Thursday 21 January 2010

It's In My Nature.

Woah, so somehow I've managed to fall behind by eight (count 'em, eight) films over the last few days. Which I think on the one hand is quite impressive (I've watched eight films in the last few days! Woohoo! I've almost caught up on my 365 thing!) and on the other is quite unimpressive (my god, you've had time to watch eight films, but not time to write any of them up? For shame.)


So, these are going to have to be brief in order that I may reestablish some order.


First up, The Crying Game. This was a bit of a spur of the moment, borrowed housemates DVD choice when a DVD of House Of Flying Daggers didn't work. Or didn't work to my liking. Only every third line was subtitled. That just ain't cricket in my book.





I didn't mind it. Fergus (Stephen Rea) is an IRA volunteer who is part of a kidnapping team who take out British soldier Jody (Forest Whitaker), giving the Brits three days to release some political prisoners or else Jody gets it. Of course, that all goes to shit. As they're about to kill him, the Brits strike the IRA camp, Jody escapes, but isn't so lucky on the road. Fergus hightails it to London to get away from all that was, and upholds a promise made to Jody that he'd find his lover Dil (Jaye Davidson) and tell Dil how much she meant to Jody. Fergus, of course, falls for Dil, but Dil isn't all that she seems. And to make matters worse, the IRA chaps who were bossing young Fergus around, led by Jude (Miranda Richardson), track him down and force him to try and do nasty things to a judge. Of course, this all goes to shit too. It all really goes to shit again and again. Lots of things, going to shit.


I watched it almost a week ago, and I've got to say that it was enjoyable enough, but it hasn't made that much of an impact on me. Rea was fine, though I didn't think there was anything spectacular there. Whitaker I never really believed as a Brit. Richardson was probably the best of them, though Davidson did do a striking job as Dil (Jaye is male - I'm referring to Dil as female because that is the gender identity through the film), earning himself a Best Supporting Actor nom in the process. It was his first role, and he's done pretty much nothing since, so what a way to make yourself known. Jim Broadbent pops up in supporting, doing his normal fine work.


Director Neil Jordan does a fine job, and the fashion, of the fashion. It's a 1992 film so you can imagine what it looked like. Retro fabulous.


All in all, though, I'm giving this one 3 stars. Maybe at the time I would have been more amenable to lauding it, but not today.

1 comment:

  1. I remember "The Crying Game" being quite a big success among critics back when it was released. I think it is a very brave movie, we don't see such bold stories often. The performances were also amazing.
    Neil Jordan is currently planning a TV series THE BORGIAS for Showtime, which are planned for 2011 after the amazing TUDORS finish their successful rule this spring.

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