Cruise is Stellar

Rating: 10/10 (3 April 2019)

I have so much fun reading some "critics". Some want historical accuracy. Well this isn't a documentary. There's plenty of those around on this historical period. Some want German accents. The splendid ensemble cast are creating characters not demonstrating a sociolinguistics class. And others, the most unethical lot of all, criticise Cruise because of his personal identity rather than his acting chops.
Well, this extraordinary movie exacts sweet revenge on such misguided critics. It is a master class of the Kurosawa "doctrine" that because film is such a multimodal medium one needs to be careful to balance all the competing elements harmoniously.
The editing is so tight here that narrative, dramatic and characterisation elements cohere brilliantly into an organic and most satisfying whole.
I could talk about the ensemble cast a lot. Suffice it to say that that too is another most cohesive and targeted aspect of the film.
But this is Cruise's moment. He absolutely fills the screen with charisma. His acting is impeccable. ( He single handedly saved Eyes Wide Shut, such a great faux pas from such a great master as Kubrick). He is stellar, he shines, he smoulders, he is just scintillating.
Damn those who put him down because they don't approve of Scientology or his lifestyle. Those issues are completely irrelevant as criteria for judging a cinematic performance. His acting chops are so off the scale virtually in every single movie he's made, the whole Academy and related awards caper comes across as a village fair for amateurs.
Spectacular movie overall, the sort you come back to watch time and again.