The Man Who Cried Reviews

There was a time when I was a huge fan of Johnny Depp but, from the moment that he became a huge box-office draw thanks to the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise, I started to loose interest in his work and his last movies have all been some critical and commercial flops (‘Mortdecai’, ‘Transcendence’, ‘The Lone Ranger’, ‘Dark Shadows’). Hopefully, at some point, he will go back to some smaller indie features like the ones he used to make in the 90’s. However, I have to admit that not all his small movies from that era were great and this movie was a fine example. First of all, it was basically one of these productions showing Depp prominently on all the promotional material when, in fact, he had a rather small part. In fact, the lead was actually played by the lovely Christina Ricci and it would be the 3rd movie she would make with Depp (after ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’ and ‘Sleepy Hollow’). Anyway, the whole thing was a decent periode drama with some solid directing but, to be honest, I actually had a rather hard time to care about the story and the characters involved. Surprisingly, after all these years, even though she has a solid reputation, it is still the only film directed by Sally Potter that I have seen so far. Anyway, to conclude, even though it was slightly underwhelming, I still think it is worth a look.

"One should never look back. One should never regret. Never."

The Man Who Cried is a significantly unusual film that will be found boring by the majority of mainstream contemporary audiences. I won't lie to you - it's not an unproblematic film to scrutinise as it implores the audience to watch with heavy patience. Instead of relying on significant events to drive the film, each scene is carried by its competent cast and eye-catching production design.

Those involved in the production are certainly able to grasp your attention, efficiently utilising resources at their disposal. But after the first hour the formula no longer works. Things become uneven and the storytelling is drastically altered. Some might find this poetic: I found it irritating. The film's major flaw would have to be in its ending. After all that has occurred you feel cheated that the experience ends so suddenly. The film's style is drastically altered and you must be prepared for the person next to you to lean in close and inquire "Is that it?" in an inquisitive, scandalised tone of voice.

At the beginning of the film it's 1927 and a young Jewish-Russian girl (played by Lander-Duke as a child) is separated from her beloved father who goes to American in search of a better life. He promises to send for his family once he is settled, but after being detached from the rest of her family she is moved to England where she is renamed Suzie and is raised by a British family. As an adult (now played by Ricci) Suzie has great ambitions of travelling to American to be reunited with her father. Her talents as a singer and a dancer are recognised when she is befriended by a fellow dancer named Lola (Blanchett). Soon Suzie also becomes involved with a handsome horse-riding gypsy named Cesar (Depp). In the pandemonium and turmoil of the commencement of World War II with the Nazis invading, Suzie is torn between her two loves: Cesar or her father now residing in America.

As I previously stated, The Man Who Cried is not a blatant set of events that move at lightning pace. It moves at a slow pace while relying on the talent in all departments. The sets and costumes look especially fantastic. The drudgery of walking the grim streets of England at night is perfectly captured in particular. I found it impossible to spot any obvious anachronisms. This is a compliment all filmmakers dream of hearing.

Christina Ricci is an extremely talented young actress. As she essentially carried this film, acting skills of the highest order are necessary. Because Ricci is still incredibly youthful she looks stunning and beautiful. Cate Blanchett is very unconventional as a Russian dancer. Blanchett is one of the most talented actresses of this generation. She always displays versatility when confronted with a new role to portray. Johnny Depp is the primary reason that I watched this. It's no secret that I think Johnny is the greatest actor of all time. With his performance here, he again reminds the world of his talent whenever a new role drops into his lap. Because he rarely, if ever, plays the same sort of character twice there is always something new to find whenever I view another film of his. He doesn't have a very large amount of screen-time but he is a vital part of the cast.

The Man Who Cried is primarily a story about love, loss and change. It's an extremely unusual movie that boasts an outstanding cast. Due to its unique flavour this is not a film to show to a room of action movie junkies. It's a movie better suited to an audience who appreciate fine filmmaking. The Man Who Cried moves at a leisurely pace and is beautifully shot. It has its shortcomings in terms of sustaining interest in the viewer; however the film is creative and sometimes quite entertaining.