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Movie Description
Part comedy, part romance, part drama, part musical, John Turturro's ROMANCE & CIGARETTES teeters on the brink of collapse at every single moment, just like the fragile characters that inhibit the film's frantic, manic world. The result is an unsettling, exhilarating, and thrillingly alive spectacle of a motion picture. Nick Murder (James Gandolfini) is a blue-collar worker who falls under the spell of the gorgeous redhead Tula (Kate Winslet). But when his frustrated wife, Kitty (Susan Sarandon), finds out, the Murder family begins to short circuit. Of the three daughters--Constance (Mary-Louise Parker), Rosebud (Aida Turturro), and Baby (Mandy Moore)--Baby appears to be next in line for love, though no one approves of her choice of mate, the goofy Fryburg (Bobby Cannavale). Kitty's absurd Cousin Bo (a hilarious Christopher Walken) helps her to track down Tula, but that proves to be a futile exercise as well. Along the way, there are crude coworkers (Steve Buscemi), annoying neighbors (Amy Sedaris), and brash in-laws (Elaine Stritch) to add even more zaniness to the proceedings. To make matters more bizarre, characters break out into song-and-dance routines whenever the fancy strikes them. While Turturro's film is certainly an acquired taste, it is nonetheless one of the more distinct works of the decade. He creates a world that is on the verge of absolute collapse, with characters who are clearly desperate to retain a connection to someone or something in our harsh modern world.
Industry Reviews
"Steve Buscemi's appearances as Nick's steelworker mate Angelo guarantee injections of energy and laughs..."
Sight and Sound - Liese Spencer (03/01/2006)
"Kate Winslet steals the show as Nick's pneumatic, foul-mouthed English bit on the side."
Uncut - Uncut Staff (04/01/2006)
3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]here's something in Turturro's chaotic marriage of domestic black comedy and Broadway musical that's uniquely his."
Total Film - Mike Carhart-Harris (07/01/2006)
4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he heightened reality proves seductive....ROMANCE AND CIGARETTES will be remembered for its shining brilliance."
Ultimate DVD - David Richardson (08/01/2006)
"[The cast] injects the film with continual shots of adrenaline. The cast is clearly having the time of its life...and the excitement is contagious."
New York Times - Stephen Holden (09/07/2007)
"Winslet pulls out all the stops as the funny, needy, raunchy, heartbreaking Tula..."
Los Angeles Times - Carina Chocano (12/21/2007)
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