Romance and Cigarettes (2005)

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  January 3, 2012

  SirPant

  I love John Turturro so it really pains me to report that he misses the mark quite badly with this film - it's not a terrible film but it is pretty bad compared to how it should have turned out. I loved the acting - Gandolfini & Winslet in particular, I loved the singing and danc... read moreing - an unexpected surprise and I loved the way it was directed, very cool and stylish. It's just that the story drags like a one legged horse, yes its surreal non-liner narrative was interesting and fun in parts, but for the most part, it was frustrating, silly and not particularly entertaining. I really don't like writing bad things about this film, I guess because I like everyone involved and i really wanted to like it. Aw well, I hope he keeps directing, I've been meaning to catch up with Passione as it looks good!

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  June 14, 2011

  aliceinpunderland

  In agreement with Jim Hunter, unless you're Paul Thomas Anderson, having actors sing along with a recording of a song IS "remarkably lame." And especially since so much of Turturro's spoken dialogue has such intriguing rhythms (Kitty's "deep" poem), he should have gone the extra... read more mile and hired a real composer. As is, the songs aren't as thematically relevant as the ones in, say Singin' In the Rain or Moulin Rouge, exemplars of this musical subgenre in which popular songs are put into a movie instead of originally written for it.
  
  Kate Winslet though. Man, has she got that va-va-vavoom! Love her trashy accent, her trashy dancing, her trashy talk.

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  April 6, 2011

  hunterjt13

  An adulterous man deals with his unpredictable mistress and vengeful wife ... with songs.
  When I read the basic genre details about this movie, I was excited to see John Turturro's audacious musical, but I hardly consider this a real musical. After all, almost all the actors, wi... read moreth the exception of Mandy Moore, sing along with a recording of the song. Am I the only one who sees this as remarkably lame?
  Structurally, this film is a mess. We are introduced to the offending mistress way too late into the film, and when we're meant to feel for her and suspect that she has true feelings for the adulterous man, it's too late for us to have any emotional attachment. Likewise, the subplots involving Mandy Moore's character and Cousin Bo's laments come in too late so that they seem like diverging storylines, not foils nor a complete exploration of the main characters' lives.
  Overall, the plot of Romance and Cigarettes seems like as if everybody in the neighborhood had an idea, and every idea found its way into the script with little coherence.

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  May 26, 2010

  paulsandberg

  Imagine,if you will, a college film school assignment to create a modern day musical ground in the late 50's and early 60's. Imagine if the student putting together such a film was able to pull in some serious heavy hitters, from Gandolfini and Walken, to Surandon and Winslett. ... read more Imagine the possibilities... I'm sure that somewhere in time, worlds collide and a film like this gets made - in part genious, in part juvinile hackism, in part serious drama and in part farcical over the top fun. Thus I give you Romance and Cigarettes, which prooves that John Turturro probably smoked too much pot in college - yet holds within it something almost magical.
  
  Garbagemen dancing to "A World Without Love" probably says all you really need to know - it's brilliant, but at the same time it's almost laughably obvious that someone is yanking your chain *wink, wink*.
  
  Christopher Walken channeling Elvis and then later crooning along with Tom Jones on Dalilah. Susan Surandon grooving along with the Dusty Springfield version of "Piece of My Heart", while Eddie Izzard backs her up on church organ - all you can say is "wow", especially when the tune switches into the Joplin version, with Surandon howling like a cat in heat.
  
  Through it all there are so many things that just don't mesh and charactors who aren't fully developed. Wasted are Aida Turturro and Mary-Louise Parker, playing Surandon's children (although there is a humerous moment where they are in a girl band singing "I Want Candy" as Bobby Canaval strutts like a peacock (and his "Hot Pants" is hilarious).
  
  Making it all worthwhile (aside from some very nice photography from the always stellar Tom Stern (see just about every Eastwood film ever made - Stern is always there), is a guttsy, no holds barred romp by Kate Winslett as the red headed embodiment of carnal love. She's bold and bawdy, with a wonderful accent - but when the film has to resort to a cat fight between Kate and Surandon - well, that just shows how wrong some of the choices were.
  
  I'm sure that the principal actors had a ball with this, but really, the film can't be taken seriously, though I think that serious was somewhere in its resume.
  
  An A for trying, a C in execution.

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  January 19, 2010

  cosmo313

  I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. Going into it, I didn't know what to expect, but I hoped for good things given the cast. Turturro is an interesting writer/director. I'd like to see more from him. This is a musical, but a very unique and unconventional one. It's quite a ... read morebawdy and filthy movie, but also very funny, touching, and whimsical as well. Look this one up and give it a chance.

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  December 28, 2009

  Saxia

  Wow, this movie is soo underrated! I saw it for the third time yesterday, and it's not only absurdly funny, but also a beautiful and unusual lovestory.
  I love movies that mix comedy with drama, and this one is beautifully executed.
  Sarandon is an amazing a versatile actress, (I... read more'm going to add her to my favorite actors list immediately), Walken is hilarious, and Gandolfini proves that he's more than just (the amazing) Tony Soprano. Winslet? You can't believe the words that come out of her mouth in this movie n_n Hilarious!
  And if that's not enough, Buscemi has a small part in it too, a star cast if you ask me!
  

  

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  November 30, 2009

  RCCLBC

  With a cast like this, I thought "how could you go wrong?".
  
  And there are some truely wonderful scenes featuring most of the big names. In particular Kate Winslet, Susan Sarandon, Christopher Walken, Elaine Stritch and Aida Turturro did not disappoint on an individual basis. ... read more (also watchfor Amy Sedaris in a small role as the crazy neighbor)
  
  However, the film as a whole is a schizophrenic mess. Lots of interesting ideas, none of which ever really seem to gel very well together.
  
  While not horrible...I can't say that I'd recomend it unless you are a fan of any of the cast mentioned above.

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  March 27, 2008

  fernandorafael

  John Turturro's project, that suffered distribution issues (opened 2 years after it was made) and i can see why... It relies on a poor script, the direction is fine, but doesn't save the movie... Features some good songs and one of the best ensemble casts i've seen in my life, al... read morel of them did a very good job: James Gandolfini (finally, a performance different from Tony Soprano), Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet (great, and super sexy), Mandy Moore, Mary-Louise Parker, Aida Turturro, Bobby Cannavale and Steve Buscemi... It was definitely a waste of talent, since the movie didn't measure up to the actors... It gets serious towards the end, but doesn't make up for the ridiculousness of the rest...

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  February 29, 2008

  puffchunk

  Pretty much the abused prostitute of a musical. Pretty filthy and ridiculous, and the 'crazy musical numbers' were just something to get through. The only good part was when Christopher Walken stabs a girl and fights cops with a knife while singing and dancing.

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  February 22, 2008

  binky013

  To loosely quote Susan Sarandon, James Gandolfini came out of himself in this movie. It's true. This may be the first time I've thought that Gandolfini had anything to give to the screen. Generally an average player at best, he rises to a new level of performance. I would nev... read moreer go out of my way to see him in anything, but this performance is special.

  To loosely quote John Turturro, Christopher Walken is always interesting. This, for the most part, is a true statement for me. But something truly "interesting" has happened to Walken over the years. While most actors seem to try to position themselves for leading roles, if they have the look and the talent, Walken has moved in the opposite direction. Since, let's say, the success of The Deer Hunter, it's been pretty much a long slide into solid character acting roles for him. He once had great potential, from my perspective, to be a leading man, and while he definitely manages to play one "interesting" character after another, he has fallen quite deep into some kind of one-dimensional abyss. Perhaps it is the "Oscar curse" of early success in Deer Hunter, perhaps it has something to do with the whole Natalie Wood tragedy. Whatever the reason(s), he really just always is only an "interesting" caricature of what he once was or could have been. Is there resurrection in his future? Who knows.

  The only real joy here is Kate Winslet. Had I not seen her guest shot on Extras, I would have been more surprised by what she gives us here, but it is still pure joy to hear the words that tumble so effortlessly out of her mouth. As Gandolfini says, "You're a crude woman" -- probably the best line in the film. Although her character really exists in the realm of tragedy, the words she speaks and the moves she makes provide some of the funniest moments in an otherwise very average "musical love story."

  Please don't misunderstand me, flixster friends: I love John Turturro. He is gifted, and I am fan enough to think he can do way better work.

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• James Gandolfini as Nick Murder
• Susan Sarandon as Kitty Kane
• Kate Winslet as Tula
• Steve Buscemi as Angelo
• Bobby Cannavale as Fryburg
• Mandy Moore as Baby
• Mary-Louise Parker as Constance
• Aida Turturro as Rosebud
• Christopher Walken as Cousin Bo

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  The Singing Detective (100%)

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• Which Actress Was: -Rose DeWitt Bukater In Titanic -Clementine Kruczynski In Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind -Sylvia Llewelyn Davies In Finding Neverland -Tula In Romance And Cigarettes -Bitsey Bloom In The Life Of David Gale  Answer »
• James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Steve Buscemi and Mandy Moore, with a lot of singing involved?  Answer »
• This actor played in this movies: *Illuminata *Pulp Fiction *Blast From the Past *Man on Fire *Romance and Cigarettes *Click Who is this actor?  Answer »
• Christopher Walkin Movie? Romance and Cigarettes   Answer »

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