The Man Who Cried DVD with Christina Ricci, Cate Blanchett, Oleg Yankovskiy (R) +Movie Reviews

A sleeper of astonishing colour and beauty

Veggiechiliqueen | 04/01/2002

(5 out of 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."

The waiter took my plate away...

Spare-Time Critic | New Orleans area, LA USA | 06/02/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"...while I was still eating the main course! That's how I felt about this movie.It's so beautiful, I WANTED to love it. I'm a Depp fan, and he and Ricci make a lovely couple. Cate Blanchett is looking her best, and the plot is interesting.Fegele is a young Jewish woman who has been separated from her family as a child. Raised in England by distant foster parents, she longs to go to America to find her father, but has to earn enough money first. Along the way, she meets a smolderingly handsome gypsy (Depp), a kindhearted Russian gold-digger (Blanchett), and a very self-centered Italian opera singer (Turturro). Meanwhile, the Nazi menace is approaching, and it's no good time to be a Jew in Europe. So far, so good. Unfortunately, you don't get a chance to really grab hold of this movie. Characters don't do much talking (well, except the opera singer, but who wants to hear him rant?). There's a lot of dialogue conducted via soulful looks and silent reproaches. All very nicely done, but it's up to you to figure out what characters are really thinking and feeling. But here's thing that really bugged me: The ending. If you like to have the loose ends all tied up when the credits roll, you'll be disappointed. I felt the ending was rushed, and could've easily done with another 30 minutes or so. Instead, I was left wondering what would've happened next. If you don't mind that, rent the movie and enjoy it."

Beautifully photographed, slow pace

Robyn Russell | Fairbanks, Alaska | 09/06/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Man Who Cried has wonderfully lush cinematography throughout, but is very slow paced. Although the film starts in Russia, the main action of the film doesn't begin until Suzie (Ricci) arrives in Paris and gets a job with the opera company. If I had been in the editor's chair, I would have opened the story in Paris, introduced our heroine as the newly hired member of the company, and brought out her history in conversations with the other characters. Cate Blanchett has the best role in the movie as Russian dancer, Lola. John Turturro gives a good performance as the sleazy Italian opera singer and Johnny Depp is excellent in the small role of Cesar, the brooding Gypsy horse trainer Suzie falls in love with. Depp is one of those actors who can speak volumes with just a twitch of his cheek muscles. I would add that I thought Suzie/Cesar's love scenes were well-handled. For my money, the most touching moment of the film was when Cesar (Depp) weeps over his sleeping lover (Ricci) whom he knows he will never see again. Ricci, while a competent actress, has very little to do here except look pensive and long-suffering. My advice on the film: rent, but don't buy."

Lovely Film

Matthew Horner | 12/11/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Absorbing, touching and memorable.
Depp, as ever, is amazing and Ricci is excellent as well (as are the other actors). If you enjoy movies that are romantic yet not sappy, see this one! It also exposes the harsh realities of wartime and its ramifications-- especially the loss of family/identity (and the subsequent yearning to belong to a community). Certainly not a film for those who want a bit of cotton candy with their popcorn. Further, this film is well paced for its storyline."

Acting & Cinematography help weak script

Matthew Horner | USA | 08/31/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

""The Man Who Cried" is a handsome, episodic film which has several visually brilliant moments and some fine performances. It does not ultimately, however, add up to a particularly satisfying emotional whole. The script by Sally Potter, who also directed, tries to cover too many events occurring over a period of at least twenty years. The movie begins in rural Russia where a little Jewish girl named Suzie lives in a village with her father and grandmother. The father leaves her behind to seek a better life in America. He promises to send for her, but violence and warfare come to her region, and she winds up a refugee in England. All she has left is a tattered photograph of her father. She is taken in by a middleclass family. She learns to sing and dance, but she never feels the joy those talents can bring. As a young adult [played by Christina Ricci], she decided to go to Paris. She meets Lola [Cate Blanchett], a beautiful, tempestuous fellow Russian expatriate. They become friends and roommates. Lola sets her sights on famous opera singer [John Turturro], while Suzie's heart is stolen by a gypsy [Johnny Depp]. The snobbish, bigoted opera star doesn't like the fact that Suzie runs around with such lowlife. He also taunts her for being Jewish. When the Nazis invade Paris, her life becomes increasingly chaotic. If only she can find a way to make it to America...Christina Ricci, one of our finest and most adventurous young actresses, is excellent. Hers is a difficult role because she has so few lines to speak and must convey a great deal through body language and facial expressions. The great Cate Blanchett is given plenty to say and says it all with her usual finesse. Johnny Depp and John Turturro make the most of their smaller but important roles. Perhaps the greatest contribution is made by Sacha Vierny, whose masterful cinematography goes a long way in masking the deficiencies in Ms. Potter's script."

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