For some the idea of seeing a foreign film makes the head ache. The jokes and culture just don't translate half the time.
But "Heartbreaker" is so refreshingly accessible, you'll forget you're reading French subtitles and will come out of the theatre tickled.
Directed by Pascal Chaumeil and written by Laurent Zeitoun and Jeremy Doner, "Heartbreaker" examines the unusual enterprise of Alex Lippi (Romain Duris) and his sister, Melanie. He plays the irresistible heartthrob, she, and along with her techie half-witted husband, Marc, plays the puppeteer who makes sure all of Alex's needs are discreetly met. Their employ? They wreck relationships for money. Normally an unlikable lot. But the one caveat to their endeavor is they only break up unhappy people.
We see a young couple on holiday, visiting the dunes of Egypt. But the male half of the relationship only wants to hang out by the hotel pool. Frustrated, the woman ventures off by herself and catches a ride with the debonair Mr. Lippi who, at the behest of his client, sets out to woo the woman to make her see her fiancé for what he really is. He uses a grab bag of come-ons and has just enough information about his subjects to turn similarities in hobbies and tastes into uncanny coincidences.
Zeitoun and Doner's witty and fast dialogue keep the movie light and funny. And the inventiveness of Cupid's wrecking crew is fun to watch. Doves, for example, miraculously fly out of the dunes and into the bright blue sky as if on queue while Alex declares his love before one of his unhappy customers. The customer has no idea that Marc is hidden in the dunes with freshly opened bird cages.
But Alex meets his match in Juliette Van Der Becq (Vanessa Paradis), a socialite about to be married in Monaco. She is rich, beautiful and in love with her fiancé - normally an ethical dealbreaker with Alex. But for a handful of reasons, he must try to win the heart of Juliette.
The stakes are high, the risk is even greater and there's little time to complete the mission. Mistakes are made and worlds begin colliding. Helena Noguerra is especially good as Alex's foil and Juliette's trampy friend, Sophie. And Duris is a fantastic leading man. It's fun to watch women wilt at his slightest move. His career in film was quite accidental. Word is director Cedric Klaspish saw Duris waiting in front of a high school in Paris.[[In-content Ad]]
