Heartbreaker
- In: Movie Reviews
- By Mariela
Suppose your best friend is about to marry the wrong guy, but she has convinced herself that she's happy with him. What do you do? You call the Heartbreakers, a company in the business of seduction, the best when it comes to breaking up ill-fitting relationships.
Yes, they do split couples for money, but they have principles. For instance, they don't break relationships for religious or racial issues, they take the job only if the woman is unhappy, and the seducer never sleeps with the ladies. Their job is mainly to awaken the women and make them rethink their choice of men.
The Heartbreaker team is comprised of master seducer Alex (Romain Duris), his sister, and her husband; and together, the quirky trio spies on their subject, finds the flaws in the relationship, and develops an elaborate sabotage plan.
This time the assignment is Juliette, the bright, independent, and confident daughter of an overprotective French millionaire. Juliette, played by Vanessa Paradis (Mrs. Johnny Deep), is about to marry a rich, kind, and handsome Brit; and the Heartbreakers have only ten days to convince the strong-willed Juliette to break the engagement. The problem? There seems to be no flaws in the relationship; the couple does look blissfully happy. But the trio is in need of money, so instead of a flaw they find Juliette's weakness: the film "Dirty Dancing."
Filmed against the backdrop of the French Riviera, the cinematography is a delicious treat, but the ingenious script and the spirited performances are the two winning elements of the movie.
Written by Laurent Zeitoun, Jeremy Doner, and Yoann Gromb, the script is a smart hybrid between a romantic comedy and a light spy thriller (think "When Harry Met Sally" meets "Ocean's Eleven.") One thing is for sure: it will have you laughing out loud from beginning to end. And while the finale is somewhat predictable, the twists in the plot will have you wondering how it's all going to unravel.
As far as performances, the suave Duris is superb as he charms the ladies, and he and Paradis show a decent amount of chemistry on screen. The supporting cast is also brilliant, especially Julie Ferrier (who plays Alex's sister) and François Damiens (Alex's brother-in-law).
Don't wait for the American remake; watch this original version, because--like its hero--is stylish, clever, and simply hard-to-resist! It's everything a romantic comedy should be; truly satisfying!
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Starring: Romain Duris, Vanessa Paradis
Director: Pascal Chaumeil
Rating: ****
Genre: Romance, Art House & International, Comedy
