The Man Who Cried
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Movie Reviews of The Man Who Cried
Movie Review: A sleeper of astonishing colour and beauty
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Man Who Cried" is a feast for the eyes and ears alike. One recent review called it "the art-house companion to Moulin Rouge," and that doesn't seem too far off. The film begins with Fegele and her father in 1927 Russia, with a beautifully photographed game of hide and seek. Fearing for his family's safety, her father sends her away to America, but Fegele ends up in England by mistake, is renamed Suzie and is raised by a grim British couple. The scenes of the Russian shtetl are grim, and colour truly doesn't become pronounced until we see the cabaret shows of Paris, the gaudy costumes and headdresses and the opera sets.Suzie (Christina Ricci) runs into fellow showgirl Lola (Cate Blanchett) and the two room together, locking horns over Italian sensation Dante, the main draw at the theatre, who also happens to be a fascist. Lola gets her way and her man. Enter one very mysterious, brooding Gypsy horseman (Johnny Depp, reprising his role from Chocolat) who captures Suzie's heart. This entire whirlwind of music, passion and drama occurs on the eve of World War Two, and Suzie is in danger of being discovered as Jewish.
The cinematography is gorgeous, with washed-out colours in Russia, beautiful cityscapes of Paris (especially the bike/horse chase at night!), gaudily bright costumes and opera sets, the exotic colour, music and flair of the Gypsy camp and costumes. The colour brings to mind the brilliant Technicolour prints of the earlier days, with vibrant, surreal colours.
The soundtrack is equally stunning, with contributions by newcomer Italian tenor Salvatore Licitra, the Kronos Quartet, the Gypsy ensemble Taraf de Haidouks, and Czech songstress Iva Bittova providing the voice for Christina Ricci. The operatic selections by Bizet, Puccini, Purcell, and Verdi are balanced by original score (the stunning "Close Your Eyes" is the most beautiful song in the movie) and frantic Gypsy music. Bittova's "Gloomy Sunday" is a delightful study in atmosphere, and appropriately sets the tone for an onscreen event near the end of the film.
"The Man Who Cried" is an unusual, beautiful, and touching glimpse at a decadent Europe on the brink of war, the vibrant Gypsy culture, the Jewish shtetls of Russia, and the world of opera, all intertwined with romance and connections to the past.
Movie Review: Superb casting makes this film sparkle
Summary: 5 Stars
I am not usually a fan of the 'gentler genre', but The Man Who Cried is an extraordinary tale of pre-war life and love. Little Fegele is sent away by her father to go to America where she will be safe, but Fegele winds out in England instead, where she is renamed Suzie and raised as English instead of the Russian Jew that she is. Suzie (Christina Ricci) remembers her father singing, and when she comes of age, she leaves for Paris to be near the theaters.
She meets Lola (Cate Blanchett) and the two girls decide to room together. They are friends, though watching them is like looking at night and day. Performing in the theater where they work is opera singer Dante Dominio (John Turturro), with a beautiful voice and a considerable ego. Lola takes up with Dante, much to Suzie's dismay, about the same time Suzie becomes interested in the gypsies that perform along with the theater.
Enter Cesar (Johnny Depp), who plays roles in the theater's performances with his gorgeous white horse. Suzie is drawn to him, the feeling very clear that it is not just Cesar's smoldering good looks but a sense of affinity with him that calls to her, both of them being outcasts in some way. What follows are a couple of 'Hello Vicar' sensually passionate scenes between Ricci and Depp (Yowza!) as they find love with each other.
But pre-war France was a dangerous place for Jews, and when the jealous Dante exposes Suzie, which infuriates the gold-digging Lola enough to leave him, Suzie must say goodbye to Cesar and travel on to America to try and find her father.
'The Man Who Cried' is a very pretty movie, not deep in plot but visually moving, truly a piece of cinematic eye-candy. The photography and the brilliant acting by Ricci, Depp, Blanchett, and Turturro carry this movie all the way to five stars. The soundtrack to the movie is wonderful, with some very moving operatic pieces that enhance the overall feel of the film. Taking its place as a sleepy, dramatic movie with no real action, 'The Man Who Cried' still made a powerful impact on me, though I don't usually pick up movies of this genre. Yes, it's that good, definitely a 'buy to own' rather than 'rent' DVD. Enjoy!
Movie Review: Smoldering on Horseback
Summary: 5 Stars
This film is for those Johnny Depp fans who were not fans of his during his days as a young Tom Hanson in 21 JumpStreet. He plays a brooding, sexy gypsy, with little dialogue and big expressive eyes, who roughly takes Christina Ricci's virginity in a dirty, torn armchair after sending her smoldering looks from the back of his white stallion. His departure from the movie leaves a very anticlimactic feeling, as we continue to follow Ricci's character Susie after she has walked away from the feigning-sleep Depp character. Our last glimpse of Depp's character Cesar, opening his eyes at her departure, left me thinking that the film was over, as I stopped caring what happened to Susie, Lola( Cate Blanchett) and Dante (John Turturro), and focused on what I imagined his fate would be as a gypsy in Nazi-occupied Paris. This movie, writen and directed by Sally Potter, clearly exploits the fantasy of the sexuality of handsome gypsy men, and left me (a 40-something yr. old academic who should know better) daydreaming of Cesar and I riding off on his horse. The young girl who plays Ricci as a child, distanced from her father and torn from her whole world life, is very touching to watch, and I cried as she smashed photos in her new foreign home. My biggest complaint about this film is that while Depp can act just by blinking his eyes, Ricci's similar acting style did not seem as convincing to me, and I waited for her to show more expression in her huge, blank, puppy-dog eyes. She did not seem as convincing in her role as Depp, Blanchett and Turturro did in theirs, and I was painfully embarrassed at her singing, which was mentioned throughout the film as if it was spectacular (it most definitely was not)! This is a film that shows another side of Depp, and those who only think of him as Edward Scissorhands, Gilbert Grape, or Captain Jack Sparrow should watch this for his final scene with Ricci, where he speaks volumes by remaining silent, and left me sighing with longing for this wonderful character.Movie Review: Suspend Disbelief, Even If You Don't Like Ricci
Summary: 5 Stars
THE MAN WHO CRIED is (fair warning) in the nature of a idealistic chick-flick with an overlay of socio-political importance. But this film defies pretty much all of the possible negatives, and succeeds almost despite itself. Christina Ricci is not an actress I like to watch at all - I think she just about ruined SLEEPY HOLLOW - but don't let this bother you in TMWC. For one thing, she has very few lines to dully deliver, and remarkably enough, she doesn't look foul-tempered or pouty more than once or twice. Johnny Depp has very few lines, and in previous reviews, is treated as if he is not a principle player, but in fact, his role is critical to the whole story. The photography and brilliant direction and editing, as well as a breath-taking performance by Cate Blanchett, prove once again that patience is a virtue. I didn't find the film slow, as some reviewers have, but it is a good idea to just turn off the inner critic and let the film roll. John Tuturro (sp?) proves, once again, that he has acting chops to burn. If you've seen OH BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?, you won't believe his performance in this one as an Italian opera singer - better to say, you WILL believe his performance. I think the direction and cinematography make this five stars, even without Depp. With Depp, it moves to 5 1/2.Movie Review: Sad and mesmerizing
Summary: 5 Stars
Christina Ricci is so believable as a lost Russian Jewish girl misplace in England where she is adopted by a Christian family who is in my opinion sadistic and vile. Cate Blanchett is excellent as a blonde show girl who falls in love with a man (John Turturo) who sees Mussolini as the Italians savior, and then leaves him because her heritage makes her a prime target for the Nazi's who are coming to power.
Johnny Depp, is seems can play any part well. He speaks little but his expressions speak volumes which for me is a sign of a great actor. I found myself feeling like a person across the room drawn into his presence.
The story line is wonderful for those of us who appreciate history and the lessons it has to teach about evil and how no matter how hard we may believe that the evil we see elsewhere can never come to our land, it can.
The music is mesmerizing as is the cinematography. Yes, its slow at times, but I appreciated this because it added some intellectual magic to the movie. Its a terribly sad movie, with an ending that is different. But feeling sadness isn't all bad.