Review of Heartbreaker

It is a French film - some things UK and US audiences won't like, because of the new PC stereotypes demanded by so-called 'feminists' who spend hours devouring the latest about Jen, Cheryl and Kerry etc. So this film shows an arrogant, stubbled, big nosed French guy (rather than white toothed, air brushed airhead) taking on jobs where he has to break up couples (although he has some scruples about breaking up real lovers!) with his sister and brother-in-law. His impossible target is the gap toothed Vanessa Paradis(albeit Mrs Depp), who is in love with the stereotypical English stiff (that will be in the US version, no doubt!). He tries all he can, pretending to love Wham! and 'Dirty Dancing' (good impression of Swayze on the dance floor) but she holds off forcing ever more complicated plays by the 'hero.' So the story rolls on with the girl not suspecting anything (the US version will have to have a much feistier and knowing heroine, of course). Her best friend cannot walk along without flashing a breast (cut from US version along with the description of her as a nympho!) and is knocked out twice by the brother-in-law with a frying pan (senseless violence against women, certainly not!). You get the picture, different culture, different mores on screen, but quite amusing as a farce and romcom. The leads do not really spark enough, but, hey, after limp efforts over many years by the likes of Aniston and Lopez in absolute rubbish, they have something going on screen! The secondary characters get a chance without overacting, and it is fun. Yes, a screwball comedy that Hollywood used to be able to make, but cannot anymore, except through louche rubbish from Carell et al. Let's all give a cheer for the French for showing UK how to make a comedy without too much post-modernist, ironic baggage hanging on to it!