Playing by Heart

Willard Carroll's poignant, witty script and graceful direction make up for some soap-opera moments. [24 Jan 1999, p.D8]

It's much more enjoyable than this sort of date-movie thing normally is, and that success can mostly be credited to the big names populating the film.

Despite an impressive array of acting talent, nothing quite rings true -- all those sharp pieces fit beautifully together without adding up to much. [22 Jan 1999, p.D6]

The sum of the parts is a cautiously optimistic view of love's power to re-shape lives, propounded with considerable appeal.

There are certain lines in certain movies that could be used to warn a certain kind of viewer to stay away. Such as: "We like the same merlot." It tells you everything you need to know about Playing by Heart, an ensemble drama about upper-middle-class people whose characters are defined mostly by their fabulous homes and apartments. [22 Jan 1999, p.47]

The trouble is that all of these characters are more interesting when things are going badly for them than when the tide has turned, and Carroll's determination to make the final reel an extended bout of audience tummy tickling is disappointingly conventional.

Playing by Heart is a disheartening example of how episodic, prime-time- style storytelling has taken a stranglehold on Hollywood films, even at their most "independent." [22 Jan 1999]