Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Minority Report
Good evening, this post is only allowed to be viewed after 6 PM but earlier than 12 AM. Please plan accordingly.
Ok. So last we left I talked about Vanilla Sky and how it really didn't live up to my nostalgic memory of it. Critics seemed to agree, but audiences were curious, giving Cruise another $100 million hit.
Including Jerry Maguire, Tom had added 3 more movies to his ever growing list of hits, garnered his second and third Oscar nominations, and worked with one of the most renowned directors in Hollywood history. How does one follow all that shit up?
You work with Steven Spielberg, of course.
Which brings us to Minority Report, an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's sci-fi thriller. This is a really interesting time not just for Cruise, who for the better part of a decade made it a point to make movies that leaned darker and more adult than ever, but for Spielberg as well, who had also been leaning away from the family friendly blockbusters into more intense and emotional territory right around the same time.
The film follows Cruise as John Anderton, a hot shot future cop of Pre-Crime (!) who has gotten the murder rate in Washington D.C. down to zero thanks to three gifted humans who can see the future. It's an exciting and often grim futuristic tale of police politics that once again finds Tom at the top of his game, proving himself an able action hero as well as a believable man on the run.
But look, Minority Report is the Steven Spielberg show all day long. The opening sequence alone is a masterclass, clearly and effectively setting up the premise and stakes, ramping up the tension with every passing second. I must also mentioned that I was totally surprised at how much of the action is practical as opposed to green screen or CGI. I mean, there's plenty of both seeing as how it takes place in the future, but there are multiple chases and sequences that employ good old fashion in camera tricks or stunts. Of course, the entire movie is a marvel and like War of the Worlds to follow, Minority Report stands as one of Spielberg's most unsung masterpieces.
Minority Report came out in June of 2002 to enthusiastic reviews and $132 million in the U.S. and over $350 million worldwide. Now, for a PG-13 sci-fi/action movie directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise, you might think those numbers are a little low, and you'd be right. The movie didn't reach the heights of either of their crowd pleasing hits from years before (though they would make up for it with the $600 million grossing War of the Worlds a few years later). But as mentioned, neither star or director were interested in making easy to swallow popcorn movies which were taking over the top spots in the years after 9/11 (The Santa Cause 2 and XXX starring Vin Diesel both outgrossed Minority Report that year). But still, the Cruise Quality promise remained intact.
Well friends, I have a very small announcement for the 13 of you of read this. I'm starting a new blog/website in an attempt to make this a little more legitimate. That also means this is the end of my Tom Cruise journey, at least for now. My focus with the new site is to write about whatever I'm passionate about in that particular moment, and revisiting these old Tom favorites has inspired me to branch a little and revisit some other favorites from when I first started to fall in love with film, so my first post will be about my favorite movie of all time, Die Hard with a Vengeance which just celebrated its 25th anniversary this past May.
Of course, I'm still gonna watch Tom Cruise movies which means I'll also be writing about them. So don't worry yourself. I hope you enjoyed this little spiral into a pit of despair as much as I have. Be on the lookout for my new site in the coming days and remember, I like movies.
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Vanilla Sky
Hi Mom! Hi Dad! Aren't you proud of me? I quit my job during a pandemic so I could write about Tom Cruise's career when absolutely no one asked me too! Yes. Yes, I know, I'm your favorite. Now shut up.
As I mentioned at the end of my last psychotic rant, Cruise followed up his one-two punch of Eyes Wide Shut and Magnolia with his biggest hit up until that point, the action sequel Mission: Impossible II. Tom had kept his stronghold as the worlds biggest (figuratively) star.
And then he made Vanilla Sky.
Spoilers for Vanilla Sky to follow.
Ok look, Vanilla Sky is a fucking wild ass movie. Based on the Spanish film Abre Los Ojos (Open Your Eyes) Tom stars as David Aames, a care free publishing CEO (!) who immediately after meeting the love of his life Sophia, played by Penelope Cruz, gets into a car with Julie, played by Cameron Diaz, a former flame of David's whose jealously leads to a suicide attempt with David in the car resulting in her death and the extreme maiming of David. Tom actually spends the rest of the movie in utterly convincing make up showcasing the scarring from the accident.
But just when you think the rest of the movie is gonna be a drama about redemption and overcoming the odds or some shit, it takes a hard left turn into low key sci-fi fantasy territory dealing with cryogenics and dream manipulation.
Fucking wild ass movie, I say.
But it was one wild ass movie that I loved when I first saw it, and all the times after. Until this viewing at least. To my surprise, the move mostly fell flat for me. What I once thought was an emotional and challenging drama was actually just a bore with a twist.
Ok, I'm being a little dramatic. The movie isn't exactly boring, especially because Vanilla Sky is absolutely swinging for the fences, it's just that it could only get to first base and not that home run everyone was expecting (I promise I'll never use a sports analogy again).
Once again, Tom's movie star good looks are used to trick us, because at the beginning his character, David, is a bit of a prick. He's nice and charming and all that, but he could give two shits about anyone other than himself, and Cruise crushes that fake niceness.
As soon as Penelope Cruz comes into the picture, we get that classic Tom Cruise: Movie Star charm, last seen in Jerry Maguire (It should be noted that Vanilla Sky was written and directed by Cameron Crowe, who also helmed Maguire). But Tom Cruise: Movie Star dies in that car crash and Tom Cruise: Actor is born again, this time with 7 pounds of facial prosthetics to assist, and honestly, Tom makes some truly weird choices here.
Oh and this is where Kurt Russell shows up too.
Anywho, Tom waves his fingers in Kurts face, he dances aggressively, he makes pathetic self deprecating jokes about his new appearance. Like Magnolia before it, Vanilla Sky showcased Tom in a way audiences simply hadn't seen before.
And I think that's why I'm so drawn to this point in his career. Cruise seemed hellbent on not only challenging his audience, but trusting them too. Tom was willing play unlikable characters, and eager to subvert his movie star image, all because he likes movies (I like movies). But seriously, he used his clout to help Stanley Kubrick, Paul Thomas Anderson and Cameron Crowe to get their movies made the way they wanted to make them, and that's pretty fucking cool.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to enjoy Vanilla Sky as much as I did in the past. Crowe goes overboard with his soundtrack, with the music being more distracting to an emotional moment rather than amplifying it as the filmmaker has done so well in the past. The movie also has a stink that only movies from the early aughts have. And no, I will not elaborate. If you know, you know. Most of all, the movie just didn't grab me emotionally like it used to. As I mentioned before, emotional adult dramas were right up my alley as a tween (Emo 4 Lyfe), but I just couldn't connect to the movie or any of its characters this time around, which is weird, because my old ass still loves me some EMOtional shit. In the end, Vanilla Sky bit more than it could chew, but I still have to admire the effort.
Vanilla Sky opened in December of 2001 to mostly tepid reviews, but ended up grossing just over $100 million at the domestic box office, once again proving that audiences would follow him anywhere.
Next up, Cruise gets friendly with a man with a beard. Spielberg baby. Minority Report. It's been a minute since I've checked this one out as well, so I'm eager to see how it holds up.
Until next time.
I like movies.
But just when you think the rest of the movie is gonna be a drama about redemption and overcoming the odds or some shit, it takes a hard left turn into low key sci-fi fantasy territory dealing with cryogenics and dream manipulation.
Fucking wild ass movie, I say.
But it was one wild ass movie that I loved when I first saw it, and all the times after. Until this viewing at least. To my surprise, the move mostly fell flat for me. What I once thought was an emotional and challenging drama was actually just a bore with a twist.
Ok, I'm being a little dramatic. The movie isn't exactly boring, especially because Vanilla Sky is absolutely swinging for the fences, it's just that it could only get to first base and not that home run everyone was expecting (I promise I'll never use a sports analogy again).
Once again, Tom's movie star good looks are used to trick us, because at the beginning his character, David, is a bit of a prick. He's nice and charming and all that, but he could give two shits about anyone other than himself, and Cruise crushes that fake niceness.
As soon as Penelope Cruz comes into the picture, we get that classic Tom Cruise: Movie Star charm, last seen in Jerry Maguire (It should be noted that Vanilla Sky was written and directed by Cameron Crowe, who also helmed Maguire). But Tom Cruise: Movie Star dies in that car crash and Tom Cruise: Actor is born again, this time with 7 pounds of facial prosthetics to assist, and honestly, Tom makes some truly weird choices here.
Oh and this is where Kurt Russell shows up too.
Anywho, Tom waves his fingers in Kurts face, he dances aggressively, he makes pathetic self deprecating jokes about his new appearance. Like Magnolia before it, Vanilla Sky showcased Tom in a way audiences simply hadn't seen before.
And I think that's why I'm so drawn to this point in his career. Cruise seemed hellbent on not only challenging his audience, but trusting them too. Tom was willing play unlikable characters, and eager to subvert his movie star image, all because he likes movies (I like movies). But seriously, he used his clout to help Stanley Kubrick, Paul Thomas Anderson and Cameron Crowe to get their movies made the way they wanted to make them, and that's pretty fucking cool.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to enjoy Vanilla Sky as much as I did in the past. Crowe goes overboard with his soundtrack, with the music being more distracting to an emotional moment rather than amplifying it as the filmmaker has done so well in the past. The movie also has a stink that only movies from the early aughts have. And no, I will not elaborate. If you know, you know. Most of all, the movie just didn't grab me emotionally like it used to. As I mentioned before, emotional adult dramas were right up my alley as a tween (Emo 4 Lyfe), but I just couldn't connect to the movie or any of its characters this time around, which is weird, because my old ass still loves me some EMOtional shit. In the end, Vanilla Sky bit more than it could chew, but I still have to admire the effort.
Vanilla Sky opened in December of 2001 to mostly tepid reviews, but ended up grossing just over $100 million at the domestic box office, once again proving that audiences would follow him anywhere.
Next up, Cruise gets friendly with a man with a beard. Spielberg baby. Minority Report. It's been a minute since I've checked this one out as well, so I'm eager to see how it holds up.
Until next time.
I like movies.
Thursday, May 21, 2020
Magnolia
Hello my friends, I hope this essay finds you well (please note that my enemies can get fucked), and thank you for joining me again. Last I left you I had just yelled at you about Eyes Wide Shut, where Tom Cruise: Movie Star was flipped on his head by director Stanley Kubrick. The film wasn't the box office success or critical darling many had expected it to be, but after being absent from the silver screen for three years since starring in Jerry Maguire, Tom Cruise: Movie Star knew he had to come back strong.
So that same year brought Magnolia, a three hour melodrama that features our boy in a supporting role in which he plays a Tony Robbins like personality named Frank TJ Mackey who teaches dumb white dudes how to get laid. His motto? "Respect the cock! Tame the Cunt!"
Enter, Tom Cruse: Actor.
Spoilers for Magnolia to follow.
Of course, this isn't the first time an audience has seen Tom Cruise: Actor (that distinction belongs to Born of the Fourth of July), but because I decided to start this series at Jerry Maguire (BECAUSE I DO WHAT I FUCKING WANT), it's the first time I'm talking about him.
Magnolia is the first movie in over 15 years where Cruise wasn't the star. He had big co-stars or directors, yes, but he was always the leading character. However, Magnolia is a sprawling ensemble featuring monster performances from John C. Reilly, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Robards, Melinda Dillon, Phillip Baker Hall, William H. Macy and Luis Guzman playing himself (!).
It's clear that Tom was impressed with the director Paul Thomas Anderson, who previously directed Boogie Nights two years prior. And the thing about Tom, well, Tom likes movies. (I like movies). And it makes sense that Tom wanted to share the spotlight and act his butt off, as a treat.
Ever since the Oprah incident, Tom seems terrified of losing his audience, risking life and limb to keep them entertained. But back then, Tom trusted his audience, he could risk playing an unlikable character because his audience trusted that he would at least deliver a quality product. And back then, the Cruise Quality promise was a guarantee.
Ok but really, Tom got a hell of a character with Frank Mackey. We first meet Frank in a commercial for his male seminar. Tom turns the charm up to 11 and then adds eight dollops of scum for good measure. Frank is a douchebag of the highest regard, catering to incels and whichever gross male idiot who'll listen. teaching these dolts how to manipulate women to get sex. It's disgusting. It's despicable. It's one of the best performances Tom Cruise has ever given.
Director Anderson gives us numerous moments with Frank with zero cuts, just Tom in character talking to this audience, talking to us. And even though he is selling filth, Cruise is captivating. Yes, Anderson is using Tom Cruise: Movie Star and flipping that on its head just like Kubrick, but Frank is a different beast. Frank is a predator, unlike his character in Eyes Wide Shut, William, who is a passive voyeur. Frank is very open about his apathy toward women and these long takes give us a real chance to hate Frank, which is exactly what Cruise and director Anderson want.
Most of Frank's section in the film is of Frank being interviewed by a journalist who unveils some shocking truths about Frank's life he was hoping to keep secret. This secret doesn't exactly make the way he acts OK all of a sudden, but it's clear that he has had a truly hard life, and Cruise takes such complexity and does a tight rope walk and delivers a rich and emotional performance, while also letting the character remain a complete asshole. At the end of the film, Frank has just found out that his father he hasn't seen since he was a teenager, is on his deathbed and his last wish is to see his long lost son. Frank, after much debate, goes. We finally think we are seeing a human underneath that sexist exterior. But then, as he arrives and speaks to his father's caregiver, played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, he is greeted by numerous dogs of various sizes. He looks right at Hoffman and says "If the dogs get anywhere near me I will fucking dropkick them." Like I said, asshole.
Frank is just such an interesting choice for Cruise. In 1996 Tom had Jerry Maguire and Mission: Impossible come out, both gigantic hits in all aspects, with Tom starring as the romantic lead and action hero, respectively. Then he disappears for 3 years and the next two movies he makes are Eyes Wide Shut and Magnolia where he stars as an orgy seeking doctor and a rapey motivational speaker.
That's a pretty serious flex.
Again, Cruise had been making interesting and sometimes challenging movies at the studio level for most of the 90s, so it's not a complete shock but still, those two movies are so vastly different from anything else he has ever done, it just blows my mind.
On a side note, it's incredibly hard to write about Magnolia and only talk about Tom Cruise. It's such an incredibly insane, emotional, hilarious movie. It had been quite a few years since my last viewing and I'll admit I did feel the length this time. The movie simply goes on just a bit too long to be able to sustain its grip. Having said that, it's still a minor gripe and it feels like a tiny miracle that it's a movie that exists and with that cast no less. John C. Reilly is so heartbreakingly pathetic as a deadbeat cop it's endearing. Quiz kid Donny Smith, played by William H. Macy, accidentally drives into a gas station and some guy comes running up to his window and yells "That's quiz kid Donnie Smith!" and it's one of the funniest fucking moments of any movie ever. And Melinda Dillion is devastating as a cocaine addicted child abuse survivor who is going on a first date with deadbeat Reilly. Her emotional bookend to the movie ensures the viewer leaves with a somewhat hopeful feeling after enduring an emotional roller coaster the previous three hours. Magnolia is quite simply an amazing film.
Magnolia came out at the end of 1999 during awards season and grossed $22 million at the domestic box office. It was never expected that the film would compete with Cruise's usual blockbusters, so the sum was respectable, not to mention the fact that it got 3 Oscar nominations, including one for Tom himself for Best Supporting Actor.
So as I've said, this isn't exactly a film by film breakdown of Tom Cruise's career. I started smack dab in the middle, and now I'm going to skip one, at least for the time being. But I would like to quickly talk about its place in Tom's career.
Tom followed up Magnolia with Mission: Impossible II in May of 2000. It seems crazy, but this was the first real introduction to Tom Cruise: Action Star. The first M:I movie is more of a spy thriller directed by Brian De Palma and the franchise only side stepped to full blown action with this entry directed by John Woo.
Ugh ok, look, at some point I'm going to have to do a whole thing on the entire Mission: Impossible franchise. How can I not? But I'd rather do those movies back to back, so for now I won't discuss the quality of the movie. I would, however, like to note that the movie was a massive success, grossing $215 million in the U.S. and over half a billion worldwide. Tom Cruise: Action Star put Tom back on top.
And then he made Vanilla Sky.
I LOVE Vanilla Sky though! And I'm stoked that that is the next movie I'll be revisiting here. So stay tuned, and please remember, I like movies.
So that same year brought Magnolia, a three hour melodrama that features our boy in a supporting role in which he plays a Tony Robbins like personality named Frank TJ Mackey who teaches dumb white dudes how to get laid. His motto? "Respect the cock! Tame the Cunt!"
Enter, Tom Cruse: Actor.
Spoilers for Magnolia to follow.
Of course, this isn't the first time an audience has seen Tom Cruise: Actor (that distinction belongs to Born of the Fourth of July), but because I decided to start this series at Jerry Maguire (BECAUSE I DO WHAT I FUCKING WANT), it's the first time I'm talking about him.
Magnolia is the first movie in over 15 years where Cruise wasn't the star. He had big co-stars or directors, yes, but he was always the leading character. However, Magnolia is a sprawling ensemble featuring monster performances from John C. Reilly, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Robards, Melinda Dillon, Phillip Baker Hall, William H. Macy and Luis Guzman playing himself (!).
It's clear that Tom was impressed with the director Paul Thomas Anderson, who previously directed Boogie Nights two years prior. And the thing about Tom, well, Tom likes movies. (I like movies). And it makes sense that Tom wanted to share the spotlight and act his butt off, as a treat.
Ever since the Oprah incident, Tom seems terrified of losing his audience, risking life and limb to keep them entertained. But back then, Tom trusted his audience, he could risk playing an unlikable character because his audience trusted that he would at least deliver a quality product. And back then, the Cruise Quality promise was a guarantee.
Ok but really, Tom got a hell of a character with Frank Mackey. We first meet Frank in a commercial for his male seminar. Tom turns the charm up to 11 and then adds eight dollops of scum for good measure. Frank is a douchebag of the highest regard, catering to incels and whichever gross male idiot who'll listen. teaching these dolts how to manipulate women to get sex. It's disgusting. It's despicable. It's one of the best performances Tom Cruise has ever given.
Director Anderson gives us numerous moments with Frank with zero cuts, just Tom in character talking to this audience, talking to us. And even though he is selling filth, Cruise is captivating. Yes, Anderson is using Tom Cruise: Movie Star and flipping that on its head just like Kubrick, but Frank is a different beast. Frank is a predator, unlike his character in Eyes Wide Shut, William, who is a passive voyeur. Frank is very open about his apathy toward women and these long takes give us a real chance to hate Frank, which is exactly what Cruise and director Anderson want.
Most of Frank's section in the film is of Frank being interviewed by a journalist who unveils some shocking truths about Frank's life he was hoping to keep secret. This secret doesn't exactly make the way he acts OK all of a sudden, but it's clear that he has had a truly hard life, and Cruise takes such complexity and does a tight rope walk and delivers a rich and emotional performance, while also letting the character remain a complete asshole. At the end of the film, Frank has just found out that his father he hasn't seen since he was a teenager, is on his deathbed and his last wish is to see his long lost son. Frank, after much debate, goes. We finally think we are seeing a human underneath that sexist exterior. But then, as he arrives and speaks to his father's caregiver, played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, he is greeted by numerous dogs of various sizes. He looks right at Hoffman and says "If the dogs get anywhere near me I will fucking dropkick them." Like I said, asshole.
Frank is just such an interesting choice for Cruise. In 1996 Tom had Jerry Maguire and Mission: Impossible come out, both gigantic hits in all aspects, with Tom starring as the romantic lead and action hero, respectively. Then he disappears for 3 years and the next two movies he makes are Eyes Wide Shut and Magnolia where he stars as an orgy seeking doctor and a rapey motivational speaker.
That's a pretty serious flex.
Again, Cruise had been making interesting and sometimes challenging movies at the studio level for most of the 90s, so it's not a complete shock but still, those two movies are so vastly different from anything else he has ever done, it just blows my mind.
On a side note, it's incredibly hard to write about Magnolia and only talk about Tom Cruise. It's such an incredibly insane, emotional, hilarious movie. It had been quite a few years since my last viewing and I'll admit I did feel the length this time. The movie simply goes on just a bit too long to be able to sustain its grip. Having said that, it's still a minor gripe and it feels like a tiny miracle that it's a movie that exists and with that cast no less. John C. Reilly is so heartbreakingly pathetic as a deadbeat cop it's endearing. Quiz kid Donny Smith, played by William H. Macy, accidentally drives into a gas station and some guy comes running up to his window and yells "That's quiz kid Donnie Smith!" and it's one of the funniest fucking moments of any movie ever. And Melinda Dillion is devastating as a cocaine addicted child abuse survivor who is going on a first date with deadbeat Reilly. Her emotional bookend to the movie ensures the viewer leaves with a somewhat hopeful feeling after enduring an emotional roller coaster the previous three hours. Magnolia is quite simply an amazing film.
Magnolia came out at the end of 1999 during awards season and grossed $22 million at the domestic box office. It was never expected that the film would compete with Cruise's usual blockbusters, so the sum was respectable, not to mention the fact that it got 3 Oscar nominations, including one for Tom himself for Best Supporting Actor.
So as I've said, this isn't exactly a film by film breakdown of Tom Cruise's career. I started smack dab in the middle, and now I'm going to skip one, at least for the time being. But I would like to quickly talk about its place in Tom's career.
Tom followed up Magnolia with Mission: Impossible II in May of 2000. It seems crazy, but this was the first real introduction to Tom Cruise: Action Star. The first M:I movie is more of a spy thriller directed by Brian De Palma and the franchise only side stepped to full blown action with this entry directed by John Woo.
Ugh ok, look, at some point I'm going to have to do a whole thing on the entire Mission: Impossible franchise. How can I not? But I'd rather do those movies back to back, so for now I won't discuss the quality of the movie. I would, however, like to note that the movie was a massive success, grossing $215 million in the U.S. and over half a billion worldwide. Tom Cruise: Action Star put Tom back on top.
And then he made Vanilla Sky.
I LOVE Vanilla Sky though! And I'm stoked that that is the next movie I'll be revisiting here. So stay tuned, and please remember, I like movies.
Sunday, May 17, 2020
Eyes Wide Shut
Welcome back. Since you're here again I'm going to assume you have a vendetta against me. We'll deal with that later.
Last we left this CRUISE machine, Tom had a huge hit with Jerry Maguire, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actor and adding to his growing list of $100 million box office hits. Tom Cruise: Movie Star was at peak Movie Star.
And then he went absent from the screen for three years. Why is it the worlds biggest movie star would disappear from movies at the height of his fame?
Stanley. Fucking. Kubrick.
Our boy Tom over here not only stopped everything to work with the legendary director, he dragged his wife at the time, Nicole Kidman, to join him.
Spoilers for Eyes Wide Shut to follow.
There are many, many interesting things about Eyes Wide Shut. And there are many, many articles about why it's so interesting. Its absurdly long production time of at least 15 months, its wildly overhyped sexual themes and nudity, where it stands in Kubrick's career. But to me, the most interesting thing about Eyes Wide Shut is that it stars Tom Cruise.
Now wait a minute. I'm not saying that Cruise is the best thing about Eyes Wide Shut (I think Kidman is fucking dynamite in her much smaller role), but the mere fact that Tom Cruise starred in a Stanley Kubrick at the absolute hottest moment in his already hot career is insane.
But then again, if you look back at his career thus far and the directors he's already worked with, it's a pretty stacked list. Tony and Ridley Scott. Francis Ford Coppola. Martin Scorsese. Oliver Stone. Ron Howard. Cameron Crowe. Sydney Pollock (also his Eyes Wide Shut co-star). Rob Reiner. Barry Levinson. Brian DePalma. And that was all before Michael Mann, Steven Spielberg, Paul Thomas Anderson, Ben Stiller, Edward Zwick, Robert Redford, Brad Bird, James Mangold, and Christopher McQuarrie.
Tom Cruise likes working with good directors. So of course he wanted to work with Stanley Kubrick.
It's just so interesting that it happened after Jerry Maguire. As I said, Cruise was at peak Movie Star after that. And in Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick takes that movie star power and flips it on its head.
The film starts with Cruise's character William Harford, a hotshot doctor (!) living in New York with his young daughter and wife Alice, played by Kidman, as the couple make their way through a high society party of the tallest order.
Cruise is immediately captivating, carrying an authoritative yet gentle demeanor. Alice is, simply put, stunning, and William is very aware of this, adding to his already strong confidence. The scene takes its time, giving quick conversations here and there with the host, played by Sydney Pollock, and other various guests. Even in their brief interactions it's clear how insincere everyone is to one another, only there to retain status more than relationships. This is especially true of Harford, only talking to people like they are patients rather than friends.
What I love about this choice is that it makes Tom Cruise unrelatable right out of the gate. Now I know not all of Cruise's characters are relatable (I'm pretty sure I'll never know what its like to fly jets or to defy death 7 times or drink human blood), but in general, audiences were used to Tom Cruise being the hero of the movie. So when Kubrick gives us a hallow and seemingly fake lead character played by Tom Cruise: Movie Star, it's jarring.
But it's also great, and Cruise shows no ego here, as his character gets dunked on left and right in the film, and almost always by women. Though it's his wife Alice who dunks on him the hardest.
A night or two after the party, William and Alice decide to smoke a joint before bed. Once both are properly high, Alice questions her husbands whereabouts at the party (she saw him chatting up two models before he was whisked away to help the party's host with a problem, which she did not see). William is in a tough spot, he can't tell Alice what he helped with (an overdosed hooker), and he also can't deny he was talking with models.
And this scene, which basically sets the rest of the movie in motion, is a doozy. Kidman is vicious as Alice, tearing into William and his idiotic beliefs that women just don't think like men do. "Oh if you men only knew!", Alice screams. William is eviscerated. It's a brutal discussion between the couple, and both stars are incredible, with their real life marriage adding extra weight to the conversation.
The rest of the movie follows William after he storms out of the house and begins a bizarre night long journey that includes him having a drink with an old college buddy, getting awkwardly hit on by a paitent right after her father died, flashing his medical license like a badge at least 3 times and ends with him getting kicked out of a prestigious orgy (!). Like any Kubrick flick, the film is beautifully made, impossibly bizarre, and not easily forgotten. But above all, the director gets an incredible performance out of Cruise, allowing the audience to see the actor in a way they've never seen him before; small and weak as opposed to the Hollywood leading man.
Eyes Wide Shut opened in June of 1999, almost 3 full years after Jerry Maguire. The film grossed $55 million at the domestic box office, a sum that at the time was deemed disappointing given the movie's enormous hype before its release, and effectively ending Cruise's streak of $100 million hits. Critics weren't initially enamored with the film either, but again, like any Kubrick film, seems to have gained prestige as time passed.
Eyes Wide Shut wasn't the hit everyone thought it could be, but Kubrick was never one to cater to the mainstream. As I said, time has been kind to the movie, and it features one of the most unique performances that Cruise has given during one of the most unique times in his career.
Next up on this Cruise control is the three hour frog falling masterpiece, Magnolia.
Until then, be cool. And remember, I like movies.
Last we left this CRUISE machine, Tom had a huge hit with Jerry Maguire, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actor and adding to his growing list of $100 million box office hits. Tom Cruise: Movie Star was at peak Movie Star.
And then he went absent from the screen for three years. Why is it the worlds biggest movie star would disappear from movies at the height of his fame?
Stanley. Fucking. Kubrick.
Our boy Tom over here not only stopped everything to work with the legendary director, he dragged his wife at the time, Nicole Kidman, to join him.
Spoilers for Eyes Wide Shut to follow.
There are many, many interesting things about Eyes Wide Shut. And there are many, many articles about why it's so interesting. Its absurdly long production time of at least 15 months, its wildly overhyped sexual themes and nudity, where it stands in Kubrick's career. But to me, the most interesting thing about Eyes Wide Shut is that it stars Tom Cruise.
Now wait a minute. I'm not saying that Cruise is the best thing about Eyes Wide Shut (I think Kidman is fucking dynamite in her much smaller role), but the mere fact that Tom Cruise starred in a Stanley Kubrick at the absolute hottest moment in his already hot career is insane.
But then again, if you look back at his career thus far and the directors he's already worked with, it's a pretty stacked list. Tony and Ridley Scott. Francis Ford Coppola. Martin Scorsese. Oliver Stone. Ron Howard. Cameron Crowe. Sydney Pollock (also his Eyes Wide Shut co-star). Rob Reiner. Barry Levinson. Brian DePalma. And that was all before Michael Mann, Steven Spielberg, Paul Thomas Anderson, Ben Stiller, Edward Zwick, Robert Redford, Brad Bird, James Mangold, and Christopher McQuarrie.
Tom Cruise likes working with good directors. So of course he wanted to work with Stanley Kubrick.
It's just so interesting that it happened after Jerry Maguire. As I said, Cruise was at peak Movie Star after that. And in Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick takes that movie star power and flips it on its head.
The film starts with Cruise's character William Harford, a hotshot doctor (!) living in New York with his young daughter and wife Alice, played by Kidman, as the couple make their way through a high society party of the tallest order.
Cruise is immediately captivating, carrying an authoritative yet gentle demeanor. Alice is, simply put, stunning, and William is very aware of this, adding to his already strong confidence. The scene takes its time, giving quick conversations here and there with the host, played by Sydney Pollock, and other various guests. Even in their brief interactions it's clear how insincere everyone is to one another, only there to retain status more than relationships. This is especially true of Harford, only talking to people like they are patients rather than friends.
What I love about this choice is that it makes Tom Cruise unrelatable right out of the gate. Now I know not all of Cruise's characters are relatable (I'm pretty sure I'll never know what its like to fly jets or to defy death 7 times or drink human blood), but in general, audiences were used to Tom Cruise being the hero of the movie. So when Kubrick gives us a hallow and seemingly fake lead character played by Tom Cruise: Movie Star, it's jarring.
But it's also great, and Cruise shows no ego here, as his character gets dunked on left and right in the film, and almost always by women. Though it's his wife Alice who dunks on him the hardest.
A night or two after the party, William and Alice decide to smoke a joint before bed. Once both are properly high, Alice questions her husbands whereabouts at the party (she saw him chatting up two models before he was whisked away to help the party's host with a problem, which she did not see). William is in a tough spot, he can't tell Alice what he helped with (an overdosed hooker), and he also can't deny he was talking with models.
And this scene, which basically sets the rest of the movie in motion, is a doozy. Kidman is vicious as Alice, tearing into William and his idiotic beliefs that women just don't think like men do. "Oh if you men only knew!", Alice screams. William is eviscerated. It's a brutal discussion between the couple, and both stars are incredible, with their real life marriage adding extra weight to the conversation.
The rest of the movie follows William after he storms out of the house and begins a bizarre night long journey that includes him having a drink with an old college buddy, getting awkwardly hit on by a paitent right after her father died, flashing his medical license like a badge at least 3 times and ends with him getting kicked out of a prestigious orgy (!). Like any Kubrick flick, the film is beautifully made, impossibly bizarre, and not easily forgotten. But above all, the director gets an incredible performance out of Cruise, allowing the audience to see the actor in a way they've never seen him before; small and weak as opposed to the Hollywood leading man.
Eyes Wide Shut opened in June of 1999, almost 3 full years after Jerry Maguire. The film grossed $55 million at the domestic box office, a sum that at the time was deemed disappointing given the movie's enormous hype before its release, and effectively ending Cruise's streak of $100 million hits. Critics weren't initially enamored with the film either, but again, like any Kubrick film, seems to have gained prestige as time passed.
Eyes Wide Shut wasn't the hit everyone thought it could be, but Kubrick was never one to cater to the mainstream. As I said, time has been kind to the movie, and it features one of the most unique performances that Cruise has given during one of the most unique times in his career.
Next up on this Cruise control is the three hour frog falling masterpiece, Magnolia.
Until then, be cool. And remember, I like movies.
Friday, May 8, 2020
Jerry Maguire
As I mentioned before, I'm about to get married (again) to a wonderful woman who happens to have a 6 year old son. I work (when shit is normal) in the service industry, and often have trouble finding inspiration and joy from what keeps a roof over my head. I'm turning 34 this Saturday.
Jerry Maguire is a movie about a guy who, after breaking up with his fiance, meets and falls for a single mom while also dealing with a job where he struggles to find inspiration and joy. He is 35 years old.
I relate to Jerry Maguire.
Spoilers for Jerry Maguire to follow.
Even though our stars align at this point in my life, I still loved Jerry Maguire even as a 10 year old. For some reason I was very susceptible to emotional driven movies aimed at adults when I was that age. Having revisited most of those movies as an adult, it's clear that any theme or deeper meaning just went over my head. I was simply too young to understand adult problems. But for whatever reason, I understood the emotion. I understood that these characters were feeling things, some sad, some happy. I don't mean that in any depressing kind of way of course, it's just the way i found my connections with movies. I WAS MOVED BY ART. Even as a 10 year old. Bitch.
And for whatever reason, I thought Tom Cruise was the coolest. Maybe it's because I knew us small boys gotta stick together. Either way, I was a fucking Tom Cruise fan from day one, and Jerry Maguire was definitely my shit.
In the movie, Jerry Maguire is a hot shot sports agent (!) who finds himself having a crisis of conscience. He represents athletes who generate generous profits for both his company and himself, but at sacrifice to their own well being. One of the very first scenes in the movie has Jerry standing at the foot of his client's hospital bed as the athlete struggles to remember not only his agents name, but his wife and son's as well. As Jerry is leaving the hospital, the athletes son stops him, and questions his Dad's health to Jerry, saying that it's his fourth concussion. The kid is clearly worried about his fathers health. And Jerry, whose beeper goes off right as this is happening, calmly and charmingly assures the kid that his Dad is tough as nails, and can take anything.
"Fuck you", the kid says to Jerry. He runs off.
YIKES.
And then you get the famous phrases and freak out scenes and "SHOW ME THE MONEY!"
And they all hit just as well now as they did 24 years ago.
I get it if you don't love Jerry Maguire, but if you do, then you know that this movie is peak CRUISE. His charisma is off the charts. The opening montage with his voice over is filled with scummy, yuppy energy. And you completely fall for it. Jerry's job is to sell, and in this scene he's selling the hot shot world of Sports Agent. And it all seems cool and satisfying simply because Cruise is such a great salesman. And then Jerry comes clean. His life is a sham. He doesn't care about money or fame, he wants fulfillment, personal relationships. He wants to be a better person.
Jerry Maguire is the ultimate Tom Cruise: Movie Star performance. Tom showcases a gamut of range here; dramatic, comedic, frantic, vulnerable, pathetic, human, sometimes all in one scene.
In another scene, Jerry is talking to his fiance about his non-excitement for his "surprise" bachelor party. She assures him it'll be fun. He knows she's wrong. We get the hint that he's unhappy.
The very next scene, Jerry falls to the floor, pretending to be surprised by his friends throwing him a bachelor party. He SELLS it. Jerry can't help but please, both at home and at work, for better or for worse. The party itself is exactly what Jerry didn't want, a video montage of all of his ex girlfriends talking about how selfish and childish he was in front of all of his friends. And Tom is devastating here, his 10,000 watt of a smile suddenly is without charm, fake as can be. You feel his anguish and embarrassment. Tom Cruise: Movie Star now seems truly vulnerable.
Of course, Cruise always excels when he's with good company, and it cannot be denied how great his co stars are in this movie too. Rene Zellweger is heartbreakingly real as Dorothy, a wise beyond her years single mom who takes the chance of her life on Jerry. Yes, this movie is about Jerry Maguire, a man struggling to find his place and peace both with himself and with his job. And he does! And then finally, FINALLY, he knows what he's missing. "You complete me." he tells her. There is no Jerry Maguire without Dorothy.
Out of the films 5 Oscar nominations, including one for Tom for Best Actor and the film itself for Best Picture, it was Cuba Gooding, Jr. who won the films single trophy that night. His character, Rod Tidwell, is easily one of the most quoted characters of the 90s, full stop. But what's fucking crazy is that I forgot just how good Cuba is here. It's a big, show-y part, and while Gooding, Jr. plays that part to the T, it's the smaller moments, the moments where Rod and Jerry are actually just talking, and being friends, that we learn how soulful and good a person Rod is, and that's all Cuba. Well, him and a good script, but you know what I mean. Hoo Boy, that scene. The touchdown scene, where Rod is knocked unconscious for several minutes. Talk about the biggest fucking smile on my stupid little face once he gets up from the ground and begins to celebrate. His joy is so infectious and genuine. I feel like people have forgotten how good a performance this is by Gooding, Jr., and perhaps because it's so over the top most of the time it makes it hard to remember the more quiet moments he has. Watching it again though, it's clear he earned the Oscar that year.
It's really not all that surprising that I related so intensely on this latest viewing. As I mentioned at the beginning of this rant, Jerry and I got A LOT in common, but also I'm just older and I understand the struggles of Life. and Jerry Maguire is an amazing movie about Life.
Jerry Maguire came out in December 1996 and earned $153 million in the US, becoming Cruise's fifth film in a row to gross more than $100 million in the states.
His next film would end that streak, however, and it just so happens it'll be next on our journey through the CRUISE career. That's right, baby! We're getting on the Kubrick train and going full steam ahead with Eyes Wide Shut.
I'll be back as soon as i can with that installment, but until then remember, there's only one thing that matters. I like movies.
Jerry Maguire is a movie about a guy who, after breaking up with his fiance, meets and falls for a single mom while also dealing with a job where he struggles to find inspiration and joy. He is 35 years old.
I relate to Jerry Maguire.
Spoilers for Jerry Maguire to follow.
Even though our stars align at this point in my life, I still loved Jerry Maguire even as a 10 year old. For some reason I was very susceptible to emotional driven movies aimed at adults when I was that age. Having revisited most of those movies as an adult, it's clear that any theme or deeper meaning just went over my head. I was simply too young to understand adult problems. But for whatever reason, I understood the emotion. I understood that these characters were feeling things, some sad, some happy. I don't mean that in any depressing kind of way of course, it's just the way i found my connections with movies. I WAS MOVED BY ART. Even as a 10 year old. Bitch.
And for whatever reason, I thought Tom Cruise was the coolest. Maybe it's because I knew us small boys gotta stick together. Either way, I was a fucking Tom Cruise fan from day one, and Jerry Maguire was definitely my shit.
In the movie, Jerry Maguire is a hot shot sports agent (!) who finds himself having a crisis of conscience. He represents athletes who generate generous profits for both his company and himself, but at sacrifice to their own well being. One of the very first scenes in the movie has Jerry standing at the foot of his client's hospital bed as the athlete struggles to remember not only his agents name, but his wife and son's as well. As Jerry is leaving the hospital, the athletes son stops him, and questions his Dad's health to Jerry, saying that it's his fourth concussion. The kid is clearly worried about his fathers health. And Jerry, whose beeper goes off right as this is happening, calmly and charmingly assures the kid that his Dad is tough as nails, and can take anything.
"Fuck you", the kid says to Jerry. He runs off.
YIKES.
And then you get the famous phrases and freak out scenes and "SHOW ME THE MONEY!"
And they all hit just as well now as they did 24 years ago.
I get it if you don't love Jerry Maguire, but if you do, then you know that this movie is peak CRUISE. His charisma is off the charts. The opening montage with his voice over is filled with scummy, yuppy energy. And you completely fall for it. Jerry's job is to sell, and in this scene he's selling the hot shot world of Sports Agent. And it all seems cool and satisfying simply because Cruise is such a great salesman. And then Jerry comes clean. His life is a sham. He doesn't care about money or fame, he wants fulfillment, personal relationships. He wants to be a better person.
Jerry Maguire is the ultimate Tom Cruise: Movie Star performance. Tom showcases a gamut of range here; dramatic, comedic, frantic, vulnerable, pathetic, human, sometimes all in one scene.
In another scene, Jerry is talking to his fiance about his non-excitement for his "surprise" bachelor party. She assures him it'll be fun. He knows she's wrong. We get the hint that he's unhappy.
The very next scene, Jerry falls to the floor, pretending to be surprised by his friends throwing him a bachelor party. He SELLS it. Jerry can't help but please, both at home and at work, for better or for worse. The party itself is exactly what Jerry didn't want, a video montage of all of his ex girlfriends talking about how selfish and childish he was in front of all of his friends. And Tom is devastating here, his 10,000 watt of a smile suddenly is without charm, fake as can be. You feel his anguish and embarrassment. Tom Cruise: Movie Star now seems truly vulnerable.
Of course, Cruise always excels when he's with good company, and it cannot be denied how great his co stars are in this movie too. Rene Zellweger is heartbreakingly real as Dorothy, a wise beyond her years single mom who takes the chance of her life on Jerry. Yes, this movie is about Jerry Maguire, a man struggling to find his place and peace both with himself and with his job. And he does! And then finally, FINALLY, he knows what he's missing. "You complete me." he tells her. There is no Jerry Maguire without Dorothy.
Out of the films 5 Oscar nominations, including one for Tom for Best Actor and the film itself for Best Picture, it was Cuba Gooding, Jr. who won the films single trophy that night. His character, Rod Tidwell, is easily one of the most quoted characters of the 90s, full stop. But what's fucking crazy is that I forgot just how good Cuba is here. It's a big, show-y part, and while Gooding, Jr. plays that part to the T, it's the smaller moments, the moments where Rod and Jerry are actually just talking, and being friends, that we learn how soulful and good a person Rod is, and that's all Cuba. Well, him and a good script, but you know what I mean. Hoo Boy, that scene. The touchdown scene, where Rod is knocked unconscious for several minutes. Talk about the biggest fucking smile on my stupid little face once he gets up from the ground and begins to celebrate. His joy is so infectious and genuine. I feel like people have forgotten how good a performance this is by Gooding, Jr., and perhaps because it's so over the top most of the time it makes it hard to remember the more quiet moments he has. Watching it again though, it's clear he earned the Oscar that year.
It's really not all that surprising that I related so intensely on this latest viewing. As I mentioned at the beginning of this rant, Jerry and I got A LOT in common, but also I'm just older and I understand the struggles of Life. and Jerry Maguire is an amazing movie about Life.
Jerry Maguire came out in December 1996 and earned $153 million in the US, becoming Cruise's fifth film in a row to gross more than $100 million in the states.
His next film would end that streak, however, and it just so happens it'll be next on our journey through the CRUISE career. That's right, baby! We're getting on the Kubrick train and going full steam ahead with Eyes Wide Shut.
I'll be back as soon as i can with that installment, but until then remember, there's only one thing that matters. I like movies.
Sunday, May 3, 2020
A Tom Cruise Period.
I love Tom Cruise. I've always loved Tom Cruise. But ever since "The Incident" on Oprah's talk show for his press tour for Mission: Impossible III, the whole world started to look at Cruise differently. For most, he simply became crazy Ol' Tom. For me, he stopped being Tom Cruise: Movie Star and became Tom Cruise: Action Star. Once Cruise figured out that audiences loved him again as an action lead in Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol, Tom didn't look back, and almost his entire output of films have been action. Granted, most of those movies have ranged from really fucking good (Jack Reacher, Edge of Tomorrow) to action masterpieces (Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation and MI-Fallout).
But I miss Tom Cruise: Movie Star.
I realized this while watching Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds the other night with my fiance. Right before starting it, I was excited to revisit one of Spielbergs unsung classics, a movie that seemingly fell to the way side in terms of Spielberg's filmography. The movie was one of the biggest hits of 2005, but for some reason never really found enough ground to stand as one of Spielberg's best, something common for his early aughts output (which in my humble opinion, was one of his best periods. War of the Worlds, Minority Report, A.I. GTFO if you don't think those movies rip).
Anywho.
As soon as the movie started I instantly fell victim to Cruise's charisma. In the movie he plays a hot shot dock worker (!) and deadbeat Daddy to Dakota Fanning and that other guy. Cruise immediately IS this character. He doesn't get either of his kids, but we believe he loves them. When shit goes down, he protects his kids. He has the correct instinct to get the kids to their mother, because she'll know what to do. This is a very quick summation of the very, very good work Cruise does in the movie, but simply put, I believed him. I believed that he was scared for his life and for his kids lives. I believed he would do anything to keep them alive. He did great work in that movie, and I personally find it crazy and offensive that it's not more talked about not only for Cruise's sake but for Spielberg's. The movie is incredible.
SO.
I've decided to look into Tom's catalogue and talk about what made me love Tom Cruise in the first place. I'm starting with Jerry Maguire because I fucking want to, and will follow Tom until about 2002 territory with Minority Report, at least at first. I've seen these Cruise movies countless times, but less so in the last 10 years, and I want to remember more the Cruise I grew up with. And then, I'll dig deeper. Top Gun. Cocktail. Days of Thunder. Far and Away. Interview with the Vampire, Eyes Wide Shut, Magnolia, etc. I want to talk about Tom before he was crazy, when he was the world's biggest movie star making the best movies. But for real, I'll probably talk about most the Mission: Impossibles, Collateral, The Last Samurai, and Jack Reacher too. I love Tom Cruise. I want to talk about Tom Cruise because I like movies, and he makes good movies.
So in the next few days I'll be back here with some thoughts on Jerry Maguire (which i revisited today), so until then, good day.
I love you,
but most of all,
I like movies.
Friday, April 3, 2020
Out of Sight
Out of Sight is cool.
Out of Sight is real cool.
Out of Sight is real fucking cool.
How many times can I saw cool in this post?*
The film stars George Clooney as Jack Foley, a career bank robber on the run, and Jennifer Lopez as the cop after him. The film also carries a supporting cast that includes Don Cheadle, Luiz Guzman, Albert Brooks, Steve Zahn (Long Live Steve Zahn), Catherine Keener, Dennis Farina and Michael Keaton!
Hoo boy this movie hit the spot. It had been quite a few years since I watched it last, and it was a great reminder that this is without a doubt one of my favorite movies. Which isn't surprising really, I've long since been identified as a "Soder-Boy", a devout and loving admirer of the film's director Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Trilogy, The Limey, Traffic). Oh yea, I'm a big, big Soder-Boy. The dude is fearless, and even though he doesn't always hit the mark, I love that he always takes a swing (sport reference brought to you by Fuck You).
But Out of Sight works. The movie has so many cool flourishes throughout (a few choice freeze frames, for example) and its two lead actors are actually oozing chemistry (ooooooooozing). No, but really, George and Jennifer have that true blue movie star chemistry, that lightening in a bottle. Lopez has never been better (HUSTLERS OWNED THOUGH) and this is easily my favorite Clooney performance (I'd say his best is Michael Clayton). In the films' infamous car trunk scene, George and Jennifer are in the trunk of a car, talking to each other for the first time, as criminal and hostage, and Clooney effortlessly goes from criminal, to buffoon, to charming, to sexy, to funny.
But there are also scenes where he is as cool as cool gets. In fact, just as The Hunt for Red October molded my inner perception of Sean Connery, Out of Sight gave me the way I immediately picture George Clooney. Cool. Just fucking cool. *wipes drool*
Y'all, Out of Sight is just fucking good. A top auteur director working with one of his greatest collaborators at the very beginning of their relationship. V cool.
Movies are real cool, dudes. I like movies.
I'll be back here soon, y'all.
*10
Out of Sight is real cool.
Out of Sight is real fucking cool.
How many times can I saw cool in this post?*
The film stars George Clooney as Jack Foley, a career bank robber on the run, and Jennifer Lopez as the cop after him. The film also carries a supporting cast that includes Don Cheadle, Luiz Guzman, Albert Brooks, Steve Zahn (Long Live Steve Zahn), Catherine Keener, Dennis Farina and Michael Keaton!
Hoo boy this movie hit the spot. It had been quite a few years since I watched it last, and it was a great reminder that this is without a doubt one of my favorite movies. Which isn't surprising really, I've long since been identified as a "Soder-Boy", a devout and loving admirer of the film's director Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Trilogy, The Limey, Traffic). Oh yea, I'm a big, big Soder-Boy. The dude is fearless, and even though he doesn't always hit the mark, I love that he always takes a swing (sport reference brought to you by Fuck You).
But Out of Sight works. The movie has so many cool flourishes throughout (a few choice freeze frames, for example) and its two lead actors are actually oozing chemistry (ooooooooozing). No, but really, George and Jennifer have that true blue movie star chemistry, that lightening in a bottle. Lopez has never been better (HUSTLERS OWNED THOUGH) and this is easily my favorite Clooney performance (I'd say his best is Michael Clayton). In the films' infamous car trunk scene, George and Jennifer are in the trunk of a car, talking to each other for the first time, as criminal and hostage, and Clooney effortlessly goes from criminal, to buffoon, to charming, to sexy, to funny.
But there are also scenes where he is as cool as cool gets. In fact, just as The Hunt for Red October molded my inner perception of Sean Connery, Out of Sight gave me the way I immediately picture George Clooney. Cool. Just fucking cool. *wipes drool*
Y'all, Out of Sight is just fucking good. A top auteur director working with one of his greatest collaborators at the very beginning of their relationship. V cool.
Movies are real cool, dudes. I like movies.
I'll be back here soon, y'all.
*10
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