Rating: Summary: An Outstanding Movie! Review: "The Crying Game" shocked the bejesus out of me the first time I saw it with its great story and big "surprise". The immaculately crafted script and direction of Neil Jordan combined with stellar performances of Stephan Rea, Forrest Whitaker, Miranda Richardson, and the androgynously brilliant Jaye Davidson, make this a masterpiece of modern film making. It was nominated for several Oscars, including Best Picture, won Neil Jordan the Original Screenplay award, and the only reason Davidson didn't take home Supporting Actor was because of Gene Hackman ("Unforgiven"). Otherwise, he would have been a shoo-in.
Rating: Summary: Huge Disappointment Review: I rented this movie based on the rave reviews I had read and totally expected to enjoy it. It is now less than an hour after the movie ended and I still have not been able to shake the incredible depression I felt when it was over. There are those who claim the movie was about the power of love to conquer all but I simply didn't see that anywhere in this film. All I saw was two miserable, lonely people who had nothing in common attempting to form a bond that was doomed from the beginning. Dil's desperate neediness was heartbreaking to see. I felt she manipulated and took advantage of the kindness and good heart of Fergus at every turn. I was terribly disappointed with this film and cannot recommend it to anyone.
Rating: Summary: Honest Heart & Deceitful Love... Review: Jody (Forest Whitaker) is on leave from the British military and is in Northern Ireland when he meets a Irish woman with whom he is attempting to have sex with. However, it is all a set up and he is kidnapped by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and has three days to live unless the IRA's demands are met. During this time, one of the IRA soldiers, Fergus (Stephen Rea), befriends Jody and they tell each other personal stories. As the third day approaches, they become aware of what the near future holds for Jody, since British troops have not answered the IRA's demands. When Jody thinks of this he asks Fergus if he could go to London and tell his beloved Dil that he was thinking of her before he died. Fergus does not want to think about it, but when everything goes wrong he finds that he must leave Ireland and cross the waters to England. This presents a chance to fulfill Jody's last wish; however, will the truth be as in Jody's stories? The Crying Game is an excellent story that offers compassion, love, and betrayal amidst a chilling war between the IRA and Great Britain. When the end credits begin to roll over the screen the audience is left with a notion to ponder.
Rating: Summary: good movie, terrible transfer... Review: The DVD transfer of this movie is very bad. The sides of the image fade into vertical black bars in both widescreen and fullscreen modes. There are VBR-reminiscent compression artifacts. The picture jumps. I am not a video-quality fetishist, but, but.
Rating: Summary: interesting message Review: I saw this movie after the Academy Awards and so I had a pretty good idea what it was that everyone was talking about but not saying. There is a surprise twist in this movie but I will try not to give it away. The story, as I saw it, was the guilt of one man who felt himself responsible for the death of another man. Whether or not the man is guilty as such is left up to the viewer. His sense of guilt causes him to question his values. As he begins to discard his values, his conscience leads him to embrace the dead man's values. He, in essence, is sacrificing his life and attempting to recreate himself as the dead man. The "twist" to this story is an essential part of this transistion because it forces the main character to discard more than he had imagined. In accepting even this aspect of his new life, he has completed his metamorphasis. I saw this movie but once and I was stunned with its' message. It is an expertly told tale and the acting and directing are superb. I have been haunted by it ever since I saw it. I do not recommend this movie to everyone. If this synopsis has you interested then, by all means, see the movie. However, I close by admonishing everyone to pay attention to the R rating.
Rating: Summary: Not what you think. Review: If you think this is a film that builds till a guy finds out a secret about a girl your wrong. Its a story of a man who is trying to get out of the ira. like any good ganster film they pull him right back in. The secret is found out in the middle of the film and has little to do with this films charm.keep an open mind and you might just find a film you never knew you liked.Enjoy your dayPhiPPs
Rating: Summary: dvd is annoying Review: This DVD starts with a super noisey sound effect's demo. This was really annoying. The movie was pretty much down hill from there. On Par with other movies which have promotional materials mentioning Oscar nominations; Very boring.
Rating: Summary: You'll be thinking about it long after it's over Review: I admit, I missed the beginning of this film, so I've ordered a copy of my own. I want to see it straight through. This film is wonderful on so many levels. The storyline is heartbreaking and suspenseful, and it tugs at your heart too. Keep an open mind - there's a lot more to it than the "secret" that you probably already know about (but I won't tell anyway). To me, this isn't really a love story in the typical sense. This story is more about loyalty and atonement than it is about anything else (in my opinion). I didn't expect to like it as much as I did - I didn't know how much depth it would have. When I first heard about the film's "secret, I thought "Eh. This film does not sound like my cup of tea." So that's why it took me 10 years after this film's release to finally see it. I wish I had not waited so long. This movie is about SO much more than the "secret". SO much more. Do see it - you won't regret it.
Rating: Summary: Almost a classic Review: The twist in this film may have had viewers talking (or speechless), because that's just about the only thing one might remember at first. Subsequent viewings show what a first rate film this is, outstanding acting and provocative subject matter. Watch it again but try to focus on everything and everyone besides Jaye Davidson. It really could become a classic.
Rating: Summary: As Unpredictable As Life Itself Review: Never mind the famous gender-bending plot twist: what makes THE CRYING GAME such a fascinating film is its unpredictability. The exceptionally original script has more twists than a Rubic's Cube: each time you believe you know where the story is going, it promptly goes somewhere else. The cinematography is equally deceptive, with the camera's point of view constantly leading you into making assumptions--and then undercutting them. The performances by an incredibly gifted cast are equally amazing, with each performer offering the unexpected in characterization at every turn. All things considered, I can think of no other film that so consistently encourages and then completely defeats the viewers' expectations. But perhaps the most amazing thing about THE CRYING GAME is that, for all the movie's twists and turns, the film is actually less about gimmicks than it is about the human heart. Who can say that lovers will not turn into bitter rivals, or the most unlikely of adversaries will not become close-knit friends? Who can predict love? For all the tricksy elements that so dazzle, THE CRYING GAME concerns our discovery of humanity in each other--even in the person of some one society tells us to hate--and so, in a typically unexpected way, the message of the film is one of the transcendental power of love. A must have for any collection.
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