The Man Who Cried

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Singleton </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="549" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 ><NOBR><div> Your friend today may not be your friend tomorrow</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="580" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Suzie's Father: Oleg Yankovsky</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Fegele/Suzie: Christina Ricci</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Lola: Cate Blanchett</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Dante: John Turturro</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Cesar: Johnny Depp</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Perlman: Harry Dean Stanton</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Young Fegele: Claudia Lander-Duke</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Director: Sally Potter</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>30 Second Bottom Line</B>: A young woman in Russia wants to find her father who left her to find work in American eight years ago when she was just a girl.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Story Line:</B> Fegele (Claudia Lander-Duke) as a young girl, lived in Russia with her father (Oleg Yankovsky) who left for America. He sought the economic advantage that is part of the American dream and he wanted to avoid the next wave of periodic Jewish purges. When it does come, Fegele escapes and lands in England to stay with foster parents until she becomes a young woman. Upon her arrival in England, she is given the name of Suzie (Christina Ricci). Her one remaining keepsake of Russia, other than her memory, is a photograph of her father.</div> <bR> <div> Suzie's singing ability allows her to land a job in the follies in Paris. During her audition she is told that singing is important as are showing the legs, and doing other things as well. As she gets settled in, she meets Lola (Cate Blanchett) who shows her the ropes of dealing with men.</div> <bR> <div> Suzie gets a job working in the opera and meets Dante (John Turturro) who eventually becomes romantically involved with Lola. While Lola is playing hard to get, smiling a little and often a lot, and just plain looking good to get her man, Suzie finds that she is attracted to Cesar (Johnny Depp). Cesar is a horseman who lives outside of town with a group of gypsies.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Tell Me More About It</B>: I did not like the role of Lola as played by Cate Blanchett because she seemed unrealistically stilted. She moves in with Suzie when they are both chorus girls and keeps her secret that she is Jewish. Both are from Russian and we assume that Lola left for economic rather than political reasons. Lola broke her own rules about how to get a man and when she eventually decides to go to America herself, magically comes up with passports and sailing tickets. Where is that sophistication that Blanchett showed on the cruise ship of <I><B>The Talented Mr. Ripley</B></I>? </div> <bR> <div> The editing and events of the film was strange. The coupling (literally and physically) of Cesar and Suzie was a relationship I never fully accepted. The set of circumstances that lead to Suzie making her trans Atlantic voyage and the things that occurred regarding finding her father rang false and extremely far-fetched for a film that is trying to generate the realism of a film like <I><B>East-West.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> What I did like about the film was being able to see Depp in another eccentric role, this time a gypsy somewhat like he played in <I><B>Chocolate.</B></I> Christina Ricci was very realistic in that she was a strong person in one sense yet very vulnerable in others. And for Halle Berry, take note, Christina Ricci was far sexier by <I>not</I> showing her breast than with you showing yours. </div> <bR> <div> As the opera director Perlman (Harry Dean Stanton) tells Dante after the formerly packed houses have dribbled to limited applause making a big echo, that should the Italians (Mussolini) side with the Germans and invade France, he won't be welcomed by the French any more than the Jews are welcomed by the Germans. And since his name is Perlman, clearly a Jew, not to look for support in his corner because he'll be doing good to save himself.</div> <bR> <div> Without question the best part of the movie was the insight into how different nationalities and ethnic groups played off each other depending on the circumstances. Dante hit the big time as an opera singer after being a poor Italian. He looks down upon Jews when he's either angry or he finds it convenient. We all get angry and find things inconvenient at times, and I wonder how much we are like Dante but don't know it.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="591" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> R (sex; nudity; violence; language)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> George O. Singleton © 2001</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> <A HREF="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com"><U><U>George@reelmoviecritic.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Mini Filmography </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="286"><div> Oleg Yankovsky: Alissa</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Christina Ricci: <I><B>Bless the Child</B></I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="286"><div> Cate Blanchett: <I><B>The Gift</B></I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> John Turturro: <I><B>The Luzhin Defence</B></I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="286"><div> Johnny Depp: <I><B>Blow</B></I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Harry Dean Stanton: <I><B>The Pledge</B></I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Sally Potter: The Tango Lesson</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="286" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>