Product: Head in the Clouds (2004)
Rating: 3.0
Beautiful Cast, but Simply Unconvincing.
"Head in the Clouds " aspires to be an epic romance. It is in many ways a classic story of personal relationships set against sweeping social, political, and ideological upheaval. The story takes place over the course of 11 years, starting in 1933, when Guy (Stuart Townsend), a young Irishman studying at Cambridge University, has a brief affair with wealthy, libertine Gilda (Charlize Theron) and ending with the liberation of Paris in 1944. Unable to forget Gilda years later, Guy goes off to join her in Paris, where he finds a rival of sorts for Gilda's love in Mia (Penelope Cruz), a Spanish nursing student and burlesque dancer whom Gilda has befriended. Gilda has no use for wars and politics, believing that a person's obligation is to live life to the fullest, not to throw it away on some cause or other. In contrast, Guy and Mia are idealists and feel compelled to support the Republican forces in Spain as they watch the rise of fascism in Europe.Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend, and Penelope Cruz certainly make an attractive trio. Their heyday in Paris has lots of atmosphere, and Theron's wardrobe is lovely. But "Head in the Clouds" seems much longer than it is, probably because it is full of extraneous scenes that make it longer than it needed to be and weaken the relationship between Guy and Gilda that is the story's impetus. Guy and Gilda's love is never quite believable, and I can't say exactly why, but it could be a simple lack of "chemistry". Writer and director John Guigan's intention was to make a moving, tragic, epic romance around some of the 20th century's greatest conflicts. In this case, "epic" means too long, and the romance seems contrived. Although it would essentially be asking Guigan to make a different film than he did, I could not help thinking, while watching "Head in the Clouds", that it would have been more interesting to explore the validity of Gilda's and Guy's conflicting personal creeds. Guy is an idealist who believes in a global community, that people can change the world for the better, and that he has an obligation to intervene wherever people are being persecuted. Gilda believes individuals have a responsibility to protect themselves and not squander any bit of life, which frequently means that she exercises "judicious cowardice" in all things political. Since the romance is unconvincing, "Head in the Clouds" might have benefitted from more ideological analysis.The DVD: "The Making of Head in the Clouds" (9 minutes) includes interviews with writer/director John Guigan, production designer Jonathan Lee, and actors Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend, and Penelope Cruz, in which they speak generally about the story, characters, and the film's style. Subtitles for the film are available in English only.