Head in the Clouds (2004)

I saw this movie not expecting much from it. I was more interested in seeing how the chemistry between Charlize and Stuart works as they are lovers in real life too.

The movie is a melodramatic love story that takes place in the years that preceded WW II and during the war. The story is rather predictable and quite boring sometimes.

But what makes this movie nice to see are some moments that are nicely portrayed by the main actors and that I find rather moving. And if something makes this movie special, is Stuart Townsend that gives a certain feeling to his character.

In the end, I liked the movie as I ignored some of its flaws (like most of the movies I see)and appreciated the overall atmosphere created, a couple of moving a memorable scenes and the beautiful chemistry between Charlize and Stuart. I think, it is underrated. It should be around 6.5-7. I give him an 8, as a balance.

Fmovies: Yes, I did just rank this movie at a 9. This is an Unusual high rank by my standards, yet I do think this one deserves it.

A movie that portrays the life of 2 young people and a lot of others surrounding them. World war 2 is coming at the start and ends with the movie. A romantic setting. This movie is classified as Drama, Romance, War and it really had me scared when I put it on. I'm not the type for those things apart, let alone compressed together in about two hours.

I was surprised. Very pleasantly surprised. It turned out to be a thrilling life story, filled with Eros (I should have known when I saw the R rating..) and adventure. It didn't fall into the usual overly sweet scenes that leave you with a sugar mouth no water can ever remedy. Instead it kept up a flirtatious pace all along, with dramatic events to eventually come to the bittersweet picture this turned out to be. Another part I cant deny loving was the end. I wont say anything more about it, but it was a good end to the movie. And I'll leave it at that :)

I never realized that Charlize Theron was that attractive and the team with Penelope Cruz (forgive me any mistakes in spelling or names) was a match made in heaven. No complaints about Stuart Townsend either. ... This is beginning to sound a bit too positive but .. Yeah, well, I'm not going to look for negative stuff just to have it in.

In the end, this movie left me with a feeling I like. Not the typical heart-bleed I get from those Sugarbom Romantic flicks, and not the sad feeling a drama usually burdens me with either. A pleasant feeling. (pleasant doesn't mean happy mind you) It has me missing my girlfriend although she s only gone for the day. And gives me an ever stronger feeling that I love her than I usually have. This movie really did give me a Pleasant feeling! :) maybe bittersweet is the exact description for it.

Anyhow, i'm really glad I saw this one and it deserves a Nine. well, in my humble opinion it does :)

"Head in the Clouds", set in Paris (circa 1920's-1940's), is all about a trio of three characters; two women and one man. The centerpiece of the trio and the film is Theron as an independent, capricious, liberal and free spirited women who is in love with both her male and female part-time companions (Townsend & Cruz) who, in turn, both love her. The film follows the ebb and flow of the trio's relationships from their good times before the Spanish civil war through their bad times during WWII. An attempt at a sort of romantic epic, "Head in the Clouds" is wrought with staginess, corny dialogue, charming artificiality, and glorified melodrama. Not well received by the critics, this obvious film seems to be trying too hard while never quite ringing true. Should be an okay watch for romantics and sentimentalists. (B-)

Head in the Clouds fmovies. Charlize dominates this film not only because of her bathtub scene, but because she turns in the best performance of all the actors. This part provides a needed relief from the part that she had in "Monster" and shows her to be a truly beautiful woman.

Personally, I feel that Stuart Townsend is in over his head in trying to be the man that captivates the debutante of France as played by Miss Theron. He plays the part well but seems to be miscast in a role that needs a man that is stronger physically as well as mentally.

Penelope Cruz is outstanding as the lame Spanish beauty. She provides a excellent performance as the stereotypical cripple with a golden heart as she uses her earnings as a model to become a nurse.

The story provides little, if any, inspiration and needs a stronger hand at the screen writing duties.

I was well entertained by this movie and thought the total effect was to keep me interested although it did become predictable in some spots. Perhaps my rating of 7 is partly because I thought that Charlize should have held out for a stronger screenplay for her next movie.

Charlize is terrific. And as if that wasn't enough, there's Penelope too! The story addresses many aspects of the times and places in which it takes place, particularly nazi occupied Paris. Themes of sexuality, expanded definitions of relationships between lovers, loyalty, duty to humanity, futility of war, art, decadence...

The big question it poses is when is it time for an individual recognize the horror taking place in their world and to put aside their personal comfort and sacrifice themselves in resistance to a greater evil? One living in the world's current superpower might be asking themselves such a thing these days.

I'll keep this simple -- this movie could have been great, but it wanted to be too much. It wanted to be epic, it wanted to be about friends and it wanted to be an anti-war movie and on top of that, it wanted to be about WWII and the underground work. I wanted to like this movie and while it's not impossible to watch, it is slow and plodding some times. This is a movie that really could have hit the audience hard, but it just kind of laid there instead.

We go through a long, long development of the relationship between the two main characters Charlize Theron and Stuart Townsend. This could have been story enough, but no, we have to follow them over a 10 or 15 year period and go all the way through WWII. Early on, we are introduced to Penelope Cruz who is a good friend to Theron's character. And from this we kind of slip into a pseudo-three-way that never fully develops. Then there is the Spanish Civil War that Cruz's character feels she must partake in as well as Townsend. Again, this could have been an interesting story all on its own. Finally, we get into WWII and it drags on and on and I started to lose interest in the characters and the story.

It's all just too much of a BIG story and, at the same time, not enough of a story to really hold our interest. The actors were okay, though sometimes I felt like Theron was just reading her lines. Townsend, for the most part fits the role, but other times he comes across as too modern for the time period.

There are a few twists and turns here that keep the viewer interested, but overall, its not as good as it could have been. A shorter version, about one of the many story lines could make this a really, really good film.