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Playing by Heart

6.3

1,968

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Original title

Playing by Heart

Year

1999

Running time

124 min.

Country

United States

Director

Willard Carroll

Screenwriter

Willard Carroll

Cast

Music

John Barry

Cinematography

Vilmos Zsigmond

Producer

Miramax, Intermedia Films, Morpheus, Hyperion Films

Genre

Comedy. Drama. Romance | Romantic Drama

Synopsis

Eleven articulate people work through affairs of the heart in L.A. Paul produces Hannah's TV cooking show, and they must move beyond gentle barbs when she wants to know about an affair of his years ago. Mark is dying of AIDS, and his mother comes to his bedside: they must talk truthfully. Men have scalded Meredith so she rebuffs Trent's charm, but he persists. The trendy, prolix Joan tries to pull the solitary Keenan into her orbit: why is he reluctant? An adulterous couple meet at hotels for evening sex, but she is unwilling for the relationship to grow. Hugh tells tall tales, usually tragic, to women in bars. By the week's end, their parallel stories converge.

Awards: 1999: Berlin Film Festival: Official Selection

1998: National Board of Review (NBR): Breakthrough Performance by an Actress.

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Critics' reviews

"The movie is consistently well-acted and features a gallery of characters so affable that it's difficult to actively dislike any of them"

James Berardinelli: ReelViews
"It earns respect through good writing and some unexpectedly terrific performances. Viewers may walk away surprised, thinking that this film is more satisfying than it seemed at first."

Peter Stack: SFGATE
"It's a good actors' showcase, yet not a particularly satisfying movie."

Andy Seiler: USA Today
"A stellar cast and articulate script notwithstanding, pic fails to connect emotionally with its audience"

Lael Loewenstein: Variety
"The sum of the parts is a cautiously optimistic view of love's power to re-shape lives, propounded with considerable appeal (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"

Angie Errigo: Empire

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User history

Playing by Heart

1999

Willard Carroll

6.3

(1,968)