"'Heart' Warming"
by Scott Mantz

"Heartbreakers"
Jennifer Love Hewitt,
Sigourney Weaver
Directed by David Mirkin

The scam's the thing for Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sigourney Weaver in "Heartbreakers"

If an alien from another planet came to earth looking for the perfect human female, there's no contest as to who it should be--Jennifer Love Hewitt. Let's face it--on a scale of 1 to 10, she's an 87 (and I'm not even talking about her acting abilities)! No, this is not some lame pitch for a sequel to the box office dud "What Planet Are You From?" I'm just trying to make a point.

After years of being known as one of the clean cut kids from TV's "Party of Five," Hewitt finally makes the most of her nice (ahem) assets in "Heartbreakers." The same goes for Sigourney Weaver, who, at 51, gives Hewitt a run for her money and looks more like her older sister than her mother. It's a good thing they're on the same side (or are they?) in this sharp, funny, surprisingly touching, and often mean-spirited comedy. The pacing can be slow at times, and the film goes on for far too long, but "Heartbreakers" is still funny and sexy enough to be worth the price of admission.

For years, Max (Sigourney Weaver) and her daughter Page (Jennifer Love Hewitt) have made their living by scamming future ex-spouses out of huge divorce settlements. Like with every job, this one gets old after a while. They're ready to pack it in, but not before one final heist. William B. Tensy (Gene Hackman) is a filthy rich tobacco tycoon who already has one foot in the grave, and while this swindle should be a walk in the park, there are two major stumbling blocks standing in their way. One is Dean Cummano (Ray Liotta), a chop shop runner and Max's most recent ex-husband who wants her back, and the other is Jack (Jason Lee), a kind-hearted Miami bar owner who falls for Page. Will these two bombshells sell out, or will they follow their hearts?

Think of "Heartbreakers" as "The Grifters" meets "Anywhere but Here." Or better yet, think of it as "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" with great bodies! The main characters display the more rambunctious and malicious side of human nature and make no apologies for it, but the film is still laced with enough of a heart to keep it from going overboard. The problem is, with a running time of over 2 hours, the film is far too long for a comedy, and while it has its share of funny jokes, there are others that fall painfully flat.

Jennifer Love Hewitt seems to be having a blast by letting it all hang out (literally!). It's almost as if she's ready to break free from her goody-goody image and prove that she can be bad just like the best of them. Sigourney Weaver also proves that with age comes beauty, and she's got a remarkably trim and curvaceous figure to prove it. As with 1999's "Galaxy Quest," she shows a remarkable flair for physical comedy (particularly when she takes the stage for one of the worst covers of a Beatles song in recent memory).

Ray Liotta also seems to be having some fun by going over the top with his own bad guy image. Coming hot on the heels of his vindictive FBI agent in "Hannibal," it's refreshing to see him in such a goofy role. Rounding out the fine, uproarious cast are Gene Hackman, who plays the tobacco tycoon who's seconds away from keeling over, and Jason Lee, who plays a character similar to his turn in 1999's "Mumford" as the bar owner who melts Hewitt's unbreakable heart.

OK, so back to that alien. "Heartbreakers" may not be the movie that he should take back to his planet to represent the best of cinema, but beneath the comedy, there is actually a strong message: the apple may not fall far from the tree, but no matter how you look at it, it's still a completely different apple. As skilled as they are at their craft, Hewitt and Weaver prove that being sexy is not heartbreaking--it's heartwarming.

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