Alice Krige, Dagmara Dominczyk, Dan Byrd

"Lonely Hearts" retells the real life murder spree of Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez and its connection to the tragic story of Detective Elmer C. Robinson, who helped capture the killers, but lost ...( read more  read more... )his wife in the process. Robinson was a Nassau County detective, whose work was everything to him, to the exclusion of his family during the 1940s and 50s. As he worked long hours on this infamous case, his wife began a downward spiral which ultimately would take her life.

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54% liked it

2,321 ratings

Critics

50% liked it

40 critics

R, 1 hr. 48 min.

Directed by: Todd Robinson

Release Date: October 21, 2006

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DVD Release Date: July 31, 2007

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Stats: 910 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (910)


  • April 22, 2009
    I normally love period set pieces, but that was not the case with Lonely Hearts.
    Think Bonnie and Clyde, without the fantastic classic performances. Or Natural Born Killers, only less gore and considerably less brilliance.
    When I saw this all star cast, I was sure this movie wa...( read more)s going to hit it out of the park. John Travolta, James Gandolfini, Jared Leto, Salma Hayek, and Laura Dern. But instead they barely rounded second base.
    Jared Leto lost all his mysterious allure, playing this middle aged, balding male.
    The script was unoriginal and very predictable.
    This film gets one star for Salma Hayek looking stunning, as always. It also gets a star because I love the fashion sense that people had in the 40s, a real class act. Other than that, Lonely Hearts has little to offer.
  • October 31, 2008
    LONELY HEARTS

    Jared Leto loses his boyish looks in this film as he transforms himself into an older man and teams up with Salma Hayek to become lovers on a rampage in a Bonnie & Clyde fashion.

    Worth watching, but don?t make it a high priority.
  • July 31, 2008
    not really sure how I feel about the movie. Not my usual taste (I only bought it to watch jared that & his movies are usually decent. at least interesting)
  • December 10, 2007
    This is a pretty watchable modern version of film noir that has John Travolta and James Gandolfini 'weighing in' as possibly the heaviest detective duo in film history. I wonder if Travolta actually packed on the pounds for this. No matter. The film is based on the true story of ...( read more)the 'Lonely Hearts Killers' who, in the late 1940s, lured their victims through the personal ads, swindled them out of their money, and then coldly murdered them. Jared Leto and Salma Hayek are appropriately slimy as the killers, whose relationship is truly sick and twisted. The scene where they go at it on the bed while one of their victims lies dying on the floor will make your skin crawl, but it's pretty effective at showing how evil, and downright monstrous they are. It's hard to say which one is worse, but my vote goes to Hayek's character Martha Beck, who runs roughshod over Leto's character Raymond Fernandez, at one point screaming at him, "Prove you love me, shoot her!", which he obligingly does. The pace of the film is pretty slow, and there's not a lot of excitement or suspense, but you do get sucked into the lives of both the cops and the killers, which is a testament to the fine performances of the 4 main actors. Laura Dern makes the best of her role as Travolta's love interest, and Scott Caan is pretty funny as the cocky young detective who gets under the older detectives' skin. One thing I found quite interesting is that the director Todd Robinson is the grandson of Elmer C. Robinson, the detective who actually investigated the case, played by Travolta in the film. So, we can probably assume that he took some care in trying to get the details right. And in doing so, he's turned out a solidly entertaining film.
  • November 25, 2007
    With a classic "Film Noir" styling, this dramatized recounting of murders committed by Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez and the determined detective, Elmer C. Robinson, who captured them is an excellent movie. Filled with violence and the lowest of human life forms, this is not...( read more) a movie for family viewing. The script is well written and the direction, cinematography and score all are brilliant. The acting is top notch and very impressive. Travolta, Gandolfini, Leto and Hayek had to have been a directors dream for this film. Dern and Caan were perfectly cast as well in their supporting roles. Hayek and Leto were mesmerizing as this sadistic evil pair of murderers, but it was Hayek who stole the show. Hayek's portrayal of Martha Beck was Oscar worthy. If you enjoy movies based upon true crime, this is a must see.
  • October 21, 2009
    1 of the worsest movies Ive ever watched.I couldnt even sit
    through it all.If you want to see this movie the way it shouldve
    been done then go see The Honeymoon Killers
  • October 1, 2009
    Great casting, with a decent story. All of the actors do a terrific job in their roles, but Leto and Travolta completely excel as their characters.
  • July 3, 2009
    Good movie, terrible audio.
  • June 30, 2009
    I loved this movie. great stars, great acting...
  • June 11, 2009
    Better than though.Espeically old atmosphere was really.Scene's quality too.I only liked Jared Leto's acting.He was better than these world wide stars like Travolta or Salma Hayek.And it has an interesting story.Raymond Fernandez(Leto) is he smallest on the poster but the whole s...( read more)tory is about him and his falling.
    And did you know Director is the nephew the man who captures the killers.So Detective Elmer C Robinson is the director's grandpa.?nteresting but movie is alittle ridiclous and totally normal movie.Anyway you can watch it maybe you will like it.

Critic Reviews


April 13, 2007
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

When Hayek and Leto are onscreen, you do not look away. full review

April 13, 2007
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

The picture belongs to Salma Hayek. full review

View more Lonely Hearts reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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Lonely Hearts Trivia


  • This movie has music written by Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison, but did NOT star the Beatles:  Answer »
  • Which of the following films did the Beatles NOT appear in?  Answer »
  • Who did the song Get Back in the bee gee's version of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and really helped perform it during the Beatles last concert (the rooftop concert U2 imitated in Rattle and Hum). He was also known as the 5th Beatle?   Answer »
  • Steve Martin, talented comedian, starred in at least two movie musicals. Which of the following pairs did he have a role in?  Answer »

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