Lonely Hearts (2007)

Set in the late 1940s, a con man (Jared Leto) bilks lonely women by romancing them and absconding with their money. But when he meets a woman (Salma Hayek) who puts her mark on him, they join forces and she masquerades as his sister. Only this time, it's not just taking money from widows and spinsters, it's a killing spree. Directed by Todd Robinson and based on the serial killers Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck (previously the basis of a fictionalized movie called HONEYMOON KILLERS), who murdered twenty women between 1947 and 1949. The film slipped under the radar when it had an all too quick theatrical release and went straight to VOD. It deserved a better fate. The film is riveting when concentrating on the Fernandez/Beck relationship and murders. But half the film is devoted to the two detectives (John Travolta, James Gandolfini) attempting to track down the killers and that portion is prosaic. Travolta is actually quite good but Gandolfini gives a rare bad performance. If you come across it, give it a chance, you'll be surprised. With Laura Dern, Scott Caan and a nice performance by Alice Krige (STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT) as one of the murder victims.