The Crying Game

Movie Name: The Crying Game
Year of Release: 1992

Director: Neil Jordan

Stars: Stephen Rea, Miranda Richardson, Jaye Davidson, Forest Whitaker, Ralph Brown, Jim Broadbent, Tony Slattery, Adrian Dunbar
Genre: Crime, Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 9

Synopsis:

When Neil Jordan's "The Crying Game" opened in 1992, it turned out to be the surprise of the year, earning accolades for both the director and the fantastic cast he had assembled (and earned 6 Oscar nominations and one win for Neil Jordan, in the screenplay category). The film introduces us to Jody, a young British soldier who is kidnapped by the IRA. During his captivity, Jody befriends Fergus, one of the men responsible for his imprisonment. When negotiations fail, and events turn for the worst, Fergus goes to London, seeking Dil, the woman who was involved with Jody. His goal is mainly to keep a watchful eye on her, but their relationship becomes more amorous and romantic along the way. However events from the past catch up with both of them.
Neil Jordan has made a name for himself, with an eclectic array of films in his filmography, where the range and style of films goes from the fantastic to the realistic (examples of these are "The Company of Wolves" and "Mona Lisa" for instance). Jordan is also a published author, and his films reflect his very unique vision of the world, filled with characters that are on an immediate perception, quite different (his films have focused on transgendered, vampires, ghosts, amongst others), they do manage to integrate into the web of every day life. "The Crying Game" came after Jordan's uneven Hollywood experience (that produced "High Spirits" and "We're no Angels"), and though a very small and independent film (budget wise), it managed to be nominated for the main awards of 1992 (Oscars and Baftas to name but a few) and dazzle for it's uniqueness and attention to the relationships between the lead characters. The cast was perfectly cast, with Stephen Rea, Jaye Davidson and Miranda Richardson, each creating indelible characters. This is a film that has endured and lived beyond it's initial surprise and twists, to become a veritable classic. Unmissable.