Random Hearts

A Refreshingly Subtle Film
RANDOM HEARTS was my favorite movie of 1999, but it is most definitely not a movie for everyone. To enjoy RH, you must have an attention span longer than a sound bite. Everything will not be spelled out for you, and you will actually have to do a little thinking. The movie is unapologetically grim for most of its running time, which based on its plot, it should be. Life is not always beautiful, as this movie so subtlely shows. And subtle is the keyword in describing RH. Everything you need to know about the characters is in the film, but it is not always verbal or blatantly obvious. The movie is an emotional puzzle, and if you can't put together the pieces, you will dislike this film. I found putting the pieces together a refreshing challenge. In my opinion, the ending to RH is both a classic and a hair-puller. That is all I'll say.

I'm purchasing the DVD mainly for director Sydney Pollack's commentary and the deleted scenes. There are a couple of scenes in...

Random Hearts
I like this movie. I don't care much about what the critics said about it, nor about its failure to top box office records. I found this movie a psychologically intense drama, and I think acting was very good. Ford portrayed a clearly distraught and somewhat depressed and distracted man who lost his wife in plane crush, and who find out that his wife was cheating on him. He comes in contact with another "survivor," a Congresswoman who lost her husband in the same plane crush. A somewhat unlikely romance develops, while Ford's character continues to be haunted by his wife's betrayal. The subplot, involving a corrupt cop and murder, could be improved--it almost gets in the way of the main storyline. But if you can get beyond this, you will enjoy the movie.

If you are into non-stop action, special effects pictures, this one is not for you. But if you can enjoy a mature film with a real plot, you will do well to see "Random Hearts."

Yes, it's depressing-that's what's great about it.
It's also honest-something people avoid if things might get messy. People cheat-it happens every day. The lighting, music and slow pacing only accentuate the melacholy mood of the film. I love depressing movies-music too. There's no escaping the truth for these characters. It's painful. Betrayal always is-eventually. If you don't like depressing stuff, this movie will turn you off-even if you like the leads. Pollack's direction is perfect for the material-something I imagine he did on purpose. This is adult material-it's just that adults don't usually like to deal with difficult issues.

The two weak points of the film are the side story and the romance. The friendship between the two leads is believable-the romance is not. However, the film is so dreary that even these two items don't take away from the film's power. Marrying someone is no guarantee of fidelity. There is a darkness about humans that lies in their desire to please themselves-even at the cost of...

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