Lonely Hearts (2006 film)

Lonely Hearts
Directed byTodd Robinson
Written byTodd Robinson
Produced byHolly Wiersma
Boaz Davidson
StarringJohn Travolta
James Gandolfini
Jared Leto
Salma Hayek
Laura Dern
Scott Caan
Alice Krige
Bailee Madison
CinematographyMark Kohl, Peter Levy
Edited byKathryn Himoff
Music byMychael Danna
Production
company
Distributed byRoadside Attractions
Samuel Goldwyn Films
Millennium Films
Release dates
  • October 21, 2006 (2006-10-21) (Taiwan)
  • April 13, 2007 (2007-04-13) (U.S.)
Running time
108 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$18 million[1]
Box office$2.5 million

Lonely Hearts is a 2006 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed and written by Todd Robinson. It is a neo-noir based on the true story of the notorious "Lonely Hearts Killers" spree killing of the 1940s, Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez.[2] The story of Beck and Fernandez was also the subject of the 1970 film The Honeymoon Killers, directed by Leonard Kastle and the 1996 film Deep Crimson, directed by Arturo Ripstein.

Plot

Conman Raymond Fernandez (Jared Leto) defrauds rich women through personal ads, and meets Martha Beck (Salma Hayek) who joins Raymond in his schemes, posing as his sister. They begin traveling the country, murdering over a dozen women who respond to their ads. Homicide detectives Robinson (John Travolta) and Hildebrandt (James Gandolfini) track them down and bring them to justice.

Cast

Development and production

Filming began on March 21, 2005, with the majority of shooting taking place on location in and around historic venues in Jacksonville, Florida.[3][4] Portions were filmed in the historic Springfield district north of Downtown. The scene of the bungalow court was filmed at "Dancey Terrace" (Redell Street) which was at the time vacant but is now being restored.[5] Additional shooting occurred in nearby Fernandina and Amelia Island.[6] Several scenes were shot in the Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington. Shots of the famous fireplace and Peacock Lounge can be seen in the background.

Jacksonville competed with Orlando and Ocala, Florida, and the state of Louisiana for the film. The film crew consisted of 218 local technicians, actors, and actresses, and 833 extras who generated a $3.28 million influx to the region.[7]

Release

Lonely Hearts premiered in the U.S. at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 30, 2006. Following this the film had a screening at the Jacksonville Film Festival on May 18, 2006.[8] The film was given a staggered release internationally throughout the final quarter of 2006 and into 2007. Lonely Hearts was scheduled to be given a limited release by Roadside Attractions in the U.S. on April 13, 2007. It was available to watch on Clickstar on-demand shortly after its domestic release.

Reception

The film earned $188,565 in the United States and Canada, and $2,330,589 in the rest of the world, for a combined gross of $2,519,154.[9]

Critical reaction was mixed. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 47% approval rating from 43 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Several genres and plotlines intertwine in Lonely Hearts but don't connect, creating an uneven and unsatisfying film."[10]

Home media

The Region One DVD was released by Sony on July 31, 2007, although it was available for rental in several countries since late 2006.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ "Lonely Hearts (2016)". IMDb. Retrieved October 7, 2020. [better source needed]
  2. ^ Callahan, Dan (March 19, 2007). "Review: Lonely Hearts". www.slantmagazine.com. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  3. ^ John Travolta & James Gandolfini Shooting Movie
  4. ^ "Hearts Aren't Lonely for Jacksonville's Crew and Businesses". Archived from the original on February 24, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  5. ^ 'Springfield: Dancy Terrace (Redell Street)' Archived April 23, 2019, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ ‘Lonely Hearts’ Archived August 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "Hearts Aren't Lonely for Jacksonville's Crew and Businesses". Jacksonville Economic Development Commission Film and Television Newsletter. 2006. Archived from the original on February 24, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  8. ^ Jacksonville Film Festival Kicks Off, "Lonely Hearts" to Premiere
  9. ^ "Lonely Hearts". Box Office Mojo.
  10. ^ "Lonely Hearts". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on October 5, 2008. Retrieved January 25, 2022.