“Heartbreaker” (“L’arnacoeur”)

I love this movie so much that I had to stop and rewatch it in the middle of writing this.

Romain Duris plays Alex, a con man with an interesting angle: he and his sister and her husband are hired by the family or friends of women in crappy relationships to break them up -- women Alex describes as "unhappy without admitting it." There are rules: no sex, no break-ups based on race or religion, no happy couples, and if she goes back to her ex, whoever hired them gets a full refund. After a smooch or two, Alex assures the woman that even if he can't love again (sob!), she is beautiful and amazing and should go seek her destiny. Instead of being royally pissed off, the ladies find their old joie de vivre, DTMF, and jaunt off into the sunset.

Their latest case is going to be a tough nut to crack. Juliette (Vanessa Paradis) has a fulfilling job and a gorgeous fiancé who still sends her scented letters. Why did Juliette's semi-estranged father hire Alex to break them up? Can he do it before their wedding in 10 days? Meanwhile, Alex's history is creeping up on him, and the team is heavily in debt from their high-flying plans and expensive tastes. There's also a hilarious treat for Dirty Dancing enthusiasts.

The core idea of tricking women into seeing or recovering an idea of their own self-worth is a sticking point, I'll admit. At the same time, I don't think it's malicious or misogynistic at heart. Hell, I'd argue that people of all genders and persuasions could use a little Alex in their lives on occasion.

Watch it on Netflix Instant!