Playing by Heart

Starring: Sean Connery, Gillian Anderson, Angelina Jolie, Jon Stewart, Ryan Phillipe, Jay Mohr, Ellen Burnstyn, Anthony Edwards, Madeleine Stowe, Dennis Quaid, Amanda Peet, Patricia Clarkson, Michael Emerson, Hilary Duff (uncredited), Nastassja Kinski (uncredited)
Directed by: Willard Carroll
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, Comedy
1998

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Several couples at different stages in life all learn about love and themselves as they deal with relationships, family, and discovering the best parts of themselves.

Review:

Tim: Playing by Heart is a great ensemble picture about love and the interconnected-ness of people. This is a film that most people have never heard of and even fewer people have seen. However, despite its slipping under the radar of mainstream viewers, this film is far too good to not see at least once.

The best part of the film is undoubtedly the cast. How did they get this many actors all to take part in this small romantic comedy? Who is in this film, you might ask? The answer is everyone. Look again over the cast list- it is one of the most incredible I have seen assembled in many, many years. Every actor gives a good performance as is worth seeing.

This movie can be pretty slow at times, but slowly the whole film comes together and at the end, everything makes sense and you appreciate the movie all the more because of what a enjoyable revelation the movie presents.

Sean Connery is good in his role. He has the best line in the movie- "Oh good God, yes I did." Watch for this line because it is hilarious. Gillian Anderson and Jon Stewart actually make a very good match. They are likeable together and have good chemistry. They were very entertaining to watch together. Ryan Phillipe and Angelina Jolie are decent, but don't make a superb pair. The rest of the cast all act well, including Dennis Quaid, Madeleine Stowe, and Jay Mohr.

Playing by Heart succeeds because of the many different aspects of love and relationships that we see through many different people in various stages of their lives. This is a movie that few know, but it is worth your time hunting down.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Autumn in New York, Grand Canyon, Hanging Up