Product Description

Martha Beck (Hayek) and Raymond Fernandez (Leto) were America’s notorious "Lonely Heart Killers." Their lethal scam was simple; they would swindle and then viciously murder lovelorn war widows who would answer their proposal ads in which Ray would describe himself as a sexy Latin Lover. Ironically, Ray’s initial introduction to Martha was a prospective mark. But when they met, it was love at first sight, perhaps as a result of their passion for hot-blooded sex and cold-blooded murder. With Martha posing as Ray’s sister, they swindled elderly spinsters and widows of their savings then viciously murdered them in a bloodbath of sexual frenzy. Raymond and Martha believe they’re literally getting away with murder until homicide detectives Elmer C. Robinson (Travolta) and Charles Hildebrandt (Gandolfini) pick up their scent.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22248 in DVD
• Brand: TRAVOLTA,JOHN
• Released on: 2007-07-31
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .18 pounds
• Running time: 108 minutes

Amazon.com
Love 'em and leave 'em--dead. That's the unstated but unmistakable motto of the predatory duo in Lonely Hearts, an affecting entry into the neo-noir landscape, with a twist: it's based on a true story. The all-star cast is led by John Travolta as detective Elmer Robinson, a dedicated cop haunted by the unexplained suicide of his wife. Travolta and his partner, played with blue-collar bravado by James Gandolfini, are old-style gumshoes who wear their characters as believably as they do their tattered fedoras. Travolta, particularly, wears his anguish on his tweedy sleeve, and underplays what could have been a scenery-chewing role. In the cops' crosshairs: evil lovebirds Martha Beck (Salma Hayek) and Ray Fernandez (Jared Leto), who prey on single women in "lonely hearts" advertisements, bilk them of their money, and! murder them--as much as a way to prove their twisted love for each other as for the financial gain.

The film is uniformly well acted, and transports the viewer to a simpler America that nonetheless echoes modern-day internet dating and the perils that can accompany too much trust. Leto downplays his pretty-boy looks to become believable as the oily and unhinged Ray, and the gorgeous Hayek is made up to a fare-thee-well.

Director Todd Robinson is the grandson of the real-life Elmer, and did the film as an homage to the case that consumed his grandfather. The making-of featurette is in some ways even more compelling than the feature, because of the moving interviews with the younger Robinson and his memories of his grandfather, and footage and news clips of the real-life Martha and Ray. There's plenty of fodder here for true-crime fans, and anyone who wants to savor a good shudder. --A.T. Hurley

Customer Reviews

Gripping portrayal of the Lonely Hearts Killers
Lonely Hearts is lifted above the average crime thriller through the excellent performances by the cast. The movie alternates between the detectives who are on the trail of the Lonely Hearts killers, played credibly by John Travolta & James Gandolfini, and the bloody spree of the killers' Martha Beck [Salma Hayek], and Fernandez [Jared Leto].

The detectives are well-played with a sub-plot involving John Travolta's character grappling with the case as well as his own personal problems [having to do with his strained relationship with his son, as well as his affair with a colleague played by Laura Dern]. However, the real action and drama comes from the performances by Salma Hayek, and Jared Leto as the cold-blooded killers. Hayek's performance is especially riveting, and her Martha Beck comes across as unflinchingly evil whilst besotted with her lover.The portrayal of the killers in this movie though well-acted, is not an altogether accurate portrayal of the real-life criminals [the real Beck was obese, not a sultry temptress as embodied by Hayek].

On the whole however, this is an eminently watchable crime thriller with credible performances all-around. A worthwhile addition to the genre.

Deserves better
This film disappeared from the theatres so quickly most people never heard of it. It deserves your attention. If only to watch Selma give you a glimpse of madness. Kinky done well.

Director Honors His Grandfather
Director Robinson remade the movie "Lonely Hearts" because Detective Elmer Robinson was his grandfather. He wanted to explore the many faceted sacrifices that the police endure witnessing a lifetime of criminal behavior and more importantly, the strain put on their families. Detective Robinson solved the Lonely Hearts murder(s) case, but with a huge price. It's a fine movie and deserved full distribution. Salma Hayak deserves an Oscar nomination.