55
Metascore
26 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliThe movie is consistently well-acted and features a gallery of characters so affable that it's difficult to actively dislike any of them, or, for that matter, the film as a whole.
- 75San Francisco ChroniclePeter StackSan Francisco ChroniclePeter StackIt earns respect through good writing and some unexpectedly terrific performances. Viewers may walk away surprised, thinking that this film is more satisfying than it seemed at first.
- 70The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenFor all its artificiality, Playing by Heart percolates with an earnest charm.
- 67Austin ChronicleSteve DavisAustin ChronicleSteve DavisPlaying by Heart is, above all, an actor's movie: lots of monologues, lots of engaging conversation, lots of opportunities to shine without pouring it on too thickly. Everyone has his or her moment, although it is the older folks (Connery and Rowlands) and the youngsters (Jolie and Phillippe) who come off best, giving affecting performances in roles that serve as generational bookends in the film.
- 63Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertIt's easy to like the movie because we like the actors in it, and because the movie makes it easy on us and has charming moments. But it feels too much like an exercise. It's yuppie lite--affluent, articulate people who, except for those who are ill, have problems that are almost pleasant.
- 50Time OutTime OutThe trouble is that all of these characters are more interesting when things are going badly for them than when the tide has turned, and Carroll's determination to make the final reel an extended bout of audience tummy tickling is disappointingly conventional.
- 50The A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe A.V. ClubScott TobiasPlaying By Heart covers a broad, multi-generational spectrum of romantic and familial relationships, but Carroll can't resist tying everything together in a shiny red bow. The result is daytime television at its most ambitious, an entire season's worth of flavorless melodrama and placating warmth.
- 42Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyWith relationship patter that sounds like acting-class exercises, almost none of these stories feel true.
- 38San Francisco ExaminerG. Allen JohnsonSan Francisco ExaminerG. Allen JohnsonWhat a cast! What a waste!