| HEAD IN THE CLOUDS |
 2004 - Canada / UKDirector: John Duigan - Reviewed by Vickie
Like its ethereal title, Head in the Clouds is a gloriously dreamy love story that seamlessly blends elements of romance, tragedy, heartache and hope into one luxurious and poignant film. Theron stars as Gilda Bessé, a smart, confident and ridiculously charming young woman who comes from money. She meets unassuming Cambridge university student Guy (Stuart Townsend) and a bond forms between them almost immediately. Despite a rather prolific love life, Gilda has something with Guy that she doesn't have with anyone else: genuine affection and respect. Their relationship evaporates almost as quickly as it begins once she decides to embark on world travels. But the duo are reunited several years later in Paris, where they are joined by Mia (Penélope Cruz), a Spanish nurse whom Gilda also loves. The three then live together, harmoniously, in a flat until war and circumstance separate them. While some folks may be titillated by the notion of Theron, Cruz and Townsend in some kind of lascivious threesome, the film is anything but a sex-driven endeavor. In fact, be warned, the love scenes are very few and far between, and are far from explicit. This film is about love, not lust, and the way three people find their own happiness in an increasingly perilous world. The relationship between these characters goes beyond the physical, and their connections are wholly believable. That's key in a movie like this, where people are brought together and driven apart repeatedly—we have to believe they genuinely miss each other, long for one another and feel euphoric when reunited. Head in the Clouds more than succeeds in this regard. Theron creates a magnificent character in Gilda. She's undeniably appealing, and it's easy to see why anyone—man, woman, young, old—would be completely enchanted by her. She's strong and courageous, funny and daring, tough but soft... and all the while there's a delicate underlying sadness to her, which comes through perfectly. Despite their offscreen romance, which can sometimes be distracting for an audience when watching two actors in a film together, Townsend and Theron manage to fashion a wonderfully nuanced relationship for their alter egos. There wasn't a single moment where I thought, "That's Charlize and Stuart." They embody their characters to such a degree that I only saw the characters, and not the actors. (Try doing that with Ashton and Demi, or Michael and Catherine, or any number of Hollywood pairings.) Cruz is pitch-perfect as the quiet, reserved Mia, who often longs from afar despite a relationship with Gilda that's just as strong as the one forged by Guy. The cinematography, set and costume design are also flawless. As mentioned, Theron looks outstanding in her period garb, and the locations and sets create almost touchable environments for the action. If director John Duigan had been at the theater today, I would have run up to him after the screening and just hugged him for crafting such an unexpectedly stirring, heartbreaking film. Clouds will, I suspect, wind up as one of my favorites of the fest, if not of the year. |
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[Self-indulgent preamble: I've always thought Charlize Theron is a very
attractive woman, but she is positively, breathtakingly, STUNNINGLY
beautiful in this equally gorgeous drama from director John Duigan
(Flirting). It's as if she was born several decades too late—the 1930s and '40s costumes she wears here are so perfectly suited to
her that it's astounding. Seriously, she looks amazing. Radiant.
Fabulous. And, from now on, I think she should have ALL her subsequent
characters dress only in clothing from that period, regardless of when
her future films are set. So there.]
