It’s hard to imagine in this DVD age that John Turtuorro’s “Romance and Cigarettes” could languish in a studio vault, largely unseen by the public, for over two years. In many ways a valentine to Queens, particularly the areas down south by Kennedy airport, where things get weird, Turturro’s working class characters break into song and dance when feeling most dreary and desperate. It’s a familiar device to fans of Dennis Potter, but unlike “The Singing Detective” or “Pennies From Heaven,” “Romance and Cigarettes” neglect to weigh down its narrative with believable drama.
The family at the heart of the story are hard to take seriously, with Aida Turturro and Mary Louise Parker playing James Gandolfini’s daughters. The characters are probably supposed to be teenagers, or at least in their early twenties, if their living at home and playing in a backyard punk rock band is supposed to be believable rather than just weird. Steve Buscemi, as Gandolfini’s best friend, doesn’t so much participate in dialogue as throw out a lot of sexually graphic non-sequitors, while Kate Winslet is “a crude broad.” Don’t get me wrong. They’re all a hoot, but it doesn’t add up so much for a compelling drama as a series of hysterical vignettes.
A clear highlight is Christoper Walken, already verging on self-parody, breaking out into his “Weapon of Choice” dance for his rendition of Tom Jones’ “Delilah,” including a dance with the lover he has just knifed. Gandolfini’s theme song, Englerbert Humperdink’s “Man Without Love,” is presented as an adorable montage of the men (and boys) of Howard Beach lip-sinking its lovelorn lyrics while going about their daily routine.
“Romance and Cigarettes,” which is playing in a limited run at the Film Forum, will apparently be given a limited release in theaters shortly. It probably won’t come to a theater near you. But it would be worth a rental on DVD, if it ever gets released in such a format.