Strange Hearts (2002)

Simply Perfect

Absolutely Brilliant!

Blistering performances.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

I wasn't expecting much at the start of watching this low budget comedy, but found myself liking both the plot and the players. The film is launched under three names, "Strange hearts", "Road to riches" and "Rat in a can". It's more of a drama than a comedy, and stars well known actors Robert Forster, Kip Pardue, Rose McGowan and Harry Hamlin.Young Henry, a Texan carpenter, is a lucky naive honest guy, able to charm everyone. In addition to that he's a lucky one. As audience a a game show he meets up with the quite more unhappy and unlucky scam artist Jack Waters, which has a female scam artist and show girl companion, Moira. Henry doesn't really understand they are pulling his leg, and Jack sees every opportunity to exploit him and his wallet. After charming audience at a game show, Henry is asked to take over as a game show host, and the show is on. Telling more will spoil.The film is easy entertainment, but has a cult side to it which I like. Not your average stupid American comedy, but a charming one, due to the charming two leading guys. Forster is good as the slick con artist, and Pardue is elegant naive charmer. Rose McGowan I haven't seen better since the Grindhouse movies if Rodriguez and Tarantino, "Planet Terror" and "Death proof". (Haven't seen her TV-series "Nip/Tuck" and "Charmed" though.) Forster is loved both by David Lynch and Quentin Tarantino, and the reasons are obvious after watching this, and Pardue delivers once again a great role here. This film has a certain feel of Lynch, and that is something likable as well.Some animal protectors will be put of on an idea of Jack's with a rat in a soda can, but remember that this is film. Production value is good, but the clue to the liking is that the good actors are making this a charming gem with good entertainment value. A little possible future cult movie, due to the actors.This is a film which easily could have been overdone, and also a film which could have been so much more. Charming anyway.

Maybe they should have used the alternate title, "Rat in the Can," instead of "Strange Hearts." Of course, if you go looking for "Strange hearts" on cable, you will have better luck trying "Roads to Riches."But, "Rat in the Can" is a good title to describe just how far Jack Waters (Robert Forster) has fallen in his luck. It's his million-dollar idea, and it's a winner if he can manage to go through with it. Forster (Jackie Brown) plays a lovable loser, who just can't get his act together. It is going to cost him the love of his life, Moira (Rose McGowan, who plays what I consider her best role to date as a stripper.) Smooth talking Texan Henry (Kip Pardue - Remember the Titans) is working his charm to drag her back home to keep her barefoot and pregnant."Friends" fans will find this slow, but it is a good romantic indie film.

I think this is a great film because of the great story. It's about this girl Moira, who's a stripper. She's really insecure, and Jack, the old guy next door, helps her when she has a hard time. He first met her outside a hospital, and he felt bad for her and picked her up. Since then he's always been there for her, and suddenly he falls in love with her, but what he doesn't know is that she has feelings for him to. to make the film even more complicated, she doesn't know that he loves her, and henry, a better looking and much younger guy than jack, falls deeply in love with Moira. He gets her a job and they have a great time together. he asks her to marry him, and she doesn't know what to do ,cause her dream is to get to Mexico...

Strange Hearts is probably one of the biggest film surprises I've had all year, it's a very well-done little independent film that deserves much more then a straight-to-dvd release. The story revolves around Jack, a down-trodden middle-aged man who's best friends with a mysterious and very disturbed young woman called Moira. Their friendship is stretched when a young man, called Henry, enters their lives. Henry, a strangely lucky guy, "steals" Moira away from Jack, unaware of her emotional fragilities and disturbing past, forcing Jack, who treasures Moira more then anything AND who you start feeling very sorry for by now, to put his luck to the test and gamble on everything he has.The entire cast is exceptional. Robert Foster's renowned charisma shines through in many ways, and Kip Pardue is very hateable as the cocky Henry. Rose McGowan (who I've become very interested in since seeing this movie) is probably the stand-out of the film, utilising her interesting role to the very hilt and stealing every scene she is in. First-time director and screen writer Michelle Gallagher delivers a powerful punch on her debut, and I look forward to seeing what she has to offer in the future.Overall Strange Hearts is a thoroughly enjoyable drama, that really makes us think about how much of a big part friendship, trust and loyalty play in all our lives. A definite 3/4.