Heartbreakers

R

1984

1h 38m

Drama

List

80%

10 Reviews

Tomatometer

53%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

Blue (Peter Coyote) and Eli (Nick Mancuso) are buddies living in a bohemian subculture of Los Angeles. Blue is an artist waiting for recognition, while Eli is a businessman waiting for his father to bequeath him the family lingerie factory. They are both looking for love, sex or some combination thereof, and engage meanwhile in friendly competition with one another. When Liliane (Carole Laure) arrives on the scene, their friendship is severely tested and they must decide what is truly important.

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Pauline Kael

New Yorker

Heartbreakers becomes more involving as it goes on, and when it’s over, you feel you’ve seen something (even if you’re not quite sure what).

Sep 13, 2023

Full Review

David Denby

New York Magazine/Vulture

How interesting is childishness in grown men? Less than Bobby Roth thinks. Yet Roth brings a natural filmmaker's intensity to the material. When I play this movie over in my head, I laugh at it, but I'm still enjoying it, too.

Dec 31, 2019

Full Review

Time Out Staff

Time Out

Add a pulsating Tangerine Dream score and Michael Ballhaus' glowing photography, and the result is an emotional cocktail that is provocative, touching and witty as hell.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Peter Canavese

Celluloid Dreams

A typically strong special edition blu-ray from Fun City Editions--a buddy picture about the volatile, horny, jealous male ego. On that level it works pretty well but hard to watch today because the women are portrayed as strictly foils for the men.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 7, 2022

Full Review

Lori Hoffman

Atlantic City Weekly

Rated: 3/5

Apr 20, 2007

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A perceptive buddy film about thirtysomethings learning they are no longer boys and have to face the pitfalls of growing up.

Rated: B+

Dec 19, 2005

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Audience Member

Drama about best friends. One an artist who lost his long-time girlfriend and the other a man who has been non-committal to women. Never really saw the point of where this was going other than two friends who stick together even when one sleeps with the other's girlfriend. Film never followed up on Eli's dad dying and leaving him with a business in trouble.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

<a href="http://cooltext.com"><img src="http://images.cooltext.com/2052154.png" width="118" height="40" alt="My Review" /></a></a> <b><i>"You paint things people are ashamed to hang on their walls."</b></i> Two friends, one a fetishistic painter and the other a successful businessman, find their relationship strained when a woman comes between them. Their friendship is put to a relentless test when both fall in love with a new gallery presenter. A movie with a title so simple to remember that even it would escape from obscurity by bloggers and others who are old enough to remember this when they were around on its release date of September 28, 1984. Although I wasn't even born three years later at least I may be one of the few younger people who knows this one. I discovered <i>Heartbreakers</i> on a recent television broadcast when I learned that Peter Coyote, whom I've seen on a few other film titles with <i>E.T.</i> among of them, was one of the players here. His Blue character is a great artist but he is too immature for a relationship and that's why his girlfriend dumped him. Eli, on the other hand, is one unhappy guy still searching for a woman and interesting enough to spend more than one night with her; his personality is made possibly by a fine acting performance by Nick Mancuso. As for the storyline it is well built and I understood it well from the beginning to the end, with any romantic moments added to make it more entertaining. <a href="http://s955.photobucket.com/albums/ae34/radboviemiot/?action=view¤t=Heartbreaker_by_bangliuke.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae34/radboviemiot/Heartbreaker_by_bangliuke.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> Overall, I can say that <i>Heartbreakers</i> is a great dramatic movie about friendships and relationships. As a title released back in the early '80s but forgotten nowadays anyone who was around at that time might rediscover this, and for anyone who has never seen it they it would be worth checking out.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Not a terribly exciting or intriguing romance drama for most of the movie, the film does get some traction 2/3rds of the way through. Has lots of Miami Vice qualities, not the least of which is the use of the band Tangerine Dream in the soundtrack to great effect. A local diner provides a common meeting ground for these two long time friends who's frienship is sorely tested over a common female relationship. As a matter of fact, this eighties film uses all the same locations, moodiness, colors, pacing, camerawork and noirish qualities of the TV show Miami Vice. While not a crime drama, this one is a romantic love triangle between two very good friends and a woman. A coming of age film but not with teens, but with mid-thirty something guys. There is really nothing really memorable, remarkable or gripping about this movie. It was Carol Waynes'(of Carson's Tonight Show fame) last film before she mysteriously died in Mexico. The plot is based somewhat on the real life artist Robert Blue. A struggling artist loses his long time girlfriend over money squabbles but does eventually become successful. His friendship is incredibly strained with a now love seeking businessman and childhood friend over a woman (Carol Laure) at the art gallery. She flirts with both causing predictable, terrible results. The word: Heartbreaker, the title, is used once by Carol Wayne in the film to describe the artist. This film is definately not to be confused with the later Heartbreakers with Gene Hackman made in 2001. Two totally different plots. Not really able recommend this, as it seems a bit rambling until the very end. See it yourself and decide. Soundtrack includes tunes from Pat Benetar, Itta James, Otis Redding, Tangerine Dream. It may take two viewings to fully appreciate. Directed by Bobby Roth Starring Peter Coyote Nick Mancuso Carol Laure (as the common love interest) Carol Wayne as Candy Music by Tangerine Dream (of TV's Miami Vice soundtrack)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

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Bobby Roth

Director

Peter Coyote

Blue

Nick Mancuso

Eli

Carole Laure

Liliane

Max Gail

King

James Laurenson

Terry Ray

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Synopsis

Blue (Peter Coyote) and Eli (Nick Mancuso) are buddies living in a bohemian subculture of Los Angeles. Blue is an artist waiting for recognition, while Eli is a businessman waiting for his father to bequeath him the family lingerie factory. They are both looking for love, sex or some combination thereof, and engage meanwhile in friendly competition with one another. When Liliane (Carole Laure) arrives on the scene, their friendship is severely tested and they must decide what is truly important.

Director: Bobby Roth
Screenwriter: Bobby Roth
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 38m
Sound Mix: Surround