Forest Whitaker Movie:

Editorial Review:
The Crying Game offers a rare and precious movie experience. The film is an unclassifiable original that surprises, intrigues, confounds, and delights you with its freshness, humor, and honesty from beginning to end. It starts as a psychological thriller, as IRA foot soldier Fergus (the incomparable Stephen Rea) kidnaps a British soldier (Forest Whitaker) and waits for the news that will determine whether he executes his victim or sets him free. As the night wears on, a peculiar bond begins to form between the two men. Later, the movie shifts tone and morphs into something of a romantic comedy as Fergus unexpectedly becomes involved with the soldier's girlfriend Dil (Jaye Davidson) and discovers more about himself, and human nature in general, than he ever dreamed possible. Like Spielberg's E.T., The Crying Game was supposed to be director Neil Jordan's "little, personal movie," the one he just had to make, even though no studio was willing to give him money because the story was so unusual. Instead, it became a surprise popular sensation, thanks in part to Miramax's cleverly provocative campaign playing up the hush-hush nature of the movie's big secret. The performances (including Miranda Richardson as one of Fergus's IRA colleagues) are subtly shaded, and the writing and direction are tantalizingly rich and suggestive; you're always trying to figure out the characters' true motives and feelings--even when they themselves are fully aware of their own motives and feelings. The Crying Game is a wise, witty, wondrous treasure of a movie. Director Jordan's credits include Mona Lisa, Interview with the Vampire, Michael Collins, and The Butcher Boy. --Jim Emerson

The Crying Game [Region 2] Reviews:
Bob Larson's Favorite Movie!
2009-09-15 - I remember the first time that I heard about this movie. It was back in 1992. That Fundamentalist Goebbels type-Bob Larson-was babbling about it on his now defunct "Talkback" radio show. In between his whinings for a "500 Dollar Champion" and a "Thousand Dollar Hero," he obsessed over this movie! It is odd, because, except fot the now open "secret," he rermarked on how good the plot of this movie was. But it was the "secret" that obsessed him and made him cut this movie down at every opportunity! I have never heard a "straight" man, let alone a preacher be so obsessed with a p*n*s!

Being closeted at the time, I naturally had to see this film! After all, if Larson condemned it so bad, I just HAD to see it! What impressed me with it was how it showed that the deep human need for love and acceptance transcends cultural barriers, gender barriers and fanatic religious barriers supported by the Bob Larson types! The beautiful thing about the plot was how love was nurtured between Del and Fergie, and how it continued to grow even after the shock of mutual discovery of secrets. And even at the end when Fergie was in jail for Del, Del stood by him and they talked and related to each other like any "straight" couple who have been married for years!

Let this movie into your heart and let it touch you! As the bartender at the "Metro" says in this movie: "Who knows the mysteries of the human heart."

Best movie I have ever seen!
2009-09-08 - The Crying Game is one of the best I have seen. It will tear your heart out so have a box of tissues handy. Forrest Whitaker is much better in this film then he was in Species. This is really an all around great movie. Jaye Davidson is so very beautiful. It is a shame he is stuck in a males body.

Irony and the Naive Hero
2009-03-26 - The key to "The Crying Game" is the use of irony throughout the film. The irony works on various levels. It is ironic that the kidnapped black soldier (Forest Whitaker) in Northern Ireland is able to charm one of his keepers, (Fergus played by Stephen Rea), win him over. It is ironic that the soldier dies in the way he does. Irony enters into the picture more and more as it develops. Even the badinage between the girl (Dil played by Jaye Davidson) and the bartender (Col played by Jim Broadbent) is highly ironic. The movie's crisis and denouement depend upon irony.
The movie relies on one of the devices of irony, the naïve hero, to carry the story along. His obtuseness leads to serious consequences. The very last scene in the movie makes viewers wonder if they've been taken on a ride because the irony turns into a kind of strange brand of humor. Even though we've arrived at the very last scene after a lot of gore and numerous deaths, we find that we are faced with a somewhat comic situation because the girl has by word and facial expression maintained an ironic pitch throughout the movie, and she continues that tone in the last meeting. You get the feeling she thinks life in general is deeply ironic. She and the bartender know how ironic life really is.
It's a very satisfying, well-acted, and well-directed movie that ensnares you even after frequent viewings. An excellent motion picture.


Some good, some bad! * Warning - spoiler alert*
2009-02-26 - Because the basic idea for this movie had merit and because Jaye Davidson's performance was worthwhile I gave it three stars. But, here are the reasons why this movie falls short for me in the end:

1)Forest Whitaker is completely and totally unbelievable as an Englishman. The first time I heard him speak I actually laughed out loud
2)Fergus immediately becomes fast pals with Jody (despite the fact that he's holding him hostage) for no apparent reason
3)Fergus falls head over heels for Dil after seeing her in a picture once, and then surprise, still finds her intriguing after they meet.
4)We are led to believe that in the end Dil will wait for Fergus to be released from jail (based on comments that Dil makes) and they will live happily ever after despite the fact that Fergus only seems to care for Dil in an off-handed, distant, you disgust me kind of way.

I understand the confusion on Fergus' part in not knowing how to feel about Dil but there is really no resolution or overall message about this in the end which seems like a major oversight since that was one of the main issues of the movie! The whole movie could almost be summed up like this, "Fergus gets himself into a confusing situation and he doesn't know what to do, The End"!!


AN ENTHRALLING THRILLER
2009-01-08 - My brother, a preacher, considered this film a work of the devil years ago- so naturally, I had to see it. It has become one of my all-time favorite films. The story, direction, characters, poignancy, and humor are so exceptional that one viewing is never enough. The acting ( by Stephen Rea, Jaye Davidson, Forrest Whitaker, and Miranda Richardson ) is phenomenal.

The color, and sound choices on this film version are much better than I expected. This is not a film for close-minded people.