The Crying Game (1992)

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

It begins like a political thriller and develops into a romantic drama but what's most remarkable about "The Crying Game" is its incredible originality. It's essentially a piece about what it is to be human and the extent to which an individual's nature determines the directions that they take in life. The story that illustrates this is a real "one-off" and features a group of interesting characters whose awareness of their own nature and that of other people, varies considerably. The events depicted and the issues raised must've been challenging for many audiences at first and so it's rather surprising that in the years since the release of this film, that there haven't been more mainstream movies which have ventured into the same territory.During "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland, a British soldier called Jody (Forest Whitaker) befriends local girl Jude (Miranda Richardson) and after having some fun at a fairground, decides to move to somewhere a little quitter where they can be more intimate. As soon as they find a suitable spot, Jody finds himself being held at gunpoint and realises that he's been lured into a trap. He's taken hostage by an IRA cell whose members want to negotiate a prisoner exchange with the British Army and tell him that he'll be executed if their plan doesn't succeed within three days.In a remote country location, cell-member Fergus (Stephen Rea) is assigned to the task of guarding Jody and in the hours that follow, an unlikely friendship develops between them during which Jody shows Fergus a photograph of his girlfriend in London. The soldier, who's obviously convinced that his guard is a kind and decent man, says that if he's executed, he'd like Fergus to look up his girlfriend, buy her a maguerita and tell her that Jody was thinking of her. Fergus promises to do this and when it becomes evident that no prisoner exchange is going to be possible and Fergus will have to carry out the execution, what follows illustrates that Jody's judgement of what Fergus' nature will allow him to do, was completely accurate. Jody is, nevertheless, killed during the mayhem that follows when the Army suddenly raid the location where he'd been held hostage. Fergus is fortunate to escape and makes his way to London where he assumes a new identity, gets a job working on building site and locates Jody's girlfriend, Dil (Jaye Davidson), who's a hairdresser in Millie's Hair Salon. After availing himself of Dil's services for "a trim", he goes to the Metro (a pub which Jody had told him that Dil frequents) where they strike up a conversation and subsequently become an item. They both withhold important information about themselves and inevitably some of the revelations that follow cause problems which are not made any easier to resolve when Jude suddenly arrives from Ireland and threatens that Dil will suffer unless Fergus agrees to take part in a planned assassination which Fergus immediately recognises is nothing short of a suicide mission"The Crying Game" is skilfully written with each development following on very naturally from what preceded it. This is quite an achievement because some of the twists are extraordinary and shocking and the characters and their relationships are continuously full of surprises. The quality of the acting is exceptional throughout with Stephen Rea standing out as the naïve Fergus who initially has virtually no awareness of his own nature and then struggles to deal with the situations he finds himself in. Forest Whitaker is fascinating as the cricket-loving soldier from Tottenham because, whilst he clearly has considerable insight into the significance of an individual's nature, its never entirely clear in his exchanges with Fergus, whether there's an element of manipulation involved. Jaye Davidson is brilliantly cast as the mysterious Dil who, although appearing confident, is actually vulnerable and needy and Miranda Richardson is faultless as the ruthless terrorist, Jude."The Crying Game" is absolutely compelling to watch because it's so different, so affecting and such a human story. It's also very thought-provoking and the title song is ideal because its haunting quality fits the atmosphere of the piece so perfectly.

I wanted to see this since it was in the book 1,001 Movies You must See Before You Die. But how could this 1992 movie be in it and not A Few Good Men? This also got nominated for Best Picture along with that, and Roger Ebert gave it his highest rating, while giving AFGM a lower rating. Why did I tell you all of this? Because I don't see how this could be so acclaimed. IMDB says the plot is about "A British soldier kidnapped by IRA terrorists soon befriends one of his captors, who then becomes drawn into the soldier's world." I saw this with my Grandma on Flix-which does not censor movies or add commercials. We went into it a few minutes late and didn't get why a guy was tied up. That flaw is not against the movie.We did not see the tied up man for the rest of the movie.The language was constant and uncalled for. This is straight up arguing between a woman and a man:"F u!" "F u too!" "F u more"(or something like that.)It was bothersome.Oh, and remember how I said I saw this with my Grandma? Well, imagine my embarrassment when 2 people almost had sex, and the man screamed and threw up at the on-screen sight of the woman having man parts!Skip it.It was half good, half bad. The Crying Game is not worth playing.

It's really a bit of an eye-opener to watch Crying Game in today's society if you can put yourself back to remember how things were in 1992. It feels like a completely different era of an even longer time removed since then. So much has changed, yet some things still remain constant. One of the most glaring reminders of the day: the murder of U.S. sailor Allen Schindler in 1992, and the military's alleged attempt for a cover-up afterward.My own perceptions and ideals have changed since I saw this at Baltimore's Charles Theatre. It's almost creepy to see how I've changed regarding certain... It's almost impossible to express without spoiling the film if I could ever say what I would like. Let me say however, that I wept with pain in my heart as I finally watched it again, just now. My empathy and personal awareness certainly has grown in 24 years since I saw the film's theatrical release. It's an amazing piece of cinematic achievement considering the time of its premiere. Really gutsy filmmaking, acting and direction for all involved. Seeing it again still makes my jaw drop because of all the nuances and story lines. It wasn't perfect looking at the film now. Some of it was a little dated, and perhaps I am being too picky regarding that. Yet it reawakens some troubled times that people faced in 1992, and how troubling things remain today. So much work is yet to be accomplished.

Neil Jordan's The Crying Game is certainly no ordinary love story, it is far from it. This gripping drama boasts some of powerhouse performances by a surprising cast and awe- spectacular writing that fuels it into one of the most inspiring and captivating romance flick that greatly defies expectations from the opening moments to the shocking twist that defines the final act. This film stars Forest Whitaker as Jody, a British soldier who develops a romance with a cute blondie named Jude (played by Miranda Richardson) at a state fair, only to set up for a trap that results in him kidnapped by a group of Irish terrorists lead by Maguire (played by Adrian Dunbar). Taking him hostage, the terrorists hold him captive in their house deep in the woods while Ferguson (played by Stephen Rea), one of the members of the group forms an unexpected bond with Jody, much to the terrorist's dismay. When the hostage situation goes suddenly awry, Fergus flees to London where he finds Jody's lover Dil (played by Jaye Davidson). Adopting the name Jimmy, Fergus develops a relationship with Dil who he hides his affiliation with the Irish terrorist group from. When Fergus discovers Dil is not exactly who he believe she was, he finds himself in a potentially dangerous situation. As I mentioned, this is a type of film that requires viewers to take to their expectations and push them aside. And this does quite a diligent job at putting viewers' expectations to the test. From the opening scene, the film blesses viewers with a dark, but gripping story and it moves at a very steady pace. The pacing can be frustrating to some viewers who demand for a frenetic-driven story, but as it builds up to its shocking twist and the intense aftermath that follows it grows more and more cohesive to where the slow pacing succeeds to make sense. And much of this is thanks to Neil Jordan's enchanting screenplay. Perhaps the screenplay is not the only element that drives the film but also the performances by the cast. Forest Whitaker is quite engaging in what is arguably the best role he's demonstrated in his career. The bond between his character and Fergus played by Stephen Rea is strongly effective and enough to grip audiences' attention. Stephen Rea delivers a gripping performance as well, but the biggest appeal comes from Jaye Davidson who strives one of the most powerful (and criminally underrated) performances I have seen in a long time. Davidson nails the role with astounding conviction, and blesses the film with a performance that is too powerful to ignore. The Crying Game is a very powerful and unpredictable film that deserves the attention of many, and an intense thriller that delivers more than what moviegoers may bargain for. The screenplay, performances , and the overall direction by Neil Jordan earn solid praise, and make an awe inspiring film that stands above many films of its decade.