From: georgr@microsoft.com (George V. Reilly)
Subject: REVIEW: THE CRYING GAME
Reply-To: georgr@microsoft.com (George V. Reilly)
Organization: Microsoft Corporation
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 17:37:41 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.movies
Summary: r.a.m.r. #01644
Keywords: author=Reilly

			        THE CRYING GAME
		       A film review by George V. Reilly
			Copyright 1992 George V. Reilly

     THE CRYING GAME is a film written and directed by Neil Jordan.  It
stars Stephen Rea, Jaye Davidson, Forest Whitaker, and Miranda
Richardson.  Rated R for nudity and mature themes.

     THE CRYING GAME is Jordan's best film since MONA LISA.  After a
string of flops---THE MIRACLE, WE'RE NO ANGELS, and the awful HIGH
SPIRITS---it's a profound relief to know that he is still capable of
making a film that is both thoughtful and gripping.

     This is a difficult film to review.  To discuss it properly would
require me to give away many of the surprises it holds in store for you.

     Stephen Rea plays Fergus, an IRA terrorist, who helps kidnap Jody,
a black English soldier played by Forest Whitaker.  The IRA want to
exchange Jody for one of their own men who is being interrogated by the
British.  If he's not handed back to them in three days, the IRA will
kill Jody.  Fergus has a kinder nature than the other kidnappers, who
see Jody only as a bargaining token, and he is gradually befriended by
Jody: Fergus feeds Jody, talks to him, and spends many hours guarding
him alone.  Jody grows to trust Fergus and knowing that he probably
won't survive, he shows a picture of his girlfriend to Fergus and asks
him to look her up.

     After the kidnapping ends in a bloody raid by the British Army,
Fergus barely escapes with his life.  Deciding to lie low for a while,
he heads "across the water" to London, where he gets himself a job as a
brickie on a building site.  Jimmy, as he now calls himself, finds Dil
(Jody's girlfriend, played by Jaye Davidson) and becomes friends with
her.  Of course, they start to fall in love.  Life suddenly becomes far
more complicated when the other survivors of the IRA cell catch up with
him.

     There are some obvious parallels to MONA LISA.  In both, the stars
are gentle, kind, naive men trapped in circumstances beyond their
control, with obligations to their ruthless bosses.  In both, they fall
in love with a beautiful, self-destructive black woman (though in
neither film is their colour important).

     THE CRYING GAME is not, however, a simple-minded reworking of MONA
LISA.  For one thing, it's not so bleak in tone.  Dil is sweeter, more
innocent, and less self-destructive than her counterpart in MONA LISA,
and Fergus is made of somewhat sterner stuff than Bob Hopkins's
character.

     THE CRYING GAME is a voyage of self discovery.  Fergus comes to
learn about himself, about the nature of loyalty, friendship, love, and
sexual attraction.

     This is a wonderful film, much better than my meager reviewing
skills are able to convey to you.  THE CRYING GAME works well both as a
thriller and as a love story.  Jordan has filled the film with
unheralded surprises, and the central surprise, the point upon which
much of the film turns, was completely unexpected to most of the
audience---including me.  Not only are the direction and the plot
excellent, but so too are the performances; in particular, those of
Davidson (whose first film this is) and Rea.

     I don't yet know which is the better film, MONA LISA or THE CRYING
GAME.  I'm not even sure if the question is worth asking---both are
excellent films and the comparison is somewhat invidious.  I do know
that I will enjoy watching THE CRYING GAME again and that it's been too
long since I last saw MONA LISA.

     Recommended.  One of the best films of the year.
________________
George V. Reilly   <GeorgeRe@Microsoft.Com>

Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews