attempts to pay homage to the many con films of yesteryear, but unfortunately has to do so with a plot laced with immoral behavior that largely drowns out the somewhat off-base moral message its ending tries to convey. Some of its “heart” is in the right place, but it misses the mark overall.

The film tells of Paige (Hewitt) and her mother (Weaver), one of the slickest (or only) mother-daughter con teams in America. The two travel the country with the same scam—mother romances and quickly marries a well-to-do man, while daughter (in disguise) then quickly seduces said man into comitting adultery. Mother then catches her new husband in the act of cheating and collects a fat divorce settlement. Busted by the IRS for tax fraud, Paige and Mom have to pull off one final con to pay them off, while Paige wants to start conning on her own—Mom is not thrilled by this idea, convinced Paige will fall for some “hunk” and end up a single mother just like she was years earlier. Paige and Mom try the con on unsuspecting tobacco magnate Gene Hackman, but complications and “laughs” ensue when

Mom’s last ex (Liotta) shows up begging to be taken back. Also complicating matters, Paige falls for a local bar owner she is trying to con on the side. In the end, everyone winds up (supposedly) happy and everything works out for the best (maybe). “Heartbreakers” was obviously meant to be a laugh-filled comedy of errors with a clever plot that keeps you guessing, and it succeeds to a point. The story kept me interested with lots of twists and turns, though it’s hard to root for any of the characters, since they are all immersed in immoral lifestyles.

In addition, “Heartbreakers” is filled with sin up to its gills—lying, cheating, and stealing abound, not to mention Weaver and Hewitt spend just about every scene in scantily clad outfits. If seeing women’s cleavage offends you, stay away—it’s in every scene. There is a message about letting your children go and the film does paint the con’s life in a somewhat negative light, but real conning is nothing to laugh at.