9/10

Rating: 9/10 (25 September 2014)

9/10 I implore you to go see this movie, it literally blew me away. Everything, everything here is about excellence in filmaking: what a pleasant surprise! I went into this movie knowing absolutely nothing except that it was a sci-fi and it truly delivered awesomeness! I will start by saying that Tom Cruise is just a powerhouse: if by now, after all of his movies, he still manages to disappear from the screen and make me see only his character there must be something special going on. Other than that I truly cared for him because of a surprising character arc, he pulled off every scene he was in adding all of the necessary ingredients: drama, comedy and most importantly his action scenes are as always top-notch. Amongst this, Emily Blunt manages to stand her own ground and gives a performance that is just as good as Cruise's in all of her own aspects too, plus the pair have amazing chemistry and keep a honest and involving emotional core to the movie. They are definitely helped by really well written characters in the background of such a clever, witty, multi-layered, brilliant screenplay adapted from a story which clearly has its roots in sci-fi classics, but still manages to do something really, really original and truly unforgettable. I cannot speak highly enough of this screenplay, it flows out so smoothly, leaving nothing behind, keeping fantastic character and story coherence and does so much more with the comedic and dramatic elements of the plot. Furthermore the cast built around the two main stars is cleverly put together: the inclusion of Bill Paxton is genius and gives a nod to Aliens, to him you add a cast of talented unknowns contributing to add a very deep character connection. The premise here is something that has both great potential for being easily messed up, but at the same time has potential for a director to play around and offers him many scenarios to pull off clever transitions. Well I can safely say that Liman didn't do one single thing wrong: his direction here is something really rare: brilliance is painted everywhere. The action scenes are filmed flawlessly, the balance of Cgi and practical effects is seamless and the storytelling is some of the best you can find out there. Not even one element is left hanging around and every single event and action is perfectly believable and grounded, plus he makes you truly love and feel for the people you're watching. The suspension of disbelief here is maintained for every frame. He clearly has a great relationship with his crew because every aspect of the movie is executed perfectly: cinematography, music, perfect Cgi and most importantly the editing which has a very difficult job to do in regards to the premise, yet manages to truly succeed highly. The movie keeps going on and on with a fantastic pace, which never lost my interest, bringing to the screen a truly thrilling experience and never giving you a moment to breathe. The suspense in the last act is close to unbearable and nothing ever happens that takes you out of it. There isn't really any negatives I can think of off the top of my head: this movie is amazing and sophisticated, I beg you all to go see it, it delivered true greateness and ended on a perfect note, even the credits' song was spot on!