Playing By Heart Details

A beautifully crafted multi-character love story, which not only provides great roles for legendary old-timers Sean Connery, Ellen Burstyn and Gena Rowlands, but also puts newer Hollywood hopefuls Ryan Phillippe, Gillian Anderson and Angelina Jolie in the spotlight. Director Willard Carroll's glossy ensemble brings to mind Short Cuts in both structure and format, as several characters grapple with emotional turmoil in their lives. Yet this is far more engaging as it cuts between a multitude of stormy confrontations, intriguing trysts and startling dates, and then neatly ties them all off with a bravura conclusion that's both extremely clever and deeply satisfying. This exceptional drama is a welcome surprise that combines great compassion, humour and searing wisdom to stunning effect.

"...There are no bad performances in PLAYING BY HEART....It's a good actors' showcase....The most pleasant surprises are performances by actors who get a chance to prove there's more to them than you ever knew..."