The Crying Game Forest Whitaker, Stephen Rea
Obviously I was too young to watch the film so I’m going to revisit it now.
Just a little point of reference Forest Whitaker as brilliant as he is, actually overweight for a British soldier. British soldiers are regularly beasted and made to train hard and have a high level of fitness.
The film
Jody (Whitaker) a British soldier is lured into an IRA honey trap and held captive in the hope of exchanging him for a captured IRA operative. During his time in captivity he starts to build report with one of his captures Fergus (Stephen Rea). While heading out to be executed Jody escapes and runs for the main road only to be run over by a British army Humber pig from the force that has come to rescue him, Fergus slips away as the safe house is obliterated by the army.
Fergus moves across to the mainland and as Jody had asked him to get in contact with his partner Dil if the worst happens so he does. Dil is mixed up in a bad relationship, Fergus doesn’t jump in straight away but waits to see if I really is as bad as it seems. When he knows that it is he steps in to protect, as their relationship develops there’s a big shock for Fergus when he discovers Dil is transgender.
The relationship is shattered and Fergus tries to make amends Dil puts up a fight but soon the barricades are broken and there’s some bridge building. Fergus finds it difficult to build a relationship with a transgender, when ghosts from his past come to haunt him. Jude who was part of his old IRA team and the honey in the trap comes to visit and wants Fergus to use his new life for a return to his old activities.
His former unit it want him to assassinate a judge on his way to a high class brothel and have made it clear that his life depends on it. Dil follows him to the meet and gets jealous, Fergus comes up with a plan he explains to Dil what happened with Jody and his death and asks if Dil wants to kill him. Nothing happens until the following morning when Dil ties him to a bed and holds him at gun point. The hit on the judge goes bad in the absences of Fergus and only Jude survives. Jude goes to confront Fergus and Dil kills her in a shoot out. Dil knows that Jody fell for Jude in honey trap and wants to commit suicide but Fergus convinces her not to and she leaves. As the police surround Fergus’s flat he cleans of the pistol and wants to be caught. The film fades out with Dil Visting Fergus in prison.
Verdict.
It’s a really good film and an early film bringing a transgender actor to mainstream cinema showing the prejudice that they suffer every day as well as the problems of forming relationships. The story is well written and doesn’t follow a format.
With six Oscar nominations in the 1992 Oscars they were all well deserved even if it only came away with best screenplay. Stephen Rae would have a long career this being his only Oscar nomination ( best actor) he’s making films as I write with three in production. He’s very good as the sensitive IRA operative and it’s an enjoyable watch even as you know the secret before him it’s good.
Jaye Davidson struggled with the fame that this role bought him the Best supporting actor nomination was overwhelming and he only went on to perform one other role in Star Gate before returning to be a fashion assistant and giving up acting. Jaye gives a lot with his performance in this film to manage the emotions and portray them as an audience member you ride the roller coaster the despair, hope, fear, disappointment and vengeance and you’re always on his side which is a hard thing to pull off.
Forest Whitaker is only in the film for the first half and it’s an early role for him and he’s far from his best but you can see the talent it’s just a bit raw.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Have fun stay safe ππΌ
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