It's worth more than a 5! Random Hearts is one of very few films shot entirely in the Washington DC area, and I like to revisit for historic reasons.

The film unfolds slowly and runs for more than 2 hours – a tough sell in an age of 10-second attention spans. But the plot is more complex than it seems. There is a large cast of sleazy, disgusting people. I got much more from a third viewing; significantly turning up the volume during the first 5 minutes – especially the haranguing, racist lawyer in the court scene. The dialog often seems to be almost mundane filler, but no phrase or word is wasted because everything comes back to haunt later as the lies and deceit crash back down the mountain of infidelity. Meanwhile their workday routines are what anchor the sad survivors.

Ford is an IAD detective investigating a crime lord who's brazen enough to attempt murder in broad daylight. Kristin Scott Thomas works very well as the icy preppie congress-critter kicking off a campaign and determined to keep any whiff of negativity at bay. Her strategy is to move on immediately since there's nothing she can do to bring back either her cheating husband or his lover. But Ford is a cop and has to know; not so much out of spite, but because his training taught him to spot liars – and he couldn't believe that his wife had duped him. Naturally they realize their spouses were leading double lives while their friends and co- workers covered for them.

The couple finally realize as the gossip reaches her daughter that they both need closure. Both stars played the best, most convincing roles of their careers. Harrison Ford in particular reached his John Wayne moment.

The love scene in her car at National Airport is so packed with intense emotion that words escape me.

If you hated it the first time around, try it again, and repeat, "this is not a chick flick."

Sydney Pollack kept a tight directorial rein on his stars and his cast in Random Hearts. As a result you get a romantic film both tender and expressive in their faces. Good thing that Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas have faces that the camera loves.

They are the most unlikeliest of lovers. The only other way that these two would meet is if Washington, DC cop Ford was ever assigned to a security detail Representative Thomas. Unlikely as Ford's assignment is Internal Affairs. But somewhere their spouses Susanna Thompson and Peter Coyote did meet. In fact they've been meeting regularly for some time now.

It all comes to light when the two are killed in a plane crash that goes down in the Potomac River. As one of them is traveling under an assumed name and the other lied about her destination it does take someone with the mind of an investigator to track it down. Depending on your point of view of how fortunate for Ford that he is one.

Both Ford and Thomas are dealing with other issues. Ford and his partner Charles Dutton have just busted Dennis Haysbert, a cop who was shaking down social club operators for protection money. In fact in a very interesting hostage scene Ford puts Haysbert in custody. You have to see the film alone for how he handles that.

As for Thomas she's facing a multi-millionaire opponent for her seat which is one of the two in New Hampshire. Not really a good time for dirty laundry to be aired. We never see her opponent, but he's one of those family values types so we know exactly what she can expect.

Still these two become a comfort to each other and soon enough become quite a bit more. How their worlds eventually publicly intersect is for you to see Random Hearts.

In a modern urban setting Random Hearts is a love story, the kind that Hollywood used to do so well. Bid kudos to Sydney Pollack and his stars and cast for delivering on this one.

Kay (Kristin Scott Thomas) is a political newbie running for office. Her husband is played by Peter Coyote. Dutch (Harrison Ford) is police IA investigator and he thinks his marriage to Peyton (Susanna Thompson) is fine. However Dutch finds that his wife died in a plane crash suspecting that she's having an affair.

Director Sydney Pollack has made a very undramatic movie. It's slow moving. The first half of the movie meanders to the point of meaninglessness. When the mystery of their affair start to surface, Dutch goes into mean investigating machine mode. Dutch investigating was interesting for about 10 minutes, but the affair is never allowed to be in doubt. The question becomes where is the mystery. Kay puts it best. They're gone. There isn't even a possibility of divorce. So what's the point of the movie.

I guess the point is for these two leads to work out their anger and their loss together. It is just so slow with the jazzy trumpets and soft piano. Sydney Pollack thinks this is more profound that it actually is. The two leads have no chemistry. Harrison Ford is horribly cold. The romance is nothing more than melodrama. His police investigation is nothing but a sideshow. I would have more respect for the movie if Dutch goes ahead and shoots the suspect. If this movie is about Kay and only about Kay, the story has a little bit of potential. There is a bit more on her side with her daughter and political ramifications.