Review of Heart and Souls (1993) by Arelis R — 29 Apr 2012

Normally, a movie like "Heart and Souls" wouldn't do much for me, but this is a surprisingly effective charmer. Thanks to some smart writing and winning performances, I fell for this lightweight, slight romantic comedy.

As a director, Ron Underwood has been responsible for some great films but the writers here are the ones who really leave their mark. This is an old-fashioned, sweet and sentimental film that is a refreshing change of pace. When people say, "They don't make 'em like they used to", they very easily could have been talking about this picture.

The casting couldn't be more perfect. It's filled with good performances, including the usually reliable Alfre Woodard and Elisabeth Shue. But it's Robert Downey Jr. who steals the show much like he has in past films such as "Chances Are". In fact, he's probably the only actor alive who could have pulled off this physical, wacked-out role. He's a great comic actor, and he's a lot of fun to watch when the supporting cast of angels invade his body, but he's also very good in the romantic scenes with Shue.

I was instantly charmed by the film, and I never once let my cynicism kick in. I bought this contrived storyline hook, line and sinker and the film won me over right from the start. For all of these reasons, the movie works and I fell for it on the strengths of Downey's terrific performance. He carries an able cast, and turns what could have been a forgettable film into a great date movie. You could do a lot worse than "Heart and Souls". If it worked on me, most everyone else should be satisfied as well.