This screwball comedy brings together some great dramatic actors in unaccustomed comedic roles. The results are mixed (but mostly good), with some terrific slapstick and some pure drivel. Maxine (Sigourney Weaver) and Paige (Jennifer Love Hewitt) are two very slick con artists who find rich patsies and marry them, only to divorce them for big settlements after enticing them into indiscretions. When they get nabbed by the IRS for not paying their taxes, they must score one more time to climb out of their financial mess. The target is chain smoking billionaire William B. Tensy (Gene Hackman) who is dying before our eyes of lung disease. The only question is whether Maxine can get him to propose before he keels over. Meanwhile, Paige is running her own scam on Jack (Jason Lee) who owns a bar resting on prime real estate worth $3 Million.
It is mostly pratfall humor, with lots of sight gags and general nuttiness, which is often uproariously funny. The whole idea that the diminutive Paige could have been spawned from the Amazonian Maxine is implied comedy at its finest, leading us to conclude that Paige's father could only have been a midget.
Gene Hackman completely steals the show as the wheezy billionaire. Hackman, who is one of our national treasures as a dramatic actor, shows magnificent range, and he turns out to be the best comedian of the bunch. Sigourney Weaver is also in rare form brandishing some bodacious outfits and undergarments. She is especially funny as Olga, trotting out impressive broken English and even doing some vocals accompanied by a Russian balalaika band. Ray Liotta gives a lighthearted and funny performance as a chop shop owner who can't get over his love for Maxine, even though he knows she scammed him. Jason Lee's understated nice guy portrayal serves as the perfect counterpart to Jennifer Love Hewitt's bratty vamp. The perennially cute Hewitt still can't seem to transition into grownup roles. No matter how sexy they make her up (and they do quite a good job with her considerable attributes), her pubescent mannerisms and delivery still make her come off as a teenage harpy. In her defense, this is what the role required, but it doesn't do much to move her out of her character rut.
Overall, there is a lot of good fun here that is often dissipated by puerile absurdity. Still, there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, mostly delivered by Weaver and Hackman, that make this a better than average comedy. I rated it 7/10. Fans who like seeing Sigourney and Jennifer in sexy outfits will not be disappointed.
