Was there anyone outside of the Tom Cruise fan club and the Church of Scientology who thought that he could somehow pull of playing that role?
It was a horrible idea from its conception. Does anyone take Tom Cruise seriously as a dramatic actor anymore? After his whole meltdown (because, let's call what happened on Oprah and The Today Show what it is), he entered that nebulous region of celebrity that people like Gary Busey inhabit... the land of crazy, which basically just sucks the credibility out of their entire career. Because you have to admit that when you see that Gary Busey is attached to a project now, it doesn't matter how good all the other factors could be, you know it is going to reek.
However, Busey did figure out one thing before he slid headfirst into total Hollywood lunacy: weird works in comedy. I never fully suspend disbelief when watching him in a drama, but if he shows up in a comedy, there is usually a little bit of gold to be had, because his quirks work with the kind of characters he is usually called on to play in those movies. This is a lesson Tom Cruise should learn.
When Tropic Thunder came out, critics were very generous in their praise of Cruise in his comedic cameo... and I think that maybe he should consider moving in that direction of lighter work. I don't think that will happen because quite frankly, he seems like one of the most humorless people around who would likely just wreck whatever project he was involved with (his post-production manoeuvring on the Mission: Impossible movies is legendary now). I don't think his ego would allow him to play into the ever-increasing perception that everything he does can be twisted into something humorous, and that is his problem. He can't turn into the skid and take on his prickly reputation with a little bit of self-deprecating humor.
I have to quote the genius of Samuraifrog here... he nailed my feeling about both Cruise and Valkyrie perfectly (although a little more profanely).
Bryan Singer needs to get shot in the face. A movie based on a fascinating true story, with an exceptional cast of actors in a very serious, classy production... starring Tom Cruise. The trailer looks so good, and then Tom Cruise comes into it, doing those four mannerisms he has. Fuck, Singer, really? I mean, I know you're overrated as hell and you've never made anything that was really all that good, but are you kidding me? Tom Cruise as a Nazi? That's not stunt casting, that's stupidity? How many times is Cruise going to fail at proving his point (that he's God, creator of all) before even the dumbest of directors (Singer) realizes they shouldn't work with him anymore? This would look so good if it weren't for Cruise being in it. It's like buying a beautiful Dusenberg in perfect condition and then taking a dump on it. It just makes me so fucking angry.
I couldn't have said it better myself.
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4 comments:
Yeah, big fat "duh!" on that. Even without the utter idiocy of the eye patch...
I don't take any Cruise movie seriously any more. He's just too difficult to watch because he's bigger and more distracting than any of his roles. And all of his old movies are ruined too, even the few that I really liked.
got nothing more to add.
Megan: I think they should have picked Jude Law to play that role personally.
Brandon: I still can't believe he was thrice-nominated for an Academy Award.
Arjan: Thank you for that vote of confidence.
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