Starring: William Baldwin, Kelly Lynch, Sherilyn Fenn
Director: Yurek Bogayevicz
Producers: Joel B. Michaels and Matthew Irmas
Screenplay: Adam Greenman and Mitch Glazer
Music: Joe Jackson
Released by New Line Cinema
The relationship between Connie (Kelly Lynch) and Ellen (Sherilyn Fenn) is about to end. Needing "space", Ellen breaks the news to her lover that it's time to move on. Crushed and on the verge of a breakdown, Connie can't let Ellen simply disappear from her life, but, as determined as she is to rekindle things, Ellen is equally sure that it would be better for them not to see each other. Meanwhile, needing a date for her sister's wedding, Connie hires Joe (William Baldwin), a male escort. The two become friends, and, together, they concoct a scheme by which Connie can get her lover back: Joe will get Ellen to fall in love with him, then dump her. Emotionally distraught and no longer able to trust men, Ellen will presumably come back to Connie. Unfortunately, as Joe puts the plan into action, he unexpectedly falls for his intended "victim".
Not many American movies approach gay relationships in the natural way that Three of Hearts does. This attitude is refreshing to see, not to mention overdue. Most gay/lesbian films treat the subject with great solemnity, presenting the issue, preaching about it, and thoroughly alienating large portions of the audience in the process (The Living End and Claire of the Moon are prime examples of this type of film making). In Three of Hearts, the relationship between Connie (a lesbian) and Ellen (a bisexual) is treated conventionally. That's not to say that the difficulties of being a lesbian in today's society are ignored (Connie has yet to admit the truth to her parents, and she wrestles with this decision), but the movie doesn't make a big deal out of one of its couples being a female/female pairing.
Unfortunately for Three of Hearts, its treatment of Connie and Ellen's relationship is one of the few things it does right. This film follows traditional romantic comedy formulas. The script is predictable up to the unsatisfying conclusion when the writers, apparently unable to decide how to wrap up the situation, simply stop the story right in the middle. The overall effect is one of profound dissatisfaction.
William Baldwin and Sherilyn Fenn work well together. They aren't a great couple, but their scenes are nicely-written and skillfully acted. On the other hand, Kelly Lynch's Connie is one of Three of Hearts' most severe liabilities. With her artificially mercurial disposition, the character is completely unconvincing, and the actress playing her doesn't seem aware of the meaning of subtlety.
Three of Hearts is billed as a romantic comedy, but, while there's a lot of romance, there's little comedy. This isn't an instance when supposedly-funny scenes don't make anyone laugh; the film rarely tries for humor. There is also a moment of excessive violence that one wouldn't expect in something breezy and lighthearted. This is a case of marketing misrepresenting a movie, perhaps to its detriment.
With the exception of the lesbian theme, Three of Hearts is stuck in the pit of regurgitated formulas. Unfortunately, too many love stories fall into this category. Innovative and interesting renderings of relationships are at a premium; it's obviously much easier to stick a few characters into stock situations and let the plot grind to a stopping point. It's disappointing, but that's the way too many movies, including Three of Hearts, are made.
© 1993, 1996 James Berardinelli