The Crying Game: Critic Reviews

After luring us into what appears to be a classic they-gazed-at-each-other-across-an-empty-bar romantic setup, Jordan undermines our expectations so thoroughly that it's as if we've rediscovered our innocence as moviegoers.

The physical production is as lush as the film's romantic longings.

The Crying Game ventures into such exquisitely unique territory that you feel giddy from the pleasure of being allowed to travel along.

Reasons remain to watch this movie: the development of Fergus and the fine performances, most notably Whitaker and Richardson, who plays her character with just the right number of screws loose.

This thriller gives you an entertaining run for your money and some offbeat frissons along the way.

An astonishingly good and daring film that richly develops several intertwined thematic lines, The Crying Game takes giant risks that are stunningly rewarded.

If you're waiting for something explosive to happen, that may be the case, but if you're absorbing the meticulous and subtle character interaction, the pacing is perfect.

Review Those unacquainted with The Crying Game should note that it is well acted, original in intent rather than execution, and in possession of a narrative about-turn so insane that the film is guaranteed a place in cinematic history.

Neil Jordan's daring, mesmerizing film combines a Hitchcockian thriller and a spellbinding love story with a twist set against intriguing political circumstances; don't reveal the ending to your friends.

The Crying Game's effectiveness comes not from the big reveal, but from the expertly crafted story that frames it and makes it into a meaningful reversal rather than a sudden isolated shock.

A finely-acted, sensitively-written tale of an IRA gunman finding some sort of redemption in the arms of a British soldier's lover.

Tthe film does work, raises a plethora of questions concerning loyalty, violence and the nature of desire, and is in some respects a summation of the various themes that have emerged from Jordan's work.

Even if you know the big surprise, it's a compelling drama