The Crying Game

The only reason I watched The Crying Game was because I had heard it was pretty good and it is from the same director as The Interview with the Vampire. Plus it was on TV. The film really surprised me. It was wonderfully made and had a great twist. The performances were real and profound. The writing was some of the best in years. And the direction was outstanding. And the costume design, art direction, makeup, and score were all amazing. The song The Crying Game also caught me as particularly wonderful. The Crying Game is a classic in every way. It makes a lasting impression and should be viewed many times. It is a true classic.

A great movie even if there wasn't that surprise twist. That may even have ruined the movie for some. For those sensitive viewers, just ask a friend to fast forward certain graphic scenes for you, and then you can still enjoy the movie. It's a most touching story of love, loyalty and respect transcending all barriers of race, religion and sexual orientation.

The remarkable message here is that all human beings, whoever they are, wherever they come from or whatever their lifestyles, are all equally human. They love, hate, laugh, cry, feel and hurt just like everybody else. So folks, people of the world, love thy neighbors, man! Their hair may be green, their skins may be purple, but their hearts are no different from everybody else's.

One of the best movies in a long time. A must see for all except the weak-stomached. All things considered, an absolute 10/10.

This movie is not the average, run of the mill suspense film. It is well acted, with a solid script and very human side to the plot. Jaye Davidson launched a nice career with this surprise. In the end, Crying Game does not take the easy way out and cheat the audience. Neil Jordan made some excellent artistic choices. I am genuinely sorry I missed this film in the theatres and I am pleased I rectified this oversight.

Truly fantastic movie. Neil Jordan's apparent tale of an IRA terrorist who becomes involved in the life of one of his captives explores so much beyond the plot – issues of identity, belief, and yes, even love. The performances are brilliant from every cast member, especially so for Miranda Richardson, Stephen Rea, and the incomparable Jaye Davidson. Even if you know the secret, you'll still probably be captivated by this film. A triumph for Jordan one of the best movies of the 1990s.

Directed by Neil Jordan. Starring Stephen Rea, Jaye Davidson, Miranda Richardson, Forest Whitaker, Jim Broadbent, Adrian Dunbar, Ralph Brown, Tony Slattery. (R)

A group of IRA members, including volunteer Rea, kidnap a British soldier (Whitaker); later, Rea visits the soldier's girlfriend (Davidson) in London and becomes involved in a most unusual relationship with her. Stunning blend of thriller and romance explores daring subject matter in consistently fascinating ways, creating a story that is so full of surprises (many more than just the much ballyhooed "twist") that its very genre changes multiple times. Most serpentine suspensers are built purely on their own mechanism, but this one goes one step further by actually making the audience care about and identify with the original, layered characters. Davidson, an amateur "discovered" by a casting agent, gives a terrific debut performance, matched by a fine group of co-stars, some of whom have never been better. Director Jordan's Oscar-winning script, however, is the true star, and a very rare bird indeed for a movie that became famous for its shocking surprise: knowing the secret in advance doesn't spoil any of the pleasures of watching the plot unfold, and the writing never cheats or unnaturally deceives the audience for the sake of a cheap jolt at the moment the rug is pulled.

91/100