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source: Heartbreakers

Heartbreakers has been a white whale for me for some time. I saw it several times in the 80s but since then have searched streaming sites and even tried to watch a Spanish dubbed version on MGM. But the new released Blu-Ray finally makes it available with solid picture quality and a clear stereo soundtrack. The film revolves around the relationship of Blue, a struggling artist, and Eli who is unhappily successful. As the movie unfolds, layers in their relationship including romantic jealousy, a supportive power dynamic, and mutual career jealousy are revealed. The dialog is authentic and honest. What I value in the film are its exploration of the depth Blue and Eli's friendship and a presentation of both sides of the conflict between art and commerce. In many instances, the characters express writer-director Bobby Roth's conflicted feelings about art and grasping for "success". It's a complicated subject that's handled with nuance and no judgement. Peter Coyote is excellent as the up and down Blue who revels in life but is also frustrated by his relative lack of success. Carol Wayne, best known for her many appearances on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show as the Matinee Lady in the Art Fern's Tea Time Movie sketches, adds depth to the ensemble as the centerpiece of Blue's art work. Carole Laure is believable as the object of Blue and Eli's affections. The film is a time capsule of 80s styles and culture. Many of the things you love or hate about that decade are present. The soundtrack of R&B and blues is rudely interrupted by Pat Benatar's "Love Is A Battlefield" which sounds like an early mix to the point that it's almost unrecognizable as her. Heartbreakers is a rare film that explores male friendships, artistic vision and success, and what is ultimately important to each of us in life.

I want to like it since it is trying to paint another section of Male 'Buddy' themes that has not been done to death but this film about two men in their own mid-life crises does not land. Primarily, it centers about two friends. One: a newly single 'kink' painter, adjusting with his new life as his career is going upwards but alone. Another is a rich kid, who is aging out of his playboy days. For me, it fails primarily since it just too hateful against its female character. They are mostly carnal objects or dull one dimensional characters that is used to counterpoint the titular heartbreakers. It really weakens to its wonderful viewpoint of two men finding meaning in their existence as they drew close to middle age and is about to be pushed out of their carefree lifestyle. As they try escapades that somewhat funnily closes by to homoerotism or I like to call them 'homieroticism', its becomes clear that maybe their are not as well equipped as they taught they where. 2/5 for mostly the promising premise. This needs to be remade.

this movie is so emblematic of the 80's(such a phony and UNrealistic decade!),it's amazing this movie got made at all.it says so much for the short time it's on screen,that alone was worth my time.i wouldn't get too critical,though.it's all about MOOD.... .if women want to get a "peek" into the male psyche,this would be the way to go.(it's a good thing we don't do this to often)watch the movie and you'll see why.i enjoyed this movie immensely,from the raw production values,great acting (Peter Coyote especially.....BUT not to leave out the Others...)to the great soundtrack.B/T/W...if you buy the soundtrack of this movie by Tangerine Dream,some of the music is NOT on the CD!?!. i feel this movie is (or will be) an American Classic.Thank you, Mr.Roth.

What's amazing about that too is the fact that these are narcissistic characters, the ultimate example of the "me" era, but obviously only that way because they believe that's how expected there supposed to come off. The story focuses on two men, mainly Peter Coyote as an artist named Blue and Nick Mancuso as his tied at the waist pal Eli, who works for his father. In spite of the title, these two seeming ladies man really are not, both deep down searching for love and making the rounds of various beautiful women in their efforts to find the perfect one. The main female part is played by Carole Laure, the gallery owner where Coyote's artwork is being displayed. Both men fall for her in different ways and it's obvious that she has definite commitment issues, usually seen as a men's problem in films like this so that's a nice twist. The fact that all of these characters seem confident on the surface but all are pathetically insecure makes for interesting character development. The early to mid 1980's was an interesting time as the culture of the young was changing from the frivolous seventies to a more ambitious eighties. You hear that definitely in the music, and the use of a lot of reverb in the songs played over the drama expresses the emotions of a confusing time with lots of changing social issues. The alluring Kathryn Harrold is really good as Coyote's live in girlfriend who moves out when she feels that their relationship isn't progressing and that he doesn't appreciate her. Ironically it's a very similar role too Kathleen Turner's part in "The Accidental Tourist", both actresses discovered while playing vixen Nola Dancy on the daytime soap opera "The Doctors". As a time capsule back to nearly 40 years ago, this is fascinating, and it works well as a character study of how supposedly perfect people in their esteem have quite a few failings that are keeping them from reaching their best.

Heartbreakers (1984) Bobby Roth wrote and directed this humorous yet poignant depiction of a male friendship that is tested by a femme fatale art dealer. Peter Coyote is Blue, talented LA painter who has been scraping by with the help of best buddy Eli (Nick Mancuso), heir to a struggling garment business. Carol Wayne, Kathryn Harrold, Jamie Rose, and Carole Laure are the women they spar and sometimes sleep with. The friendship between the two men is one of the most authentic and affecting I have seen on film. They complement each other well, and their loyalty to each other is expressed in quiet ways. Look for the scene about 38 minutes in, when Eli comes over and finds Blue sleeping on his layout table. Cinematography by Michael Ballhaus, with a score by Tangerine Dream. A perceptive observation of young singles resisting the demands of full adulthood, and my choice as the best movie out there about modern day painters. Highly Recommended. "Well, Syd told me, that you think abstractionists should be executed."

This movie is so uncanny in that ,while relatively little plot is present, it says so much about the characters and their on the surface exciting but truly vapid lives. It is poignant and yet funny at times. It didn't fare nearly as well in critics' eyes and at the box office as it deserved to do. All the characters were so well cast--they make a most attractive ensemble--but for all these people who seem to have so much to envy, they are surprisingly unhappy, and this dichotomy is what makes this movie so moving and affecting. I've seen it perhaps 10 times and NEVER tire of watching it, because each time I glean something new!

Bobby Roth has written and directed a gem of a film and a Los Angeles classic. I totally lived this in the early '80's. I was the Nick Mancuso character; the guy who worked in business, dressed well and had a father who was dying of cancer. My artistic friend Richard was in television and knew all the hip people as well as the right clubs, bars and restaurants to hang out in. In other words, a little like the artist played by Peter Coyote. "Heartbreakers" is the real deal. D.P. Michael Ballhaus gets the 80's look down to a tee. The woman in this film are all beautiful and are perfectly cast. The music in the film is also totally awesome, to use a hip term from that time. Tangerine Dream and Pat Benatar round out the great soundtrack. I just can't say enough about how good this film is. I love how it captures the precise moment just before AIDS would work itself into the main stream of American culture. We see perfectly how Eli and Blue are perplexed and somewhat scared by Terry Ray and his gay boys at the art gallery. They are still free to sleep around as much they want as AIDS is still a gay disease. But that's about to change very soon. I was able to enjoy this one on a wide screen, as one day I was playing hooky from work. My expectations were lowered as I was expecting a teenage titillation comedy, because there was a totally misleading and desperate ad campaign misrepresenting this film in the hope of getting more butts in the seats. I was very impressed at how mature and piercing the screenplay was. As I said before, this is both an '80's and a Los Angeles classic. Sadly, I think this film is getting harder and harder to see, as the VHS tapes are wearing out (my copy is slowly dying) and I don't believe "Heartbreakers" is available on DVD yet. It's certainly time to fix that.

Heartbreakers is a slow moving film about two friends who share more than friendship. They share a mutual feeling of wanting to outperform the other as well. Businesswise this is not a problem as one of the two is an artist. But where women are concerned, they want the one the other is having. After a slow build-up everything comes together when they share the same women in a threesome. Where the movie goes from there seems very logical from my point of view. It's a shame that this scene is sometimes omitted, as I once realised when I was watching this on the BBC. It's a terrific movie and I consider it Peter Coyote's best. No action scenes, no violence, just psychological content to which anyone can connect. Recommended.