Romance & Cigarettes (2005)

  This was recommended to my by Clay, who also strenuously recommended The Fighter.  So far, he's two for two.  (ahem, Christy!)

So this is a bizarre little quasi-musical starring James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, and Christopher Walken.  I say quasi-musical, because the only person who actually sings in the movie is Mandy Moore.  Everybody else is either lip-synching or singing over the actual pop track.  It was directed by John Tuturro and produced by the Coen Brothers, so you know it's going to be weird.

I have to say, though, it did make me totally forgive Kate Winslet for being in Titanic.  I had always held a grudge against her for that movie because I hated it soooooo much.  In fact, I don't think I've ever seen the whole movie all the way through.  I've caught bits and pieces over time, against my will.  Here, she plays a foul-mouthed red-headed slut named Tula who has an affair with James Gandolfini and wrecks his marriage.  That's her in the poster.

The movie is filled with big-name people.  Mary Louise Parker and Mandy Moore play the couple's daughters, Bobby Cannavale is Mandy Moore's boyfriend, Steve Buscemi is Gandolfini's work buddy, Eddie Izzard is a priest, hell, even Elaine Stritch comes in to play Gandolfini's mom.  There are probably more that you'll recognize but that's all the ones I could think of.

Yeah, the plot is fairly simple:  Susan Sarandon finds out about Gandolfini's affair with Tula and it wrecks their marriage.  He has to decide between his wife and his mistress, while Susan calls her crazy uncle (Christopher Walken) to help her find the red-headed slut so she can cut her.  Tula works at Agent Provacateur and there's a hilarious fight between the two ladies through the store. 

Side note:  Is it bad that the first thing I thought of when I saw the sign was "ooh, they have a new collection out, I need to go check it"? 

There are a couple of little side plots, but they're not really worth mentioning.  In fact, the only criticism I would make is that the side plots do more to take you out of the movie, than add to it. 

I really like the art direction and costumes, the pops of color in an otherwise gray urban landscape.  There is a beautifully shot underwater musical piece that, for me, was the stand-out of the movie.