Head in the Clouds walks a thin line between a decent drama and a frock film. I nearly didn't make it past the early part of the film as it looked to shaping up as an episode of Downton Abbey or some other boring frock film. However, once we got over that section and moved to France it picked up.
Charlize Theron and Penelope Cruz carried the film as far as I was concerned and I always found their characters believable. Theron is convincingly annoying and lightweight through most of the film and this really pays off in the resolution of her story arc. Cruz is just a great actress and it's good to see her getting worthwhile parts. I was less certain of Stuart Townsend but I suspect that was because of the character he was playing rather than any deficiencies in his acting ability. Guy, his character, comes across as rather wet and his transformation into action hero is hard to believe. The character has that annoying way of narrating events in a slightly whiny voice with a falling cadence that is hard to like. (Bearing in mind my anti-frock film, doomed character hating stance.)
In many ways this reminded me of Black Book though it wasn't as good. You'll probably like it if you like frock films. You'll probably like it if you have any interest in WWII. Often this is an uneasy marriage of different genres but on the whole it makes for an interesting and engaging viewing.
Charlize Theron and Penelope Cruz carried the film as far as I was concerned and I always found their characters believable. Theron is convincingly annoying and lightweight through most of the film and this really pays off in the resolution of her story arc. Cruz is just a great actress and it's good to see her getting worthwhile parts. I was less certain of Stuart Townsend but I suspect that was because of the character he was playing rather than any deficiencies in his acting ability. Guy, his character, comes across as rather wet and his transformation into action hero is hard to believe. The character has that annoying way of narrating events in a slightly whiny voice with a falling cadence that is hard to like. (Bearing in mind my anti-frock film, doomed character hating stance.)
In many ways this reminded me of Black Book though it wasn't as good. You'll probably like it if you like frock films. You'll probably like it if you have any interest in WWII. Often this is an uneasy marriage of different genres but on the whole it makes for an interesting and engaging viewing.