THREE OF HEARTS
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Rating: 6.0 (C, **)
Date Released: 4/30/93 Running Length: 1:41 Rated: R (Mature themes, language, sexual situations, violence)
Starring: William Baldwin, Kelly Lynch, Sherilyn Fenn Director: Yurek Bogayevicz Producers: Joel B. Michaels and Matthew Irmas Screenplay: Adam Greenman and Mitch Glazer Music: Joe Jackson Released by New Line Cinema
The relationship between Connie (Kelly Lynch) and Ellen (Sherilyn Fenn) is about to end. Needing "space," Ellen breaks the news to her lover that it's time to move on. Crushed and on the verge of a breakdown, Connie is unable to let Ellen simply disappear from her life. But, as determined as Connie is to rekindle things, Ellen is equally sure that it would be better for both of them not to see each other. Meanwhile, needing a date for her sister's wedding, Connie hires Joe (William Baldwin), a male escort. The two become friends and together, they concoct a scheme by which Connie can get her lover back: Joe will get Ellen to fall in love with him, then dump her. Emotionally distraught and no longer able to trust men, Ellen will presumably come back to Connie. Unfortunately, as Joe puts the plan into action, he unexpectedly falls for his intended "victim."
Not many American movies approach gay relationships in the natural way that THREE OF HEARTS does. This kind of attitude is refreshing to see, as well as long overdue. Most gay/lesbian films treat the subject with great somberness, presenting the issue, preaching about it, and thoroughly alienating large portions of the audience in the process (THE LIVING END and CLAIRE OF THE MOON are prime examples of this type of film making). In THREE OF HEARTS the relationship between Connie (a lesbian) and Ellen (a bisexual) is treated normally, in much the same way that heterosexual liaisons are presented. That's not to say that the difficulties of being a lesbian in today's society are ignored (Connie has yet to admit the truth to her parents, and she wrestles with this decision), but the movie doesn't make a big deal out of one of its couples being a female/female pairing.
Unfortunately for THREE OF HEARTS, its treatment of Connie and Ellen's relationship is one of the few things that it does right. This film follows traditional romantic comedy formulas. The script is predictable up to the unsatisfying end when the writers, apparently unable to decide how to wrap up the situation, simply stopped the story right in the middle of everything. The overall effect is that the viewer is likely to leave the theater feeling unsatisfied, if not cheated.
William Baldwin and Sherilyn Fenn work well with each other. They aren't a great couple, but their scenes together are nicely-written and skillfully acted. There just aren't enough of them to save an otherwise below-par film. Kelly Lynch's Connie is one of THREE OF HEARTS' most severe liabilities. Given her artificially mercurial disposition, the character is completely unconvincing, and the actress playing her doesn't seem aware of the meaning of subtlety.
THREE OF HEARTS is billed as a romantic comedy but, while there's a lot of romance, there's little comedy. This isn't an instance when supposedly-funny scenes don't make anyone laugh; the film rarely tries for humor. There is also a scene of excessive violence that one wouldn't expect in something breezy and lighthearted. This is a case of marketing misrepresenting a movie, perhaps to its detriment. The unexpectedly dramatic structure didn't bother me, but some viewers might be displeased.
Overall, with the exception of the lesbian theme, there's not much new or original in THREE OF HEARTS. Unfortunately, too many love stories fall into this category. Innovative and interesting renderings of relationships seem to be at a premium; it's obviously much easier to stick a few characters into stock situations and let the plot grind on to a stopping point. It's disappointing, but that's the way too many movies are made today.
Note: in response to some requests, all movie reviews written by me may be reprinted provided that they carry the following notification: "Copyright 1993 by James Berardinelli".
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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