Most Viewed Stories
Most Commented Stories
Most Recommended Stories
Save & Share this Article
INDIE REELS: Romance & Cigarettes
Comments 0 | Recommend 0John Turturro's 2005 sleeper is easy to love
Director: John Turturro
Writer: John Turturro (written by)
Cast: James Gandolfini , Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Steve Buscemi, Mandy Moore, Mary-Louise Parker, Aida Turturro
MPAA: R for sexual content including some strong dialogue, and language.
Runtime:105 min
Reels: 4
By Paige Lauren Deiner
paige_deiner@themonitor.com
Romance and Cigarettes mixes genres in a delightfully confusing, yet fulfilling way.
It jumps from musical to comedy to drama to romance, but the storyline melds the different styles into one powerful tale, that keeps the audience on edge wanting more.
The story centers on the Murder family. Nick Murder (James Gandolfini) is an ironworker. His wife Kitty (Susan Sarandon) makes dresses and the two have a seemingly normal life - until Kitty finds a note Nick wrote to his girlfriend Tula (Kate Winslet). Kitty goes on a rampage, first reeling against her husband and then against Tula, while Nick goes through his own transformation. He discovers his penchant for cigarettes has caused lung cancer, and decides that although Tula is fun, he wants to spend his remaining months with his wife.
This film shines not so much for its inventive style but for its casting. Sarandon is extremely convincing in her role. Her attack on Gandolfini when she discovers his infidelity was extremely real. And throughout the film Sarandon brought a freshness to her character managing to balance angry wife with caring mom. On the other end Winslet played the lingerie selling vixen very convincingly. She brought a vulnerability to the character that made the love scenes between Winslet and Gandolfini feel fragile and not as crude as they might have been.
I like this film. The changing genres at first irked me, but halfway through the film I started to enjoy people breaking into an occasional song. Although, this movie takes a bit of thought to watch and is more artsy than your typical mainstream film, it is beautifully shot and well acted. It's the sort of film that one can watch over and over again and get something new out of it every time.
Paige Lauren Deiner covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4425. You can reach her at (956) 683-4425.
See archived 'Entertainment' Stories »
We want our site to be a place where people discuss and debate ideas that foster stronger communities. We built this for you. Please take care of it. Tolerate broad thinking, but take action against obscene or hateful material. Make it a credible and safe place worth preserving and sharing.
