Playing by Heart

Rating:
Summary: Great cast, unique movie
Review: Not many people have heard of this movie, much less seen it, which is odd condsidering the number of well-known actors it stars. A few famous faces are Sean Connery, Dennis Quaid, Angelina Jolie, Gillian Anderson, and Madeline Stowe. The movie centers around several romantic relationships that you know are interconneted, but don't find out how until the end. If you're looking for romance, drama, and don't mind some tears, I would highly recommend this movie. It's become one of my all-time favorites!

Rating:
Summary: Lots of heart
Review: This is a warm and touching movie. Often when movies try to tell multiple stories at once it's just confusing but this works so well. Give "heart" a chance.

Rating:
Summary: Good breadth, little depth
Review: This movie definitely has a lot of firepower in terms of its stars, the plot lines are interesting, and the characters are appealing. That said, because of the five separate story lines and the two hour running time, the amount of focus limited how much any one relationship could be developed. A good movie for romantics who don't mind a few tears!

Rating:
Summary: Not to be missed
Review: In a strange turn of events, the ending of 'Playing by Heart' will have you wondering what you missed during the first hour and fifteen minutes of the movie. The story centers on several pairs of people, four couples, a mother and son and in a very strange and perplexing role, Dennis Quaid playing several different characters in several different scenes. His work in these scenes shines and harkens back to his glory days, reassuring us that his career is not over by any means. Another stand out role is Angelina Jolie, in one of her first appearances. She absolutely radiates and steals every scene, leaving Ryan Philipee and his subtle performance in the dust. Not that it's a bad thing. Her character is sassy and full of life, where his is downtrodden, solitary and dark. Other stories involve a married couple approaching their 40th anniversary dealing with mortality and a bad memory from the past. Gillian Anderson and Jon Stewart play career individuals who are trying to get through awkward moments of their first dates. It's nice to see Anderson play a role that is insecure and troubled rather then her well known persona on X-Files where she is strong and confident. The stories play out their seperate plots and eventually climax with a emotional and uplifting finale that makes anyone whos ever been in a relationship feel something for all these people. I highly recommend this movie.