Head in the Clouds

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Cast, but Simply Unconvincing.
Review: "Head in the Clouds " aspires to be an epic romance. It is in many ways a classic story of personal relationships set against sweeping social, political, and ideological upheaval. The story takes place over the course of 11 years, starting in 1933, when Guy (Stuart Townsend), a young Irishman studying at Cambridge University, has a brief affair with wealthy, libertine Gilda (Charlize Theron) and ending with the liberation of Paris in 1944. Unable to forget Gilda years later, Guy goes off to join her in Paris, where he finds a rival of sorts for Gilda's love in Mia (Penelope Cruz), a Spanish nursing student and burlesque dancer whom Gilda has befriended. Gilda has no use for wars and politics, believing that a person's obligation is to live life to the fullest, not to throw it away on some cause or other. In contrast, Guy and Mia are idealists and feel compelled to support the Republican forces in Spain as they watch the rise of fascism in Europe.

Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend, and Penelope Cruz certainly make an attractive trio. Their heyday in Paris has lots of atmosphere, and Theron's wardrobe is lovely. But "Head in the Clouds" seems much longer than it is, probably because it is full of extraneous scenes that make it longer than it needed to be and weaken the relationship between Guy and Gilda that is the story's impetus. Guy and Gilda's love is never quite believable, and I can't say exactly why, but it could be a simple lack of "chemistry". Writer and director John Guigan's intention was to make a moving, tragic, epic romance around some of the 20th century's greatest conflicts. In this case, "epic" means too long, and the romance seems contrived. Although it would essentially be asking Guigan to make a different film than he did, I could not help thinking, while watching "Head in the Clouds", that it would have been more interesting to explore the validity of Gilda's and Guy's conflicting personal creeds. Guy is an idealist who believes in a global community, that people can change the world for the better, and that he has an obligation to intervene wherever people are being persecuted. Gilda believes individuals have a responsibility to protect themselves and not squander any bit of life, which frequently means that she exercises "judicious cowardice" in all things political. Since the romance is unconvincing, "Head in the Clouds" might have benefitted from more ideological analysis.

The DVD: "The Making of Head in the Clouds" (9 minutes) includes interviews with writer/director John Guigan, production designer Jonathan Lee, and actors Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend, and Penelope Cruz, in which they speak generally about the story, characters, and the film's style. Subtitles for the film are available in English only.

Rating:
Summary: Generally fun to watch, but it's dull in parts
Review: Head in the Clouds was absolutely hammered by the critics when it came out last year - somewhat unjustifiably. The movie really isn't that bad - Dr. Zhivago it is not, but it is certainly better than some of the trash coming out of Hollywood. Yes - there are lots of dull bits, and the film is about thirty minutes too long, but visually The Head in the Clouds is just gorgeous, and Charlize Theron looks so glamorous, that the Director John Duigan could probably be forgiven for churning out a film that is kind of hokey and B-grade art house. Even the love scenes between Charlize and her real life beau Steward Townsend have a kind of fake, staged period falseness to them, coming across as mildly titillating soft core cable porn for the Merchant Ivory set, than fully fledged genuine eroticism.

The narrative follows the lives of three people during the tumultuous 1920's and 1930's. The film begins in Cambridge as Guy, (Townsend) - an aspiring young writer, amateur boxer, and political idealist - meets the beautiful, wealthy Gilda (Theron). Gilda - a self-described "modern" woman - is a reckless hedonist, who lives purely for pleasure and self-satisfaction. The daughter of an American socialite and a French champagne tycoon, she refuses to celebrate birthdays, dabbles in professional photography, and firmly believes that one should look out for oneself first. Guy and Gilda have a passionate affair, but Gilda's freewheeling spirit (and her newly-found inheritance) gives her the wonder lust. They stay in touch, however, and reconnect in the arty Paris of the 1930's, just before the German occupation.

By now Gilda is heavily involved with Mia, (Penelope Cruz), a sexy, crippled Spanish exotic dancer, and the three of them settle into a comfortable, bohemian ménage à trios. But Gilda's non-committal attitudes towards sex, politics, and the rapidly changing world, lead to a rift between all three. The core of the film evolves around how they negotiate through such tumultuous territory, as Guy and Mia are both idealists and are dedicated to fighting with the republication revolution in the Spanish Civil War, much to Gilda's dismay and disgust. Gilda's unabashed selfishness and her commitment to self-preservation at whatever cost ultimately gets her into all sorts of trouble, with Guy, with Europe's encroaching totalitarian regimes, and with the French resistance.

Divided into three parts and taking place in three different countries - England, Spain and France - A Head in the Clouds certainly has pretensions towards romantic greatness, but the movie heavily emphasizes the visual - mostly in the form of sexy, colourful set pieces - over astute character development, a tight plot, and a strong script. The actors are all adequate in their roles, and the breathtaking Theron, looks as glamorous as any actress could be, but she can't carry the movie just on glamour alone. The story lumbers and drags, becoming more convoluted as the film progresses, and there's a whole messy subplot involving Guy, the French resistance, and the explosion of a Nazi train that goes on forever and adds absolutely nothing to the main story.

However, the movie is fun to watch for Theron's antics, her assorted hairstyles, and the way she wraps men (and women) around her finger. Her hedonistic egotism is ironically the key to her growth and security, and it is ultimately this self-centeredness that is her undoing. A Head in the Clouds had a lot of potential to be a great movie - it is certainly good in parts, and deals with issues such as idealism, loyalty, and the choices people make in times of war. But the movie all too often gets sidetracked into unintentional camp, and it eventually becomes side splittingly funny when it's not really supposed to be. Mike Leonard January 05.


Rating:
Summary: Delightful!!!
Review: I just finished watching this movie. My mom had rented it and I found it in her room. I had never heard of it but I really like Stuart Townsend, Charlize Theron, and Penelope Cruz so I decided I must watch it. It was very sad at times but Stuart Townsend was very haute!! Charlize and Penelope are very beautiful, too. This movie is definately worth seeing!

Rating:
Summary: Not Duigan's Best
Review: I was hoping that this movie would be in the same league as "The Year My Voice Broke" and its sequel, "Flirting". It's not. It's an okay movie although too long and convoluted and the character development never quite comes together. Duigan's talent is better suited to stories about younger characters and less exotic storylines. None of the performances are more than average. Wait for the video. Better yet, go rent "Flirting" if you haven't seen it - doesn't have the big name stars but has a lot more heart and is beautifully written and acted. Duigan made a movie with Elle McPherson(the supermodel) in it a while back and I left that movie, like this one, feeling that his ideas about sex and romance are oddly teenage. Not very interesting to watch unless you're of the same mindset!

Rating:
Summary: Awfully Shallow Melodrama with Great Costumes
Review: Immediately after award-winning 'Monster,' Charlize Theron started this new project. Had she known that she could get an Oscar for the acting in the former movie, she would not have been in this melodramatic film, nor posed naked (again) in a bath, just as she did 'Reindeer Games' before.

Forgive me. But 'Head in the Clouds' sounds like 'Pearl Harbor' without Micheal Bay's big budget actions. The love triangle against the background of war-time Europe would not be a bad idea, if the characters and the story worked effectively. As it is, the results are awfully turgid, way too incredible melodrama only those fans of the actors and the lavish 30s costumes can enjoy.

Ms. Theron is Gilda, free-spirited girl living in 1933, who rushed into the room of poor college student Guy played by Stuart Townsend. Guy, struck by her beauty, later comes to know that Gilda can have more than one lovers at the same time.

Then, they meet each other in Paris, where Guy is introduced to another tenant Mia (Penelope Cruz). They live peacefully for a while in the same room, but soon the war breaks up in Sapin (from where Mia comes) and idealistic Guy joins in the war, with Mia as nurse....

The story is fairly predictable (and the film knows it, when it begins with fortune-telling), but that is not as damaging as the uninteresting realtions between the three. The characters of Gilda, Mia, and Guy are all superficially drawn, and if you remember Ben, Josh, and Kate in 'Pearl Harbor,' you will know what I mean. They are what we call handsome or gorgeous, and nothing else, except, perhaps, its beautifully re-created costumes (by Mario Davignon, DiCaprio's 'Romeo and Juliet').

I won't tell anything about the ending, which is too unplesant for some (especially the French), and devoid of suspence or emotion. When you see Thomas Kretschmann as German officer again, you will be reminded of his much deeper, more complex character in 'The Pianist.' No trace of the depth is to be seen in this film.

After all, it's all about costumes. The director John Duigan ('Siren') used the name of Gilda, maybe Rita Hayworth in mind. But though we certainly witness the seductive charms of Charlize Theron here, it is only squandered among the impossible story and shallow characters.

Rating:
Summary: Charlize Theron gets lost in the clouds.
Review: In this pre-world war romance love triangle, Charlize Theron fresh off from playing Alieen Wurnos in Monster gets to tackle a role that requires her to go from rich glamour ice queen to the down-and-out woman hated by everyone. Perhaps she had too much on her plate this time, and it seemed like her character was overwhelmed by too much personality and selfishness that made her unlikeable.
Penelope Cruz is wonderful as the Spanish refugee who was in Paris, and is a good friend of Theron. She's a model for Theron's paintings and live-sculptures. She used to be a dancer, but gave it up to become a nurse so that she could help her country. The two lovely ladies might have had a "thing" for each other, because they were very cozy together. Theron is a rebellious daughter of a rich and powerful man, but she has no respect and love for her father. Stuart Townsend enters Theron's life, and quickly became her lover. Later on, Townsend chose to go with Cruz to Spain when war started, leaving Theron behind in Paris. Townsend ended up falling in love with Cruz during their days together. Unfortunately, Cruz died when the car drove over a mine field. During the Germen invasion, Theron found her way into the arms of a powerful Germen suitor, depite having to face all judgements and condemnation from the French side, especially Townsend who couldn't tolerate her any longer. Then she has to face her tragic downfall when the Germen lost the battle.....
Townsend's role of fool-for-love is pretty good. It was sad when he found the right woman(Cruz),and she had to die. Cruz gave a scene-stealing bilingual performance. Theron's role allowed her to do all kinds of emotions, which was good to showcase her range, but it's a bad woman role, and I couldn't feel much sympathy towards her even when she had to face her painful punishments. One thing for sure, she looked strikingly beautiful in the first half of the film, because she's got the wardrobe to do some serious catwalk!

Rating:
Summary: Head in the Clouds is worth a look
Review: It isn't the greatest World War II movie ever made or the greatest love story, but it could be a lot worse. None of the actors seem to have any chemistry together and it moves along very slow. It is worth renting, but I would stick to any other WW2 love story if you wanted something with more substance. This is alright, but nothing worth writing home about.

Rating:
Summary: touching period piece
Review: The title is not as it seems, just like the protagonist. This is not some movie about Cher and Dionne in Southern Cal. This movie brings up deep issues that will have your heart and mind racing. It's about anything except a silly girl with her head in the clouds.

I was expecting to hate Charlize Theron. I thought, "Oh dear! Another movie where the thin, blonde gets to rule the world just because she's a thin blonde." Boy, was I wrong. Ms. Theron has range and was well worthy of her "Monster" Oscar. She is stunningly beautiful in this film, despite having a crooked tooth and fat cheeks. Her outfits are stunning. I think she could really race Nicole for ingenue roles at this point. Equally impressive was Penelope Cruz. Before I saw this flick, I thought she was only the future "Mrs. Tom Cruise." However, she looks stunning and is a great actress. You have to remember that it's difficult to be an actor outside of your first language. I hope she surpasses Antonio Banderas, rather than just being his female counterpart. Again, going against the typical ingenue role, she walks with a limp in this work.

The main point of this film is to trouble the divide between politicality and apoliticality. The division that demands the public sphere be male and the private sphere be female is eventually turned on its head. The female bisexuality in this film is neither meant for heterosexist-patriarchal titillation for conservatives nor supposed political correctness for liberals. It is another complicating, and well-coordinated, factor in this rich text. There's also SM and love triangles to spice up the mix even more. Similarly, this movie jumps from time period to time period, nation to nation, and political conflict to political conflict.

When the credits rolled, I applauded, but no one else followed suit. I think folk were having trouble digesting the richness of the work. Also, this does not end as the typical ingenue film does. I think moviegoers too accustomed to everything turning out how they would want it had trouble here.

Cultural critics and college students taking women's studies, (...) or film studies will be writing about this film for years.

Granted this piece does have elements of "Henry & June," "Farewell My Concubine," "Three of Hearts," and "The Others." However, it is still fresh, exciting, and visually spectacular. I truly enjoyed it intensely.

Rating:
Summary: Long and not very interesting
Review: This period piece seems to run on forever. The characters establish themselves well enough but there is no compelling story to grab our attention. The sets also had a fake look to them - I don't think this was filmed on location. It felt like I was watching a stage rendition of Paris - it's hard to figure out what's wrong but the whole hting looks fake and not very well done.

Rating:
Summary: World War II from the European View
Review: Writer and Director John Duigan has added to his cinematic stature with this recent film about the interrelated responses of three countries - England, France, Spain - to the early phases of WW II and in doing so gives some inadveryent insight into how the continent was so endangered by the little known bad boy Hitler in the years leading up to the horror of a second World War.

The title seems very appropriate - taken from the quip of 'Head in the clouds, Feet on the ground' - as the lead character Gilda (a radiantly beautiful Charlize Theron) seems to float above all of the reality of warring struggles in 1933, focusing her life on paramours, expensive clothes, and 'dangerous liaisons' with a varied assortment of men, all the while keeping a firm stance on needs of her strangely disjointed life. Indeed, the opening of the film finds Gilda in need of shelter from a night's fling with a Cambridge lover and she knocks on the door of a poor struggling Irish student Guy (Stuart Townsend), thus beginning a lasting affair that coasts through the entire story.

Guy eventually follows Gilda to Paris where she is a popular photographer living with her gallerist, but also living with her lesbian lover Mia (Penelope Cruz). Gilda, Guy, and Mia become a triptych and it is only the impact of the rise of fascism in Spain (Mia's home) that separates the ménage a trois: idealistic Guy and compassionate Mia are off to fight Franco while Gilda is left behind to admit to the encroaching threat of Nazis in France and enter into her own version of involvement.

How these three weather the war and resolve their varied degrees of complicity provides the film's finale. The cast is strong, the settings are gorgeous (in all three countries) as captured by cinematographer Paul Sarossy, and the musical score by Terry Frewer introduces a potential talent for film composition (while borrowing heavily from French cabaret songs, symphonic music by Edward Elgar, and pieces of Francis Poulenc). But the overall reason for enjoying this rather long film is the interplay of Theron, Townsend and Cruz in a variety of richly sensuous vignettes. Well worth watching. Grady Harp, January 2005