Random Hearts (1999)

It's worth more than a 5! Random Hearts is one of very few films shot entirely in the Washington DC area, and I like to revisit for historic reasons.

The film unfolds slowly and runs for more than 2 hours – a tough sell in an age of 10-second attention spans. But the plot is more complex than it seems. There is a large cast of sleazy, disgusting people. I got much more from a third viewing; significantly turning up the volume during the first 5 minutes – especially the haranguing, racist lawyer in the court scene. The dialog often seems to be almost mundane filler, but no phrase or word is wasted because everything comes back to haunt later as the lies and deceit crash back down the mountain of infidelity. Meanwhile their workday routines are what anchor the sad survivors.

Ford is an IAD detective investigating a crime lord who's brazen enough to attempt murder in broad daylight. Kristin Scott Thomas works very well as the icy preppie congress-critter kicking off a campaign and determined to keep any whiff of negativity at bay. Her strategy is to move on immediately since there's nothing she can do to bring back either her cheating husband or his lover. But Ford is a cop and has to know; not so much out of spite, but because his training taught him to spot liars – and he couldn't believe that his wife had duped him. Naturally they realize their spouses were leading double lives while their friends and co- workers covered for them.

The couple finally realize as the gossip reaches her daughter that they both need closure. Both stars played the best, most convincing roles of their careers. Harrison Ford in particular reached his John Wayne moment.

The love scene in her car at National Airport is so packed with intense emotion that words escape me.

If you hated it the first time around, try it again, and repeat, "this is not a chick flick."

Fmovies: Has there ever been a more dour, dreary and depressing movie romance than "Random Hearts," a film that drones on for 131 grueling minutes and traps two wonderful actors, Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas, in its diabolical clutches?

Ford is a police sergeant working in internal affairs and Thomas is a New Hampshire congresswoman whose paths cross when their spouses, who are having a secret affair with each other, die in a plane crash. Drawn together by both circumstance and grief, the two begin a tentative love affair despite the many complications it sets up.

The actors do their best given the stark limitations of portraying two people overcome with despair, but the audience is nevertheless subjected to more than two hours of unrelieved gloominess. In a sense, it is a bit of a relief to see a romantic film that is not all lightheartedness and carefree silliness, but a subject as profound as the study of grief and loss on the human psyche demands a less conventional, more imaginative and serious a format than this film provides. (The brilliant film, "Fearless," from 1993 is a startling case in point). The actions of the characters often ring false as when, for instance, the two grieving spouses, sitting in a car, suddenly begin grappling in a wild sexual frenzy, a moment that elicits giggles from the audience because it is so lacking in motivation and preparation. Moreover, the film pads out its narrative by constantly cutting away to an irrelevant and wholly underdeveloped subplot involving Ford's pursuit of a murderous cop - a sideshow that results in a completely ludicrous shooting scene that undercuts the seriousness of the film's purpose.

"Random Hearts" is an obvious and, perhaps, even admirable attempt to bring a more mature, adult-oriented love story to the screen. It's a shame, then, that all involved seem to have confused dreariness with profundity and gloominess with depth.

I think this film is excellent.I was amazed by Kristin's acting skills.She made a great job in this film.She played multiply roles really good.As a wife,as a woman,as a mother,as a senator.And the story is also mysterious and sentimental.This film also disscuss about the truth and lie.Do you believe the words what people say?Do you really think what you see is what you get?Do you really understand your wife and husband?When everything become different,what would you do?Do you have enough courage to find out the truth at all costs?I think this movie truly inspired me to think about these questions.And the ending made me feel warm and sweet.

Random Hearts fmovies. This is the most ludicrously underrated movie out of the thousands I've looked at on this site. I can understand why most American moviegoers would not like it, as it is very nearly unique. The only movie I've seen that it might be likened to is Brief Encounter (the original English version with Trevor Howard, please), but this film is more subtle and interesting than the English classic.

Random hearts is a story about two people, a man and a woman, whom the fates have mockingly drawn together for no better reason than their shared nightmare of betrayal, yet as it turns out their very different personalities perfectly complement each other in their efforts to cope and to find the antidote to their poisoned lives - which turns out to be perfect honesty with respect to each other, and integrity with respect to themselves.

The movie itself is as honest and integral as its protagonists learn to be. Contrary to what some have said, the plot is both plausible and realistic, and all the little opportunities for over-dramatization that most American directors and actors cannot resist, are studiously avoided. And since the protagonists are intelligent but not particularly articulate, still less self-aware (which is what the movie is about), meanings and dramatic passages are mostly conveyed visually, and by first rate acting and direction, rather than editorially, via the script. Overall, the tone is one of somber realism, which creates the ideal backdrop for the subtly dramatic re-emergence of the underlying humanity and vitality of the characters, in the wake of their mutual trauma.

I believe my characterization of this movie makes it fairly self-evident why so many Hollywood-conditioned viewers find this movie flat, boring, and unsatisfying, and I suppose that they also feel cheated because this is not a typical Harrison Ford movie, any more than Bridges of Madison County is a typical Clint Eastwood movie. Yet both of these films are among the best that either actor has ever done.

Many seem to see the casting of Kristin Scott Thomas opposite Ford as bizarre, but I see it as brilliant. A principal theme of this movie is to probe for the common humanity that often underlies superficial differences of background, personality, and presentation, and to remind us of what is truly important in our character and our relationships.

When I first saw this film in the theaters I kind a board with it. but when i saw it on video I loved it more. it is a very loving film to watch in your spare time. I gess this movie made me think about a lot of things that went on in my life during this film in 1999. Bonnie Hunt was so awesome in this movie telling of on herself to Kay Chandler. The actors and actresses were so loving in there roles of the film. Its so wild how Cullen got around with the ladies in this movie. The soundtrack of the film was great as well. Its like all the music went with the script of the show. Over all is one of my favorite movies of all time

This is one of those movies you either love or hate. Having read some of the reviews posted here its a blatantly obvious fact

Spoilers within

What I liked: Kristin Scott Thomas, I think she did a more than decent job here I felt for her character. This particular actress is brilliant at expressing emotion without the use of script this gift is put to great use in this movie. I think that anyone who didn't appreciate this fact were not watching the same movie i was. The chemistry between the two leads was pretty good.

what i didn't like: The plot was implausible didn't know this was a book before being made into a movie it explains a lot. The script in parts left lots to be desired.

Overall I liked this movie I felt the two leads Ford and Scott Thomas did great work. It is a mature story for mature people I think younger viewers might not get the point. I enjoyed it a lot.