#tcruise

[prahelika]

thinking about the time tom cruise was squirted in the face by a fake microphone

[ladygagaqueenedit]

Lady Gaga junto a Tom Cruise en el backstage de su show "Jazz & Piano", en Las Vegas (01/05/2022).

[prahelika]

why do all of tc's movies have such an interesting (read: horrifyingly fucked up) relationship with death. mission impossible edge of tomorrow vanilla sky collateral magnolia. even minority report. even goddamn top gun.

[prahelika]

why are all tc characters like That

[prahelika]

fav interview of all Time?

- sb

put your manners back in

[multifandomsdaily]

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

[thelitmusconfiguration]

Jack Reacher

People have lately been likening Gravity to a theme park ride and I think the same comparison can be made of Jack Reacher. There’s really not much too it, it’s a bit of fun, it’s a ride – revelling in it’s simplicity. Reacher rolls into town as soon as an old associate is implicated in a horrible crime, whereupon he sets about righting wrongs and bringing the true bad guys to justice, mix, repeat, etc. That’s really about all there is to it. And, for the most part, the film handles this set up as neatly and matter-of-factly as possible. The horrible crime alluded to here being the one major exception and the only bum note of the film, resulting in the opening credits sequence being actually quite jarring and unpleasant compared to what follows.

And I did not expect to like Jack Reacher. I figured, at best, it was likely to be a pleasant diversion but the truth is, Jack Reacher is in fact a fantastic diversion and I’ll gladly be forking out my hard-earned to see the next in the serious without a moment’s hesitation.

The thing is, and I’m sure you’ll agree with me, it looked like it was going to be a rougher hewn version of the Mission Impossible mold, another opportunity for T Cruise to take an existing property and prop himself up with it, which, hey, if that’s what’s really going on here, so be it. There was the scuttlebutt surrounding the production of the film, as fans of Lee Child’s books posted furious screeds far and wide, huffing and puffing about the casting of Cruise, an actor who is, admittedly, about as far removed from the physical dimensions of the titular character as it is possible to be. Six foot tall, glowering, commanding, not adjectives you find all that often in celebrity profile of Cruise. It did seem a little rich. And given Cruise’s off-field performance over the last 10/15 years (the guy is undeniably a kook) it’s sometimes easy to forget that the truth of the matter is two-fold, because it is an equally undeniable fact that Tom Cruise is a charisma factory. He’s not six foot tall, they said – so what, he’s Tom Cruise. He’s not being played by an actual hulking milquetoast drifter they cried – so what, he’s Tom Cruise. He owns every scene he shows up for in Jack Reacher. Obviously – he’s Tom Cruise.

None of which should have ever mattered in any case, as the devil here is not in the details, if he’s anywhere he’s in the over the top spook of a villain played by the legendary Werner Herzog. (Which, I mean, really, how has it taken Hollywood this long to cast Werner in a role like this? It’s so damned obvious in hindsight – as if it always was.) Werner of course sensibly plays it down, safe in the knowledge that simply by being there his character is menacing as fuck.

And, for all the basic plotting and the absence of ambition, the film is actually kind of great. Most admirable, and surprising, is the commitment from cast and crew to play the whole thing without an ounce of the smug self-awareness, so common these days in films of this nature, and a crutch they were no doubt tempted by at every stage of the production. The result is a juicy thriller with added pulp that takes itself completely seriously so that you don’t have to. One opportunity after another rolls by for the director, Christopher McQuarrie, or the cast, to hedge their bets, wink knowingly at the camera and insist, “Hey, isn’t this all so funny and hard boiled?” and bless their steely resolve because they resist every last one of them. If you’re ever in any doubt as to their commitment to playing it straight, wait for the moment when Cruise, practically staring down the barrel of the camera, delivers the line, “I’m not a hero. I’m a drifter, with nothing to lose.” There’s not a hint of self-awareness for miles. It’s beautiful.

I guess sometimes all we’re really looking for in a movie is some cheap thrills. Look no further. And while Jack Reacher doesn’t amount to anything big or especially clever, it is something… It is… It is… I know. It’s a frosty cold Coke on a warm summer’s day, in a tall glass, with plenty of ice. (Apologies for the buzz marketing.)

This one’s good.