Romance & Cigarettes

Written and directed by prolific actor John Turturro ('O Brother, Where Art Thou?'), and bearing the unique touch of executive producers the Coen Brothers, 'Romance & Cigarettes' is mostly a crude riot, with a few bitter pills along the way. Loosely a musical about infidelity and dysfunctional family life, the film sees an immense cast - including James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Steve Buscemi, Kate Winslet, Christopher Walken and Eddie Izzard - alternate between soppy melodrama, extreme vulgarity, and singing along to one of those 'best of 60s cheese and soul' type compilations. Strangely enough, it works. Any film in which Winslet's opening line is "I want you to stick your finger up my arsehole" and Chris Walken sings 'Delilah' has got to have something going for it. Unlike anything else you're likely to see, and well worth two hours of your time. [Bruce Blacklaw]