Review of Head in the Clouds (2004) by Walter M — 17 Oct 2005

[font=Century Gothic]"Head in the Clouds" starts out at Cambridge University in 1933. Guy(Stuart Townsend) is a scholarship student from Ireland. A very wet and beautiful Gilda(Charlize Theron) stumbles into his room one rainy night. After Guy helps her out of her dress, they spend a platonic night together. A beautiful friendship is born which evolves into an on-again/off-again relationship. Guy eventually moves in with Gilda in Paris to become her assistant while she pursues a career in photography. Completing the triangle is Mia(Penelope Cruz) who is a Spanish refugee/ex-stripper with a limp who was rescued by Gilda and now has dreams of becoming a nurse.[/font].

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[font=Century Gothic]The first half of "Head in the Clouds" is not bad but when the movie turns serious in the second half, it gets extremely ponderous and credibility goes out the window. I do suppose the writer/director wanted to make a statement but fails miserably. But it is certainly well-photographed.(A tip of the hat to the cinematographer.) And Charlize Theron, conveying the perfect combination of sexiness and vulnerability, is simply too good for low-level soap opera material like this. [/font].