Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

From Stanley Kubrick comes the sexually charged thriller starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as a married couple. They start by getting ready for a night out and there is a couple of good moments that sum up their relationship that are really very clever and I was impressed from the start. Nicole Kidman admits that she once thought about and almost cheated on Tom. This sends him on a wild night looking for and trying to get involved in any form of sexual adventure he can.

This film is quite tense and while I was hooked in early it never really reached those heights again. While all the acting is good and the film itself looks good, it is quite complicated and I feel it gets a bit lost as it approaches the end of the film. I think though that this is part of what Kubrick was trying to achieve in making the film, you only really know what Tom does so you are supposed to feel as confused as he is, if this is the correct idea then it is done very well but it is something that I struggled with.

In the end the film comes back to the start and I liked that fact that the reading at the beginning while is accurate is also very wrong and you and Tom and Nicole both realise this and you can see where it is going after the credits role and this is good film making. Now for a recommendation, I think that certain people will love it and others will hate it, which in essence makes the rating easy, it is 3 stars but I think you will have to decide for yourself if you want to see the film.

Vanilla Sky (2001)

After Tom Cruise separated from Nicole Kidman I feel he started a different path that allowed him to explore more of his acting. Where he did not have to rely so heavily on his good looks and winning personality. In all honesty I actually like his films and the characters he portrays. I had tried to watch Vanilla Sky years ago and could not see where it was going and gave up about 15 minutes in. Anyway on the second watch I actually knew what was happening and was able to follow it pretty well.

Tom Cruise plays David Aames a rich publishing heir who is a playboy around town, he starts with a weird dream and then wakes up next to Cameron Diaz, this could be many people’s dream. At his birthday party his best friend brings Penelope Cruz and there is a spark. He leaves her in the morning and makes a mistake by getting in the car with Cameron Diaz who feels jilted and she causes an accident that leaves Tom disfigured. You then follow him as he tries to regain his life and recover from the accident.

This film was captivating and kept me enthralled to the end and I have to say that I was not exactly sure where it was going but the ending really worked for me and I have to say that they way it all worked out in the end ticked all the right boxes for me. Overall this comes under the strong three star recommend catagory for me and I think most of you will actually enjoy it.

Mission Impossible III (2006)

The third film in the Mission Impossible franchise sees Ethan Hunt played by Tom Cruise and directed by J J Abrams trying to protect his girlfriend from a sadistic arms dealer played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. You have the usual stellar supporting cast with Michelle Monaghan as Julia, Ethan’s Fiancee, Ving Rhames, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Maggie Q as his support team with Simon Pegg as Benji in the laboratory supporting the team.

This is the usual Mission Impossible fayre with guns, explosions, improbable circumstances and cool gadgets. Overall the story is big enough to keep you interested and small enough that you care, from the start that brings Ethan back to the IMF you do care about the fact that he is just trying to live a normal life. The effects are believable but with Abrams at the helm you know that there are going to be twists and turns and a couple you can see coming if you have seen enough of this sort of film.

I found this film as enjoyable as the others without being anything special the simple fact is if you found anything enjoyable within the first two films then you will surely enjoy this venture, I give this a hearty 3 stars, worth seeing if you like the action spy films. 

Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol (2011)

Film of 2012 #6
No Spoilers

The biggest thing about me seeing the latest sequel to the Mission Impossible franchise was that I got to see it in IMAX, very impressive not really worth the money at nearly £13 a ticket you have to be really sure of the film and trust the makers to use the technology. I look forward to seeing the new Christopher Nolan Batman film as I believe he knows what he is doing with the technology. But to the film, I have no idea what happened in the last 3 although I have seen them, perhaps an excuse to re-watch the action packed 'Impossible Missions' that are shown on screen but its starts with a prison break. Tom Cruise escapes with a passanger and then straight away has a mission that involves infiltrating the Kremlin.

Overall this film was highly enjoyable possible because of the IMAX experience but teh action scenes were over the top exciting and executed brilliantly, there was a nce level of comedy I do think that Simon Pegg went to far with some of it but overall any fans of action films with a bit of espionage thrown in will really enjoy this film.

I am going to give my experience 4 stars and would say that the film is worth seeing it will be interesting to view it on DVD and see if it holds up to repeat showings on a lower level.