Random Hearts

Directed by Sydney Pollack, Random Hearts follows a cop (Harrison Ford’s Dutch Van Den Broeck) and a congresswoman (Kristin Scott Thomas’ Kay Chandler) as they find themselves falling in love after their adulterous spouses die in a plane crash. Filmmaker Pollack, armed with Kurt Luedtke’s screenplay, delivers a slow, somber drama that’s rarely as engrossing or compelling as its subject matter (and roster of talented performers) might’ve indicated, although, having said that, there’s little doubt that the movie remains perfectly watchable for the duration of its palpably overlong running time – with the decent-enough atmosphere perpetuated by Pollack’s steady, seasoned direction and a whole host of top-notch performances. It’s clear, in terms of the latter, that Ford’s predictably magnetic and mesmerizing work here goes a long way towards sustaining one’s interest throughout, and there’s little doubt, as well, that the picture benefits from the efforts of a stacked supporting cast that includes Charles S. Dutton, Bonnie Hunt, Dylan Baker, and Pollack himself. The inclusion of a small handful of admittedly enthralling sequences, especially a tense, captivating stretch wherein Dutch initially tries to find out what happened to his wife, buoys the viewer’s less-than-spellbound attention from time to time, which, despite a romance that’s never as convincing as Pollack has surely intended, cements Random Hearts‘ place as a passable drama that feels like it could (and should) be better.

**1/2 out of ****