You have a fully loaded cast for a great gangster flick. Depp, Pacino, Paul Giamatti, Michael Madsen as a vicious mobster, etc. and then you have Anne Heche. She had less than zero chemistry with Depp, looked lost in her part and her accent was terrible.
I know she was inexplicably popular (again for reasons beyond me) but a better actress who had actual chemisty with Depp was needed to show why he was torn between the gangster life and his family.
She was popular at the time-- or, rather, well known-- because of her relationship with Ellen Degeneres. Lesbian relationships weren't so public back then, even in the entertainment business. I think that she was a curiosity due to her very public personal life, not her acting prowess. I, personally, had never heard of her until she showed up along side Ellen.
i think the zero chemistry helped with the 'this isn't working we need counceling' idea.
But this is one of those movies where the wife has such a small part that there's no time for us to care about her.
I don't see any problems in her performance whatsoever. No chemistry between her and Depp? Well, first off, this isn't a love story and their relationship as well as her character was merely a subplot (at best - you could argue that their relationship was just a device to show how dedicated Joe is and how he slowly turns into a gangster himself).
Secondly, their marriage was failing, right? So, "no chemistry" helps. And she "looked lost" because that's what her character was: Left alone with her kids and problems because her husband is never at home, doesn't keep promises and slowly turns into a schizophrenic. You'd be lost, too.
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To me she didn't ruin the movie.She gave a decnt performance.She wasn't bad and she wasn't outstanding.
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I keep reading in this forum, among others, about movies where the 2 leading stars ( usually male and female ) had no chemistry. The dialogue for any 'couple' that shows no chemistry, is because the lack of it in the script?
shareI thought she was great in this movie.
And there wasn't really meant to be much chemistry, their marriage was going to hell.
usually whoever is up and rising star at the time, and her star was rising so she was cast in a lot of movies. this happened to be one of them. its all timing.. agreed, she wasn't anything special..
shareI concur not based on this particular performance but that I can't stand the woman so that anything she is in is a distraction.
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