MovieChat Forums > The Man Who Cried (2001) Discussion > Excellent to Watch, except for Ricci

Excellent to Watch, except for Ricci

posted 19 years ago by breaking-pretty
20 replies | jump to latest

I recently saw this film, and thought that everyone on board, except for Ricci, really gave an award worthy preformance. I was especially thrown back by the preformances of Blanchett and Turturro, who's supporting roles were the best acted in the whole film. The cinamatography was amazing, and the film was visually stunning to watch- but maybe on mute.
I was disappointed that though the film was almost saved a few times, Ricci would come back on screen and start sucking all over what could have been a brilliant and moving film.
The wardrobe department, make-up and stylists, the cinamatography and director all held this film together with realistic and beautiful work.

Was anyone else as disappointed in Ricci as I was?

If you read this and want to flame about it, please restrain yourself. I'm not here to get picked on for having an opinion. Thanks for reading.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] scatman1933 17 years ago

yes, i completely agree with SBMag about the editing of the movie, Poorly done throughout the film. many things were left with a big fat question mark or just plain left you unsatified with the scene. i always enjoy the performances of Depp, Blanchett and Turturro, they are all very versatile actors with a lot to bring to a role. Ricci's portrayal of the character felt odd to me. she has got the facial acting down but when she opens her mouth you see the contradiction. felt one dimensional to me. overall i liked the movie, i like unconventional movies and this one fit the bill.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] hiredrose 16 years ago

SPOILERS BELOW

I disagree entirely. I think this is wonderfully shot and edited movie, but it does require you to use your head. Her village is on fire because of a pogrom. We are in Russia in about 1905. That should be obvious. She ends up with the English family because she is separated from her brothers and boards the ship to England. They receive a lone five-year-old and assume she is an orphaned refugee. They give her a British name to facilitate her adoption. The couple then adopts her. Yes, Lola dies; she's in the pool of the ship several decks down when it is bombed.

Brains, people, brains.

[–] lateralus85 16 years ago

It wasn’t that Ricci was bad, or even average. It was actually one of my favourite performances by her. It was the fact that the supporting cast of Turturro, Blanchett, and Depp who were amazing and totally out acted her.

[–] Pure-Form 17 years ago

Hey, yeah I was a little dosappointed in Ricci too. Her acting wasn't so mature but it was ok, and that little girl was great

It's called a lance...Hello!

[–] jennyp_xd 17 years ago

Yeah, Ricci was okay, kind of boring. I though Cate Blanchett gave an AMAZING preformance. As well as the Dante guy... (I don't know his name, sorry!)

[–] foxy123elm 17 years ago

I was actually thining the opposite. I thought she was very moving.

SCULLY: Mulder, toads just fell from the sky!

MULDER: I guess their parachutes didn't open.

[–] mesaydayo 17 years ago

she was embarassingly bad. i love turturro/blanchett. depp, ah, whatever, eye candy, but i dont know what idiot ever casts christina ricci in any movie.

[–] dancestilmidnight 12 years ago

Well, I enjoyed Christina Ricci in this very much, she pulled off for me being sweet and innocent, and I enjoyed her singing very much. I liked the chemistry between Ricci and Johnny Depp. I actually didn't care much for Cate Blanchett's character, she had poor values and was just pursuing money and security at any cost. Each to his own taste.

This is one of my favorite movies to watch over and over, when I am busy with a project and need some good music to make it go better. One of my favorite sound tracks. I like the gypsy music and scenes as well as the opera ones.

[–] sandramac101 12 years ago

I disagree. Her character was very repressed, from the start, regardless of whether Ricci was acting Suzie or the little girl who portrayed her character as Fergele. This, I thought, was mostly because, even without the historical context, Suzie could not express herself fully. She knew that as a refugee, or as a child adopted by a very cold couple, she had to be contrite, quiet, and careful. She didn't even dare to fall in love. She was always only seeking her father, lost to her from the beginning, except in her heart. I thought Christina Ricci was very well cast for this part, and her reticence, in itself, was very moving. Her eyes, alone said so much.

[–] bcgarant 17 years ago

well Christina Ricci was the only reason I kept watching this film. I guess that means that I disagree. The rest of the cast pretty much bored me except Cate Blanchett was OK but I probably still would have stopped watching the movie if Christina wasn't in it.

[–] touchingtheflame 16 years ago

i really liked ricci in this. she rarely spoke and yet gave her character so much depth. can't understand why anyone shouldn't like her acting in this, i found it really special. and i love the way she looks aswell. not that dull like many famous actresses. she doesnt need tons of make-up, i always enjoy her with as little as possible most.

[–] Alleyshy 16 years ago

i am a huge ricci fan and i love almost everything shes in (check black snake moan, monster, the opposite of sex, now & then etc) but she was miscast in this film to me. her look was too american.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] dbellmyer 16 years ago

It's hard to judge Ricci, because she really didn't speak that much during the movie. That's one thing that makes this movie rather unusual. Two of the main characters, Ricci and Depp, really have very few lines. They must convey a lot with just their eyes or their expressions.

I agree with others who praise the child actress playing Ricci's character as a little girl. She was able to convey such sadness with her eyes; she did a fantastic job with the part.

Turturro, Blanchett, and Depp are such strong actors. Perhaps Ricci doesn't measure up to them, but she did not ruin the movie for me. I thought it was a very thought-provoking movie,especially since it brought up the subject of the gypsies.

Many are not aware, but Hitler punished the gypsies almost as badly as the Jews. Estimates of the death rate during WWII range from 800,000 to 2 million gypsies. In Eastern Europe, many were shot on sight, while others were put in labor camps, where they died from starvation and mistreatment just like the Jews. The Jews were persecuted during pogroms, but the gypsies received similar treatment most of the time.

This is one of the few movies I've seen that addressed the state of the gypsies, and I appreciate that as a historian.