intricate and well-made

Rating: 8/10 (8 July 2002)

Spielberg is a living legend. Some people may dispute his movies at times, but they can not ignore his impact on cinema. This is one of his most thoughtful and unique films, though may not be comparable to Schindler's list or A.I. or Saving Private Ryan in certain aspects (my favourite serious Spielberg's films). I'm so glad to see such a gem in the midst of a summer popcorn season.
Tom Cruise can be very good, and he showed it in Magnolia (another favourite of mine by another interesting director to watch, P.T. Anderson) and Jerry McGuire. In this film, he is quite compelling and he has a commanding screen presence, even when he's around so many interesting characters (terrific supporting cast). Samantha Morton is very effective. My favourite character is played by Colin Farrell though. He is the definition of cool!!!

I really liked the script, which was clever in its use of language. I'm touched at a few places in the film, especially the part when ***SPOILER*** he lost his son at the swimming pool. You've got to see ***SPOILER*** Tom chasing his rolling eyeball; it was the most hilarious scene i've seen so far this summer.
This is a well-made film, like all of Spielberg's films. It is tighter than his last film, A.I. though i prefer the latter mainly because Haley (David in A.I.) is such, such a genius when it comes to acting (and because i wept watching that film). There was a slight disappointment i felt walking out of this film because of all the hype prior to the release of the film. I thought the tone of the film is uneven at places. Some scenes (i.e. the car chasing scene) had an unpolished look to them. Overall, a great film from a great director. 8/10.