A dark sci-fi prequel, huge performances at the Oscars, and a star-studded new season of mockumentaries are our picks of the week. Presented by M&M's.
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Title: Lonely Hearts (2006)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| John Travolta | ... | Det. Elmer Robinson | |
| James Gandolfini | ... | Det. Charles Hilderbrandt | |
| Jared Leto | ... | Ray Fernandez | |
| Salma Hayek | ... | Martha Beck | |
| Scott Caan | ... | Det. Reilly | |
| Laura Dern | ... | Rene Fodie | |
| Michael Gaston | ... | D.A. Hunt | |
| Bruce MacVittie | ... | Det. Eastman | |
| Dan Byrd | ... | Eddie Robinson | |
 |
Andrew E. Wheeler | ... | Det. Tooley (as Andrew Wheeler) |
| Alice Krige | ... | Janet Long | |
| Dagmara Dominczyk | ... | Delphine Downing | |
| John Doman | ... | Chief MacSwain | |
| Bailee Madison | ... | Rainelle Downing | |
| Ellen Travolta | ... | Ida | |
In the late 1940's, Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez were America's notorious "Lonely Hearts Killers". Their lethal scam was simple; they would swindle and then viciously murder lovelorn war widows who would answer their personal ads in which Ray would describe himself as a sexy Latin Lover. Ironically, Ray's initial introduction to Martha was as a prospective mark. But when they met, it was love at first sight, perhaps as a result of their penchant for kinky sex and their mutual love for duplicity and easy money. With Martha posing as Ray's sister, they bilked elderly spinsters and widows of their savings and then viciously murdered them in a bloodbath of sexual frenzy. When they were arrested, Martha and Ray confessed to 12 killings, although it is believed the actual number is closer to 20. At their sensational trial, Martha and Ray cooed, held hands and seemed as though they could not get enough of each other. Their plea of not guilty by reason of insanity was rejected, and on ... Written by Anonymous
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Todd Robinson's 'Lonely Hearts' is a dramatization of the harrowing atrocities committed by the infamous Lonely Hearts lovers. The sepia tone, setting and props do give the look of the 40s but the language feels more contemporary.The film tells too parallel stories: that of the two brutal murderers and that of Elmer Robinson who is trying to cope with the loss of his wife.
The latter is boring mostly due to Travolta's poor performance (he looks uninterested almost during the entire running time) and the slow pace. The scenes at the police station fail to engage. Gandolfini is stuck with a cliché while Scott Caan's character is very irritating. Laura Dern is criminally wasted The story of the two murderers is way too fictionalized (or is Hollywoodized a better word?) and way underdeveloped but it grabs the viewer's attention. Jared Leto is exceptional as Ray Fernandez. Salma Hayek is arguably miscast, physically, as she is the total opposite of the real Martha Beck, but if you're willing to let that go then her acting is terrific. Her version of Beck is alluring, manipulative, obsessive and cold blooded and she conveys all those characteristics quite naturally.
Pretty much all the characters are poorly developed. There is no background information on the killers (true accounts depict that Ray's drastic personality change may have been a result of brain injury).
Overall, 'Lonely Hearts' feels very much like an ordinary thriller. Even with a stellar cast it fails to stand out.