Romance & Cigarettes (2005)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

John Turturro

Writer:

John Turturro (written by)

Release Date:

2006 (Spain)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

A Savage Musical

Plot:

A down-and-dirty musical set in the world of working-class New York, tells a story of a husband's journey into infidelity and redemption when he must choose between his seductive mistress and his beleaguered wife.

Plot Keywords:

Redemption | New York | Adultery | Dark Comedy | Cult Favorite

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

James Gandolfini	...	Nick Murder
Susan Sarandon	...	Kitty
Kate Winslet	...	Tula
Steve Buscemi	...	Angelo
Bobby Cannavale	...	Fryburg
Mandy Moore	...	Baby
Mary-Louise Parker	...	Constance
Aida Turturro	...	Rosebud
Christopher Walken	...	Cousin Bo
Barbara Sukowa	...	Gracie
Elaine Stritch	...	Nick's Mother
Eddie Izzard	...	Gene Vincent
Amy Sedaris	...	Frances
P.J. Brown	...	Police Officer
Adam LeFevre	...	Fruitman

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content including some strong dialogue, and language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-11 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Argentina:16 | Ireland:16 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

James Gandolfini is only a year older than Aida Turturro, who plays his daughter in the film. Also, his other daughter is played by Mary-Louise Parker, who is in fact merely three years younger than him.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Nick first comes into the house toward the beginning of the movie, his daughter's band is playing outside. When he shuts the front door, the music volume does not change. It should become more muffled with the door shut.

Quotes:

Nick Murder: Are you circumcised?
Angelo: What?
Nick Murder: Are you circumcised?
Angelo: Circularized?
Nick Murder: No, circumcised.
Angelo: My circulation's fine.
Nick Murder: No, are you circumcised?

Movie Connections:

References Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)

Soundtrack:

Ten Commandments of Love

Refreshing musical

Good music, well-choreographed dancing, quirky sense of humor, a little dark. A bunch of good actors are giving a solid performance. They appear to have enjoyed themselves. Susan Sarandon is great, Kate Winslet deliciously foul-mouthed. The photography is mostly very aesthetic, although of course not as perfect as that of the Coen brothers, who produced the movie. The movie fits well into the universe of the Coen brothers' work while having its own special character. Good job, John Turturro, a very enjoyable movie! I wasn't aware of Turturro as a director. IMDb shows he has made two earlier movies, in 1992 and 1998 (both as a director and a writer, just as with this present movie). Those movies had low scores. After Romance & Cigarettes I will be keeping my eyes open for this new director. As the title suggests, there is a lot of smoking in this movie, but it can hardly be seen as positive advertising for the tobacco industry, fortunately. Conservative Christians had better avoid this movie, it would only upset them. An 8 out of 10.