The Crying Game [DVD] [1992]

[I will endeavor to write this review without giving away the big secret although in the wake of Jaye Davidson's Oscar nomination and Billy Crystal's memorable song about "The Crying Game" at the Academy Awards there cannot be too many people who are not in on the surprise at this point.]

Act One has Jude (Miranda Richardson) enticing Jody (Forest Whitaker), a English soldier stationed in Northern Ireland, into an IRA trap. Jody is taken to a secluded house in the forest where he is watched over by Fergus (Stephen Rea), who seems to have more of a conscience that the rest of the group. Maguire (Adrian Dunbar), the leader of the group, plans on exchanging Jody for members of the IRA held by the British, but neither Jody nor Fergus think there is much chance of that happening. The question is whether Fergus is going to be able to shoot Jody when the inevitable moment comes, and while this could be (and has been) the subject of an entire film, it is only Jordan's opening act.

In Act Two we find that Fergus has changed his name to Jimmy and is doing construction work to hide out from both the British and the IRA. Haunted by a photograph of Jody and his girlfriend, "Jimmy" visits the salon where she works and has Dil (Jaye Davidson) do his hair. Jimmy is attracted to Dil, but his feelings include a mixture of guilt as well. Clearly this relationship is headed for the inevitable moment when Dil finds out that Jimmy was involved with what happened to Jody. Again, this is a storyline that has been the subject of entire movies, but the twist is that before Dil finds out Jimmy's big secret, Dil has a bigger surprise for Jimmy.

As we get into Act Three the focus is clearly on what will happen to the relationship between Jimmy and Dil. Jordan does a reasonable good job of playing it as being able to go either way, and although we have our suspicions given what we know about Jimmy, I think we are dealing with shades of gray rather than clearcut black & white. It is at this point that Jordan earns his fifth star by coming up with a final act where what happened in the previous acts comes back with a vengeance.

Ultimately, what makes this a very good film is the simple fact that you do not see how the end game is going to play out (including the final scene and the song selected for the fade to black). There are certainly those who saw the big surprise coming from the start (I went to the movie with one of those people), but beyond the strong feeling that things are not going to work out well in the end the ending of "The Crying Game" is not at all predictable. Besides, what matters is not what happens but what Jimmy is trying to do, against the mounting odds.

The credit for the success of this film clearly goes to Jordan, as writer and director, which is amply evidences by the "alternate ending" provided on the DVD. This was the ending first shot for the movie, at the dictate of the backers, but was jettisoned in favor of the ending originally written, which was then shot. But "The Crying Game" also has the advantage of Rea's moving performance. He makes what his character feels and does seem totally believable in the face of an entire series of truly bizarre situations, and whatever shortcomings there are in the first time performance of Davidson are more than counter-balanced by what Rae does in this film.

Jody (Forrest Whitaker), a British soldier stationed in Northern Ireland, is ensnared in a honeytrap by Jude (Miranda Richardson), kidnapped, and held by Irish militants threatening his execution unless one of their own is released by the British authorities. One of Jody's captors is Fergus (Stephen Rea), who forms a sympathetic bond with his prisoner. At one point, Jody shares a photo of his significant other, Dil (Jaye Davidson), living in London, and exacts a promise from Fergus such that, in case he (Jody) is executed, Fergus will search out Dil and share drinks at the local pub. Jody fails to regain his freedom, but not for the obvious reason. In any case, Fergus ferries over to England and makes the acquaintance of Dil, a hairdresser, through the ruse of getting a haircut. An attraction develops between Fergus and Dil after the former helps the latter out of a tough spot with an overly aggressive male admirer.

I feel a smidgen of guilt for awarding THE CRYING GAME four stars instead of five since the clever screenplay unfolds as a series of unexpected events. The first half of the film culminates when Fergus is privy to a stunning revelation. However, from then on, even after Fergus's IRA colleagues arrive in London and coerce him into another attack on the establishment, the pace of the film seemed relatively languorous as both Fergus and Dil come to grips with, um, issues. I was left marveling at the mess into which Fergus had gotten himself. The conclusion seemed positively anticlimactic, although justice was served and dues paid all around.

Rea is effective as Fergus, though his perpetually sad, hangdog look wouldn't garner him the Charming Boyo of the Year award. The film's best acting job is by Davidson as the emotionally tormented Dil, and an Oscar should have arguably been won for that performance.

If one believes that life is a comedy, then THE CRYING GAME is surely dark humor, though I suspect the film's makers didn't intend it to be. I guess it depends on one's sense of irony. The pleasure of the viewing experience is ultimately in traveling down paths completely hidden during the first thirty minutes of screen time. THE CRYING GAME will leave you muttering to yourself after you've left the theater.

The movie begins with IRA terrorists capturing a British soldier named Jodi, affectingly played by Forest Whitaker. One of the erstwhile terrorists, Fergus, sensitively played by Stephen Rea, is on the fringes of the terrorist group and assigned to guard the hapless Jodi. As they spend time together, a curious bond begins to form. Jodi, knowing that he will ultimately be executed, shows Fergus a photograph of his girlfriend, Dil, and extracts a promise from Fergus that he would let Dil know that Jodi was thinking of her at the last. Fergus reluctantly agrees.

When Fergus is finally ordered by his hard nosed IRA associates to shoot Jodi, he hesitates, and Jodi takes off running. Not wanting to shoot him in the back, Jodi manages to make it to a main roadway, where he is run over by a truck and killed. Fergus then deserts his terrorist buddies and goes to make good on his promise to Jodi.

When Fergus finds Dil, poignantly played by Jaye Davidson, she is working in a club and singing "The Crying Game". Fergus gives her a false name and insinuates himself into her graces, as there is a palpable attraction. They begin meeting, going out, and falling in love. Then, the moment of truth ultimately arrives, and Jodi is surely having the last laugh from the great beyond.

Just when the viewer thinks that things cannot get any stranger, Miranda Richardson turns up, demanding that Fergus perform another act of terrorism in order to redeem himself for having failed so badly during his last foray into terrorism. To ensure his compliance, Richardson implies that Dil may be a target, should he not cooperate with the new scheme.

Fergus reluctantly agrees to participate in the IRA plot and commits himself to what is, in essence, a suicide mission. Dil, however, interferes with his plan at the eleventh hour, putting both herself and Fergus in danger of a retaliatory attack from Fergus' IRA buddies.

After his plan goes awry, all hell breaks loose. Suffice to say, true love does seem to conquer all. This is one terrific and unusual movie.