CitizenCaine Review of Romance & Cigarettes

Romance & Cigarettes (2005)

Turturro's Third Film Has Its Own Charm But Loses Steam Near The End

[7/10 · 2 March 2009]

John Turturro wrote and directed this personal labor of love about a working class Brooklyn couple who are facing the marriage crisis all wives dread: the husband's infidelity. What starts out as a fun, joyous musical, which is really unique, turns rather conventional in its last half hour. But before that, the film is loads of fun with inventive musical numbers utilizing pop songs to tell the story of James Gandolfini, a construction worker, who can't control his fetish for the voluptuous red-head Kate Winslet. It's the classic Madonna/whore situation for Gandolfini facing a late mid-life crisis. Several actors appear in brief standout roles: Kate Winslet as the lingerie salesgirl with the voluptuous curves; Steve Buscemi as Gandolfini's construction buddy with a Neanderthal outlook on women; Aida Turturro as one of Gandolfini's daughters; Christopher Walken as cousin Bo, a would-be hit man with an Elvis fixation; Elaine Stritch as Gandolfini's mother full of regrets about her own past. All of them are very funny and very good at the same time. Susan Sarandon is also pretty good as Gandolfini's long suffering wife. Mary-Louise Parker and Mandy Moore as the other daughters have little to do. Guys will no doubt like this a lot more than women will. The film's conclusion seems to indicate the Madonna/whore dilemma will still remain no matter how much men mess up their marriages. It's an entertaining film that peters out once Gandolfini gets sick. The songs used are perfect choices in most instances. *** of 4 stars.