User Reviews

Why this film wasn't in wide release is beyond me. It had a great cast and a great story and even the trailer for it was funny. And plus, can't Sean Connery sell a movie all by himself? This is a true hidden gem of a film and it is one that really should be seen by everyone.

I won't really get into the details of the film too much because seeing what this film is all about is one of the joys of it. You watch it and you know there is more to it than the screen play lets on about and it is fun trying to piece clues together to understand what is going on. It is a mystery in some ways and isn't that what the movie claims to be? A mystery about love. And as they allude to, love is a mytery anyway.

My fave characters are Gillian Anderson's and Jon Stewarts. Their story hits all the right notes and it is easy to relate to them. They are both cautious people when delving into love. Both have been hurt but one of them is just a little more relaxed and willing to learn about love again. And there is one scene where Gillian jumps all over Stewart about some silly issue and this is the area where most movies go the traditional route and they break up, get back together and live happily ever after. It is a typical concept and it has been done to death. But in this movie it takes a fresh approach to solving problems and that is it's strength.

This is a great romance and it is also wickedly funny. And the way everything is summed up at the end is not only perfect but it is heart warming and it leaves you feeling glad to be in love, or at least willing to fall again.

When I checked this one out on IMDb before watching it I was firstly surprised by the cast: how do you get all those well-known actors in a film which seemed very unprepossessing and might be considered a `sleeper', made by a practically unknown director? Apart from a couple of films in the late 80s and a number of films for video with perfectly unappetising titles, Willard Carroll did not seem to be a promise living up to the great cast he assembled for this film.

How wrong can you be! An excellent drama with real life issues is presented in a more live theatre style than the heart-tugging overplayed resources of more banal cinema productions. I mean, what bad luck that such a pretentious over-hyped `American Beauty' (qv) for instance, receives an avalanche of undeserved accolades, while this little gem just passes by, relatively unknown. In `Playing by Heart' you have a natural well played-out series of events without any of the overladen bombastics so frequent in American cinema. Excellent interpretations here – among the best I have seen of Sean Connery, and Gena Rowlands is his perfect counterpart. Full marks for interpretation to Gillian Anderson, Jay Mohr, Dennis Quaid, Ellyn Burstyn just wonderful, as is Madeleine Stowe, and Ryan Phillipe; and it is the first film in which Angelina Jolie is not appearing only to show off her indisputable charms, as she is wont, but to play her first really convincing rôle without flashing unnecessarily her anatomy all over the place.

So, evidently, full marks to Willard for piecing together all these elements to bring out what is indeed a very enjoyable surprise. Most certainly a film to see again. My only quibble is that perhaps the last ten minutes or so did not quite live up to expectations: however I would not say that this factor spoils any of the impressions made during the rest of the film.

My vote is a little higher than the IMDb User Rating.

Writer/director Willard Carroll, the director of "Playing by Heart", has constructed a multi storied film where different narratives are seen completely without any idea how they are connected until the end. This device has been employed by other directors, notably, Robert Altman. Whereas Mr. Altman interconnects his scenes differently, Mr. Carroll, keeps the stories separate, only to have them come together at the end.

The director was exceptionally lucky in amassing this talented cast to appear in his film. Viewers of all ages will identify with the different stories since they resonate with different age groups. Most comments submitted to IMDb seem to be from young viewers who think the best thing in the movie are Joan and Keenan. While this couple do a good job, there are other good moments involving some of the other couples we see in the film.

Sean Connery and Gena Rowlands make an excellent couple. Angelina Jolie and Ryan Phillippe do also good work in the film. But Madeleine Stowe and Gillian Anderson have more interesting characters. Same could be said about Dennis Quaid, who makes a mark as Hugh, the tormented man who discovers his wife's infidelity. Anthony Edwards, Ellen Burstyn, Jay Mohr, and a surprising Jon Stewart are among the actors seen in minor roles.

The film will delight audiences because the film catches one's imagination from the beginning.

Sean Connery leads an all star cast in an extraordinary yet odd film. I didn't really understand this film until I reached the end and then all the pieces fell into place. I had to see it twice to really grasp what the plot was all about.

The story followed four different couples; married, engaged, dating and cheating. Gillian Anderson and Jon Stewart literally bumped into each other and are about to venture out on a first date.

Angelina Jolie is crazy for a guy she met at the club (Ryan Phillipe), Anthony Edwards and Madeline Stowe are cheating on their respective spouses. This makes for an interesting viewing and ending, which was a complete twist, and a pleasant shock. "Playing By Heart" has a lot of complex story lines that really works.

This was a film of epic proportions and showed what it had to take to maintain relationships and what love really is and what it will do if people truly love their spouses. I was impressed with everyone's performance; however, I must point out the most outstanding one, which was by Angelina Jolie. Jolie has finally come out from her father's shadow and created one heck of a resume of films that includes "Gia" and "The Bone Collector" among others.

I highly recommend this film to everyone.

Take an all-star cast of Gillian Anderson, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Connery, Anthony Edwards, Angelina Jolie, Jay Mohr, Ryan Phillippe, Dennis Quaid, Gena Rowlands, Jon Stewart, and Madeleine Stowe; add terrific character development, a lot of emotion, and a little plot, and you get "Playing by Heart."

Hannah and Paul (Rowlands and Connery) are an aging couple trying to work through challenges new and old. Mark (Mohr) is dying of AIDS, and spends his last week on earth in a Chicago hospital talking to his mother (Burstyn). Hugh (Quaid) gets drunk and tells tragic stories to women in bars. Trendy, philosophical Joan (Jolie) tries to date the reclusive, mysterious Keenan (Phillippe), who refuses to date. Meredith (Anderson) has been "scalded" by so many men that she is afraid to get too close to Trent (Stewart). And Gracie and Roger (Stowe and Edwards) have an affair in an LA hotel; he wants more while she doesn't.

The stories seem independent, and I spent the whole movie wondering how they all intertwine. (They all come together in the last 20 minutes.) Not much plot, but the characters are very well developed, the acting is superb, and life's humor and tragedy is well mixed.

Rated R for language and mature content, but it probably could have gotten away with a PG13.

Taking its structure from Robert Altman's "Short Cuts", this movie interweaves the stories of three sisters, their parents, friends and men in their lives. Meredith (Gillian Anderson) is a theatre director with a serious phobia of commitment and monogamous relationships. In Trent (John Stewart) she meets her match, as he pursues her with honesty, affection and lots of humour. Too good to be true? Joan (Angeline Jolie) is a bar-hopper who can't seem to meet the right man, until she hooks up with Keenan (Ryan Phillippe). His quiet introspection bruises as it bumps up against her more flamboyant and ebullient style. But their respective vulnerabilities open up the possibility for a more permanent attachment. Or do they? Accused of having no imagination and neglecting his wife, Hugh (Dennis Quaid) is a man who every night reinvents himself by entering a different social establishment and telling lies to unsuspecting patrons. To what end? Married, but not to each other, Gracie (Madeleine Stowe) and Roger (Anthony Edwards) are having an affair in which each understands the limits of the relationship. Or do they? Hannah (Gena Rowlands) and Paul (Sean Connery) are facing the most serious threat to their forty years of marriage - his brain tumor. Or is it? And finally, Mark (Jay Mohr) is dying of AIDS while his mother Mildred (Ellen Burstyn) sits vigil at his bedside. In their last moments together, each reconciles their relationship with the other as well as to their friends and family. Those are the characters and this is another in a long line of "love as a battlefield" stories. In this case, everyone walks away with scars, though some more deadly than others. While I was impressed with the acting and thought the evolution of these relationships was realistic, I was very disappointed in the lack of surprises and the totally predictable dénouement.

When I first came across this movie I was somewhat unconvinced by the blurb given on the back of the DVD. However, I decided to give it a chance any way (mostly due to the excellent ensemble cast) and I found that I was completely surprised - this movie was positively charming ! Granted, it is not without its slightly exaggerated moments but in the end this does nothing but add to its charm ! Angelina Jolie's character, Joan is delightful if somewhat melodramatic and Gillian Anderson does a great job as the relationship-shy Meredith enraptured with, yet afraid to commit to, the charismatic Trent. Sean Connery's performance is effortless and the rest of the cast are all excellent as well. There are light moments and completely heart-breaking moments but all in all - it ends on such a high note of hope that one cannot help but be delighted !

Definitely worth your time - 9/10

No one I know has heard of this movie, and that's a shame. Somewhat. The film's huge cast is similar to the better-known Love Actually, with the eclectic mix of seemingly-unrelated characters who finally congregate together in the end. It's also got a British actor (Sean Connery) to boot, as well as some big stars like Angelina Jolie and surprisingly, Jon Stewart (being a lot more romantic here than on his Daily Show, of course). But Playing by Heart isn't that funny, which may be why it's escaped everyone's ears. It's undoubtedly a well-made film, but it just didn't leave me gushing with praise. The acting was good, and the tribulations and angst the characters felt were real and at times somber (especially the poor man dying of AIDS), but the film left no lasting impression on me. The humor was rare and the drama on the dry, "oh well, too bad" or (in monotone) "wooo, problem solved, happiness for all" side. But then, I'm a finicky watcher and I admit, a borderline pretentious critic. Since I didn't dislike the film, it probably means most people will enjoy or even love it, so I give this a 7/10. Just don't watch it expecting to burst into uproarious laughter or a free flowing sob-fest. You'll most likely chuckle here and there (like when discovering John Stewart's bed buddy) and feel sorry for those afflicted with disease, who, for me, are the only truly touching characters in this not-bad, not-contrived, not-unimpressive film.

This movie takes you by surprise from the minute it begins. The cast is filled with many beautiful and brilliant actors. There is never a dull moment in this movie, it makes you question your relationships and how to make them better without being "Hollywood". Sean Connery is certainly a stand out in this movie as well as Gena Rowlands who by far is an extraordinary actress with many dimensions to her. Angelina Jolie and Ryan Phillipee are sweet and tender in this film...it can make you cry at the emotions that come out of them.

A lot of critics compared this to Robert Altman or Alan Rudolph films; I think Carroll is really aiming for James L. Brooks doing Altman or Rudolph. A lot of the lines are trying for that snappy Brooks dialogue(like when Keenan(Ryan Phillipe) tells Joan(Angelina Jolie) "I don't date," to which she responds, "I've never heard that one before."), and trying to mix comedy and drama as well as he does. The problem is while Carroll is trying at least for grand things - talking about love, death, family - he misses in how to do it. It's clever when it wants to be insightful, and shallow when it wants to be truthful. And while there are supposed to be surprises at the end, only one of them really was(which I won't reveal).

On the other hand, this can't easily be dismissed, because all of the performers are appealing(even though Anthony Edwards, Dennis Quaid, and Madeline Stowe get stuck with ridiculous subplots, they're always nice to watch). Even Phillipe, who I normally don't like, comes across pretty well here. The ones who register the most are Anderson, Connery, Jolie, Rowlands, and Stewart. Stewart and Anderson feel like a real couple, and they nicely underplay their dialogue, which makes it play even better(especially when Stewart first meets Anderson's dog; "Suddenly I feel inadequate" may seem like a sitcom line(even though it IS a huge dog), but he makes it seem real). Jolie clearly relates to these types of roles, and gives all of her lines an extra snap to them. She's also very expressive here with her face. Connery and Rowlands also feel like a real couple, and it's nice to see him acting with someone his own age for a change. Some have questioned whether it's realistic what they would be arguing about, but since she wants to talk about something else and can't, this is her way of getting it out, so I had no problem with that.

Overall, it's one of those films saved by good acting, but if Carroll is aspiring to the level of a James L. Brooks, he needs to go deeper.

Although this movie has its witty moments, and is an excellent showcase for the dazzling Angelina Jolie, who displays a dead-on comic timing equal to her bombshell beauty (think Janeane Garofolo but a shade less dark, perhaps due to her super-model looks and miraculous cleavage), Playing By Heart is handicapped by the following weaknesses: a) Tendency to easy sentiment, featuring two (!) characters with AIDS as cheap ploys to draw audience sympathy (it worked, too, at the showing I went to, judging by the sniffles I heard throughout the theatre (b) An absolutely horrible "performance" by "actor" Jon Stewart, ruining poor Gillian Anderson's chances at really shining (c) Mind-numbingly boring post-coital conversations between Anthony Edwards and the beautiful Madeliene Stowe in the single least effective plot thread in the movie, whose only interesting facet is not revealed until movie's end (d) Increasingly grating drunken histrionics from Dennis Quaid, and, of course, (e) A desultorily tidy ending that reassures the audience that love has conquered all for each of the 10 or so main characters.

Mitigating factor: Gena Rowlands was her usual excellent self. Also, did I mention Angelina Jolie's cleavage?

I saw this movie twice and liked it better the second time. If you like love stories and involved dialogue then this is a flick for you. It is a quadruple love story with a small dose of extra marital affair, a fair look at a husband's search for himself and a sprinkle of mother/son understanding. Six stories to start and you must follow each of them. All of these stories come together at the end in a way that really touches your heart.

Beware of other comments regarding this movie in this area - a couple of commenters have told the entire story. Part of the joy of this movie is to try to figure out how all of these characters connect to each other. I found it enjoyable to see I was right while I watched it all unravel. There's nothing wrong with predictability especially if you're not really *that* sure if you came to the right conclusions before the end.

Angelina Jolie's acting is stunning and her repore with Ryan Phillipe is perfect. I was surprized to see that Jon Stewart is a natural and Gillian Anderson can do no wrong in my eyes. If nothing else, see it for Sean Connery who is always at his best.

I think that people who don't like this movie don't enjoy the mystery of love. "Talking about love is like Dancing about Architechture." How is this so hard to fathom? The story is confusing because love is confusing. That's what this movie is trying to say. "But that's not gonna stop me from trying." These lines are reiterated in the movie: They're said at the very beginning and then the same scene is shown in its proper order. It doesn't take a genius to appreciate it. Some have expressed disinterest in a few of the characters, such as the affair between Madeline Stowe and Anthony Edwards. It's called a family and once the movie is over, we see how they relate at the end. For Stowe and Edwards, one of these hired the other for a job at a party at the end, and an affair ensued. Stowe's husband, Dennis Quaid, thinks she doesn't like him and does some role playing and soul searching because he's been told he doesn't have much of an imagination. He's only trying to figure out where the two of them went wrong. Some have also expressed concern over why the mother/son segments, played by Jay Mohr and Ellen Burstyn, were even needed. This would have only taken some extra attention to the story itself. Hint to those who have not seen it: they were the next door neighbors to "Hannah and Paul" making Jay Mohr the 'boy next door.'

All in all, all the actors do an incredible job and the story is something to see and LISTEN to. Both times I saw it, the entire theatre stayed put for at least 4 minutes taking in all they had just seen. That alone should intrigue you. On a scale of 1-10 I give it a 9.

This was a pretty decent movie that kept my attention and made me think about past relationships, as well as current ones. I thought it was touching at times, but also hurried at others. It was almost too hard to believe that some of these relationships could be developing at such a fast rate. But in the end you realize it is just a movie, and one that tells a touching, sweet story with a pretty good twist.

I cannot believe what I'm reading. People actually liked this cheesy film???? Not only is the plot horribly contrived, it's entirely too predictable to warrant some of the big-name stars that actually agreed to do this film. The problem is that the characters are stuck with this terrible script and film that takes itself too seriously. Gillian Anderson plays a woman burned in the past by love who is unwilling to try again, and proves repeatedly that she does not deserve someone as dedicated and earnest as Jon Stewart (who does redeem the humor a teeny tiny bit). That's one facet of the story down the drain. Then there's the emo-predecessor Ryan Phillipe who attracts the party girl Angelina Jolie, whose resulting relationship is unbelievable. Then there is Patricia Clarkson who has an affair with a man purely for their "sexual compatibility," which is just stupid. Dennis Quiad is one of the more interesting character, showing up at bars with these outrageous stories and being followed by a woman, but as with many other aspects of this film, the buildup is much better than the actual conclusion and denouement (they really let you down). But the very worst are Sean Connery and Gena Rowlands, whose struggling marriage is hard to watch. My point is that after a certain point, the cheesy lines start making you wince with their pure predictability. You could be one of the characters and say the lines. But it all works out in the end (surprise!).

Talking about love is like dancing about architecture," claims Angelina Jolie as Joan in Playing By Heart. An ensemble romance that should at least be notable for bringing together such a large and diverse cast, Playing By Heart is an enjoyable romantic tale of eleven people in Los Angeles whose lives are interconnected.

Sean Connery and Gena Rowlands play the oldest couple. Dealing with old age, Gena discovers that Sean considered having an affair during their 40 years of marriage. Learning to deal with this 25 years later, Rowlands and Connery are very good as a couple going through changes late in life. Connery is as dashing as ever, and him and Rowlands seem they have been together for 40 years. Their story is convincing and refreshing.

Keenan (Ryan Phillippe) and Joan (Angelina Jolie) are the youngest couple, two club kids looking for companionship in a complex world that Connery and Rowlands had never conceived of. Their story is as engaging and believable as that of Hannah and Paul. Jolie is the real star of this movie. No matter how composed she makes Joan out to be, we can always see her insecurities lurking just beneath the surface. Phillippe has little to do but bounce off of Jolie's tour-de-force, but he does it admirably and they make a sexy, believable young couple.

John Stewart and Gillian Anderson are also very good. She is a lonely theater director and he is a lonely architect. They have a natural unforced chemistry that you wouldn't expect from these two very different television personalities. Although their relationship in the script seems ill-conceived, their performances almost make up for it.

Madeline Stowe and Anthony Edwards are the most unappealing and ridiculous couple in the movie. As a couple cheating on their respective spouses, they have secret rendezvous in a hotel room almost every night from what it would seem. We never know the specifics of anything which is amusing at first, but becomes tired by the end of the film, as do the performances of Edwards and Stowe.

Ellen Burstyn and Jay Mohr play a mother and son. Mark is dying of AIDS and his mother rushes to his bedside. Mark and become very close before he dies. Although Burstyn and Mohr are good their story gets little screen time and thus doesn't feel as important as it should be.

Finally, Dennis Quaid is a man who spends his evenings in bars telling fantastical stories to anyone who will listen. Why does he do this? I can't give away the film, but the answer isn't truly satisfying, although Quaid gives a very good performance.

The stories all manage to come together in the end in a way that's clever and satisfying. While not the best movie, Playing By Heart has its heart in the right places and manages to have some keen insights into love and relationships.

Grade:B+

I believe this is the third time I'm watching this movie - haven't seen it in years. If you like movies in the "multiple storyline" form of "Short Cuts" and "Magnolia", where lots of stories are told in parallel and finally meet, then you're gonna love this movie. Unsurprisingly, the highlights of the movie are the scenes with Ellen Burstyn (made me cry more than once) and Gena Rowlands & Sean Connery, but you can't expect less than fantastic actors like these, given a good script. Dennis Quaid is also good in his role. The Angelina Jolie story was OK - Jolie is overacting but she's OK in her role. I would have cut the entire Gillian Anderson story - I don't know if it's the story that's weak or Gillian Anderson's acting (probably the latter), but something doesn't work for me there. Also, Madeleine Stowe is beautiful, but her story is just minor and not very interesting.

As I watched "Playing by Heart", I found myself quite frustrated by the film. It consisted of many different stories about love...I felt too many. I sat there wishing the film had instead just focused on one...or perhaps two. After all, the stories were interesting and the acting quite formidable....but each story was interrupted repeatedly and each story was woven into a bigger tale. However, as the film progressed, I found myself not minding its structure...which was a lot like a later film, "Love Actually".

Instead of discussing each of the love stories, I'd rather just say that each sucked me in...a few, more than others. And, the acting was exceptional...and had me on the verge of tears several times. Overall, it's a lovely film....and one I cannot understand how it received two thumbs down from Siskel and Ebert....that I just find confusing because there's so much to like here.

By the way, there was one thing I really did NOT like and that the DVD had no captions of any sort. It's a shame as I am a bit hard of hearing and really had to struggle to hear some of the dialog...particular at the night club sequences.

I may be a sucker for most age-appropriate couples romantic movies, but I did like "Playing By Heart."

The audience was really rooting for all but one of the couples - people actually gasped and groaned when it looked like one or the other weren't going to make it.

The ending isn't a 100% surprise as cues are foreshadowed throughout, but it's very clever and all but the one unsympathetic couple are acted very well.

That Angeline Jolie (I first saw her in "Hackers"; so surprising that she's laconic Jon Voight's daughter) is a ball of fire- she could breathe life into the dead, and does here, as I, too, fell in love with Ryan Phillippe. They wouldn't need resuscitators in "E.R." with her around.

So nice to see Gillian Anderson get to be something other than "Scully" (no we don't get to see much more of her for all you fans than kissing). And I do like that her relationship-phobia isn't neuroses but is based on the school of hard knocks that's demonstrated.

Dennis Quaid doesn't use his million watt smile, but Jon Stewart is a pleasant surprise.

Gina Rowlands is up there with our leading mature actresses who don't get enough good roles.

Nice use of music for each's courtship, though I missed who was doing the duet over the end credits, though I thought I caught that the guy who wrote it was the lead guy from Live, so maybe that's who was singing.

The original title is referred to in the dialog.

(originally written 1/24/99)

I heard about this movie when it was in pre-production, under another title - "Dancing About Architecture", which is much better than the one they gave it. I enjoyed it very much but do not think its a big deal or particularly memorable. The best parts were with Ryan & Angelina, and it was nice to see them in likable parts and their chemistry was a reason the movie worked. I liked Dennis Quaid and Ellen Burtsyn very much also - he must be the best liar onscreen since Mary Astor in "The Maltese Falcon".

"Talking about love is like dancing about architecture. But it ain't gonna stop me from trying", says Angelina Jolie's character Joan. This is how "Playing by Heart" starts. Then the film starts to show some couples' lives in LA. You don't see any relation between the stories, but from the second half to the ending, you have some clues and everything makes sense.

"Playing by Heart" has so many qualities that we forget its defects (some unconclusioned stories and some flawless moments). It is one of the most honest and romantic films I've ever seen, because it can catch the real feelings of human beings. The screenplay is light, intelligent and keeps the attention. And the acting is just great. The Joan (Angelina Jolie)/ Keenan (Ryan Phillippe) story is my favorite one, and both of them work very well, specially Angelina, beautiful and talented - if you like her see the TV movie "Gia". Gillian Anderson is also a very good actress and there's Sean Connery- even that his story is rather boring, he is always convincing.

So if you're looking for a romantic film, this is the one. It will make you laugh, cry and think a little bit. Truly one of last year's best, but unfortunately was ignored on the Academy Awards- not a single nomination.

The lesson I got from the movie: Love is caring about someone enough not to burden them with EVERY negative thought that crosses your mind; as seen in the movie. In relationships, you need to Play by Heart. But keep your brain involved too.

Some reviewers say the movie was: adorable, cute, sweet. More like irritating, juvenile, typical, pathetic, 90's, 'down with men' C-R-A-P. You can spot a movie made in the 90's. I'm glad the decade is over.

And I'm not biased. I'm even a fan of some of the actors: Jon Stewart, Gillian!(the reason I saw the movie), Sean Connery(this "role" really reduces him). I didn't like any of their roles. And I have no problem with romance, but this movie is pathetic. It's for people into self pity. All these great reviews mirror our pathetic society.

The ending isn't ingenious as someone said - It would have to be your 1st movie to think that. We're simply not told certain things until the end....the interweaving doesn't add to the story...unless I missed something in my uninvolved state.

I bought this film as a PVT without even seeing it. I was sure that it was worth at least ten dollars just based on the cast. Well, I was more than right. This movie is perfectly cast with an interesting plot that draws you in till the end. I cannot see anyone else playing any of these roles, even down to the smaller roles such as Anthony Edwards' character. If you are a fan of Jon Stewart alone, it is worth his performance to see how romantically charming he can be. Fans of the movie Love Actually should also see Playing by Heart, although be warned it is not as light as Love Actually. If you like romantic comedies but are sick of the cheesy ones that have no other well-founded plot, check out Playing by Heart!

First of all I liked the title the movie had in pre-production "Dancing About Architecture " better than "Playing by Heart;" it is much more catchy and explains the feelings the movie deals with better. Talking about love is like dancing about architecture. Talking will not do any good, you just have to do it, let go and embark in the journey that has no guarantees. It might be a bad experience or a good one. Sort of like life you know! You just have to live! The cast is great and the acting also. I was specially impressed with Angelina Jolie I know she won an Oscar and all that, but this is the first movie that I watched her work . About half through the movie this guy likes her better once he sees her hair in rollers, and that is no a way to go dancing. I like the way the story is told and how everything mergers at the end. I liked the movie and liked the way the characters developed. Favorites Scenes: When they all came together. Favorite Quotes: Keenan:" This may sound corny, but... you don't want me. I'm damaged goods." Joan: "So? We're all damaged goods." Meredith:" I have a hard time trusting men." Trent:" I'm not men. I'm not a group. I'm just me." Good entertainment.

I went to this movie with every intention of liking it. Not only is the above-the-title cast amazing, but when I saw Patricia Clarkson appear out of nowhere (in Dennis Quaid's first scene), I was thrilled. I will also say right off the bat that Anjelina Jolie is an actress whose talent far surpasses her considerable beauty. But, the script... It starts off my saying "Talking about love is like dancing about architecture," meaning that talking about love is senseless and can't be done with any weight or meaning. In the end, the film actually congratulates for proving that saying wrong. In between, we get two hours of people doing very little but talking very openly about how they feel about their relationships. God forbid any of these people had something to hide or keep private from one another. There are even two scenes with Madeleine Stowe and Anthony Edwards that are almost identical in their dialogue, which is all about how she likes not having strings and he wants more from their trysts than sex. Gillian Anderson's Meredith is forced by the script to openly say things like "(you're) too good to be true" and when asked if she's been burned by love, she replied "Scalded." What a first date! I don't just mean romantically; I mean dramatically. She can't hide her pain so he can try to find it and overcome it? The only of the many segments in the film that remotely works is the one between free-spirited Joan (Jolie) and the target of her affections played by Ryan Phillipe. Her character actually talks about her life and relationships in order TO GET WHAT SHE WANTS from Phillipe's. Namely, she's opening up, so he will. (He's the only person in the film with a secret someone else is actively trying to uncover. Other characters, Quaid's in particular, have secrets, but only the audience is privy to them. No one else is trying to make any discoveries.) The film is long-winded, astonishingly self concious amd dull. Dancing about architecture makes more sense than talking about love -- at least when you're dancing you're actually DOING something.