Rental Review: Romance & Cigarettes
When you see these names, what do you think?
Steve Buscemi
Bobby Cannavale
James Gandolfini
Eddie Izzard
Mary Louise-Parker
Mandy Moore
Susan Sarandon
Elaine Stritch
Aida Turturro
Christopher Walken
Kate Winslet
On paper, the cast of Romance & Cigarettes reads like a dream; a few Oscar winners and a perennial nominee, a pop star-turned actress, a cross-dressing British comedian, a Broadway veteran and some stellar Sopranos. Add writer/director John Turturro and the Coen Brothers (executive producers) to the mix, and this film should have been a sure thing.
You probably haven’t heard of the movie because it was made 3 years ago, played at several film festivals with high acclaim and then inexplicably went straight to DVD only recently. I can only describe it as an indie musical with an obvious John Waters influence…but far more butch (read: macho).
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you already know that Kate Winslet is my #1 in all categories. In Romance & Cigarettes, Winslet plays a va-va-voom vixen whore who smokes like a chimney and has a mouth like a sailor. Unfortunately, that’s the best part…that and watching Tony Soprano sing and dance.
While this film has potential to grow into a cult classic, I feel that it would play better on the stage than on screen. It doesn’t exactly flow, but I would recommend it as a rainy day rental if you don’t mind a slightly entertaining head-scratcher of a story with a terrific ensemble cast.
[Sidenote: The electricity briefly went out while I was writing this. It is 56 degrees outside with no sign of wind or rain, a typical California evening. WTF?]