Dares to be different

Rating: 6/10 (26 February 2002)

A wealthy playboy (Tom Cruise) suddenly finds himself in jail for the murder of the woman he loves. Flashbacks show how he ditches his former girlfriend or `f***-buddy' (played by Cameron Diaz) and falls for another woman (played by Penelope Cruz). He gets in the car with Diaz however and she deliberately drives off a bridge, killing herself and leaving Cruise terribly disfigured. He settles down with Cruz but starts to have what seem like psychotic episodes where he mistakes her for Diaz. The ending is well worth the wait and explains the mystery completely. It's not an incredibly tortuous affair either. Everything is explained, but you have to pay attention sadly some critics who admit to being `puzzled' couldn't be bothered to do this and it shows painfully in the reviews. There are also some gem-like scenes for instance when Cruise does a pencil drawing of Cruz early on and draws a wonderful likeness that is at the same time more beautiful than the girl has yet shown herself to be, or the moment when Diaz looks helplessly on as an epitome of sadness the `girl with the martini'. There are many metaphors that can be drawn about stardom but it is a movie worth seeing for its own story. (Stay for the final credits you not only get Paul McCartney's beautiful Oscar-nominated title-song, but the haunting melody that it seamlessly fades into and which is sung by Diaz.)