Cult director John Waters continued his assault on the mainstream with this 1950s tale of a teen rebel with a sensitive side romancing a good girl from the wealthy suburban sect. Think of it as the anti-"Grease", a trailer-trash variation on an old plot from the Late Late Show. Yet, without engaging characters at its center, the movie isn't as enjoyable as it promises to be (nor is it as loose as Waters' "Hairspray" was). Well-cast Johnny Depp does fine in the lead, but his performance is all externals, and Waters showcases him the same way those bland hunks from '50s cinema were used: as a stock pretty boy. On the other hand, Waters' marvelously twisted sense of humor comes through winningly in several spots--the movie practically has to put its thin plot on hold to squeeze in these eccentric bits--and the supporting cast is mostly used very well. Overall, it just misses; the failure to ignite, I would imagine, rests on the director's own screenplay, which needed more punch. ** from ****
Review of Cry-Baby
