Atout cœur

This sometimes lyrical, sometimes harrowing, exploration of male friendship is unique in its honesty and the fearless, fully revealing perfomances of both its male stars--Nick Mancuso and Peter Coyote. They open both light and dark sides of their characters in relationship to each other and to the women in their lives. Then one women becomes the focus for both, threatening to destroy years of common bonds. In today's more-fortuitous indie market, this haunting little beauty might have had the exposure it merits. It opens a window on man-to-man talk through which few of us are ever allowed to look.

"A frustrated artist and his feckless friend, search for meaning in LA's avant-garde art set. But their friendship is threatened, when a beautiful woman enters their lives. (1984)"

I really love discovering great films like this. I saw a brief description of it in a guide which intrigued me, (see above) and watched it in the early hours of the morning. I've never been to LA during or after the early '80s, but films like this seem to me, to accurately depict things as they were back then. Many people's optimisitic and hedonistic ideals were being crushed towards the end of that decade, due to AIDS, Reganomics, and other factors too numerous to mention. The characters are all well written and acted, even some of the cameos like Max Gail's. Peter Coyote is always excellent in small films like this, especially in Polanski's 'Bitter Moon'(1992), and receives some great support from Nick Mancuso as his long-time friend. Some of the scenes featuring nudity though, do seem unnecessary, and heavy handed. This is one of those movies which doesn't need car chases, or endless explosions to hold onto a viewer's attention, because it's about something most of us are familliar with; People's relationships with each other.

Another film I liked as much as this, with a similar story was 'Twogether' (1994) starring Nick Cassavettes.

Heartbreakers is a very special movie for me being an artist myself I could relate to some of the dialog in the movie. I remember going to see this movie by myself at the age of 21. I usually go to movies by myself if I felt that it would be too strange for my date. Art films like this are strange to the typical person and I didn't have to worry about anyone else not enjoying it. I live in Chicago and at that time it was about 3 art movie theaters that would show a movie like this, which, I'm very grateful for living in a big city and be able to see it then.

I connect to this movie in every way from the title, the male friendship, the music, the attractive ladies, the story and the strange artwork. Heartbreakers is the perfect title for the film because all the characters were selfish and unapologetic with their love. The friendship with Blu (Peter Coyote) and Eli (Nick Mandcuso) seem so authentic and at that time I felt similar to my own friendship I had with someone I grew up with. The music at that time didn't impress me but now that I gotten older I have a better appreciation for it. The art gallery receptionist was very sexy… She stayed on my mind for a while after seeing the movie and when I look at the movie now she still look sexy. I though the other women Blu's ex-girlfriend and Blu's muse were pretty sexy back then but now not so much but still attractive. The story had everything I wanted with romance, betrayal, friendship and payoff for perseverance. The artwork was hauntingly dark and sexy it was something I never seen before a big-breasted woman in lingerie painted in black and white… Oh, that was new creative territory for me. At that time I didn't know anything about Bettie Page but recently a movie came out about her and then I put two and two together.

I bought the VHS version of Heartbreakers but I'm eagerly waiting for it to go on DVD. I guess I will have to check out this Bettie Page movie until Heartbreakers make it onto DVD.

Heartbreakers captures its place and materialistic time perfectly. It is a career peak for both Peter Coyote (projecting the charisma of a young Henry Fonda) and for the underappreciated Max Gail as his artist-nemesis. Carol Wayne, who was relegated through her career to playing arch-bimbos of the 60's pre-feminist variety (especially as Johnny Carson's frequent sidekick on the Tonight Show), turned in a moving performance here; sadly, she drowned not too long after this picture was released. This is well worth checking out, especially if you want to recapture what it felt like to be a single guy in LA in the early 80s.

Perhaps this excellent film could not easily be appreciated in its time. I was one of the few people I know of who thought this film was terrific when it was first released. I first saw it in at the Dallas Film Festival in 1984; then in 1999 on cable TV. Fifteen years later I realized it was even better than I had originally thought!

Viewing it in 1984, I saw it as a breakthrough film depicting a view of the dark side of the new young, hip culture of its time. The values and attitudes that are now emblematic of the 80s are all well-represented in this film.

But wait! That's not all that this film is about. In retrospect, it's a coming of age film that very subtly reflects the transition from the 1970s to the 1980s. We see the freewheeling spirit of the 70s while at the same time a longing for meaning and depth that being a free spirit alone cannot bring. Interestingly, the primary relationship is between two people who are seeking true friendship.

"Heartbreakers": Whose hearts are breaking? Mine for one. I am so disappointed that it took 15 years to be able to see this film again. The upside is that with so many new TV venues it's likely to be screened now more than ever so no one has to miss it for as long as I did. If you're a Peter Coyote fan, don't miss this one!

P.S. I wish this film would be released in video so it could be even more accessible.