Stolen Hearts

A blonde Sandra B. and her beau of longstanding, played by the equally blond Dennis Leary, romp their way through a romantic comedy having to do with a bunch of small-time crooks and a very valuable stolen painting. Shot in scenic Nova Scotia, the backgrounds are absolutely gorgeous, and Bullock and Leary have great rapport that makes their rocky relationship very believable. FBI agent Yaphet Koto is along for the ride in a role similar to the one he essayed in MIDNIGHT RUN. Leary co-wrote this, In a manner reminiscent of Donald Westlake -- which is a very good thing, if you know who Westlake is. If not, look him up. Leary is consistently Leary (maybe he was born a fully developed adult), while Bullock in 1996 is growing into the superstar that we know today. She's playing a role that might have been Julia Roberts' a few years before, as she did in several other pictures prior to SPEED and MISS CONGENIALITY, which she made her own.

Denis Leary: One of the greatest Irish American comedian/actors to emerge in the Nineties.

Sandra Bullock: One of the most engaging actresses to emerge around the same time.

When they appeared in Demolition Man in 1993, there was little chance to see any chemistry between the pair for all the big bangs and special effects. They rarely shared any scenes together which made matters worse.

So when this movie put them together three years later, the going looked good. Great Nova Scotia scenery and a screenplay partly written by Leary looked promising.

Alas, while both stars are still great, the script and pacing lacks a lot. As a fan of both stars, I could only watch half an hour before I had to go to bed.

The fact that I saw it after the dreadful Speed 2 made it a little easier to palate, but not much.

If you want to see a great movie involving Leary and a stolen painting watch The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) instead.

The story is nothing new, the acting ain't that great, but "Two if by Sea" has its moments. It's an entertaining little movie, and Sandra Bullock's mixture of charm, sarcasm, and innocence play out well. The movie knows it's not too sophisticated or shrewd (even the cop says of his own investigation, "this is too easy") and it's a great film to watch on an afternoon or just to be entertained. If you're a Sandra fan, you'll like it no matter what. :)

Roz [Sandra Bullock] Has hooked up with Frank [Dennis Leary, a small time crook who is always looking for that big job to retire on] who is fed up with him not treating her as a lady, she reluctantly ends up in this little coastal town to do a deal with the stolen painting on their last job, where they try to fit in among the residents living there, when Roz finds how the other half live and likes it, she also finds a love.

A very funny romantic comedy, look out for the scene Sandra's getting changed, and on the bed with Dennis.

It hit me while watching this that the movie would have been better if Sandra Bullock and Dennis Leary were not criminals. I know, strange, as that is the whole basis for plot, but the two of them were such fun when they were bantering that I thought the plot just got in the way. If it would have been about the two of them sneaking up to Martha's Vineyard to rekindle their romance, this would have been a truly great film.