At 58 just turned 58, Tom Cruise has half a dozen projects to which more ambitious, reckless and demanding in his beastly professional entertainment schedule. The star par excellence of what remains of cinema as a show it does not falter. We are going to remember some of the films for which we adore this unrepeatable star who has been with us all his life.
Hollywood’s biggest star
Between the early and mid-eighties, he did better than any other generation mate (that distant Brat Pack) the most important thing for an actor wanting to take over the world: choose papers.
Thus, he went through ‘Taps, beyond honor’, ‘Rebeldes’ or ‘Risky business’ until he was under the command of Ridley Scott in the filmmaker’s next film after ‘Blade Runner’. That will be another of the usual tonic in Cruise’s career and something that makes it seem normal: have worked with many of Hollywood’s top filmmakers. So let’s start.
Top Gun (Idols of the air)
Address: Tony Scott
Distribution: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Tom Skerritt, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer
It may not be a particularly noteworthy film beyond a Tony Scott who has always been a fucking boss, but his iconic prowess and basically being Cruise’s definitive launching pad deserve to open this list. A cool ad from the air forces with the best (and worst) of those wonderful years.
The color of money
Address: Martin Scorsese
Distribution: Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
After Coppola and the Scott brothers it was time for Cruise to put up with the guy (perfectly) against Paul Newman while Martin Scorsese dived headfirst into the shoot. the sequel to one of the most incredible movies of all time a quarter of a century later. Those modernities were already made before.
Criticism in Espinof: ‘The color of money’.
Rain man
Address: Barry levinson
Distribution: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Bonnie Hunt
One of the quintessential feel good movies from a director full of popular titles that I put Cruise next to another hysterical historical doing what he did best. Irregular but direct to the heart, whatever you wear. Better than ‘Green Book’.
Born on the Fourth of July
Address: Oliver stone
Distribution: Tom Cruise, Willem Dafoe, Raymond J. Barry, Caroline Kava, Kyra Sedgwick
Under Oliver Stone’s orders, he would the first of his three Oscar nominations. He didn’t win it because he was unlucky enough to run into Daniel Day-Lewis in another wheelchair, but the movie, something like the b-side of the much more popular ‘Platoon’, had enough substance to be quite a bit more than the movie. movie where Tom Cruise came out ugly. If that is possible.
A very distant horizon (Far and Away)
Address: Ron Howard
Distribution: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Thomas Gibson, Robert Prosky
Ron Howard unleashed in a movie that brought together the fashionable marriage and that made all his pompous bombast will play in favor of work. Battered at the time, perhaps now she is seen with different eyes. Because not only the music of John Williams made it great. There is a lot of great American cinema under there.
The Cover (The Firm)
Address: Sydney pollack
Distribution: Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Holly Hunter, Ed Harris
One of the best adaptations of John Grisham and a seventies thriller where Cruise feels comfortable surrounded by a spectacular cast. Pollack offers here an adult thriller tailor-made for the big studios. Two and a half hours of conspiracy and paranoia of exquisite taste.
Criticism in Espinof: ‘The cover’.
Interview with the vampire
Address: Neil Jordan
Distribution: Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater
I guess after a quarter of a century it’s easier for people to appreciate the spooky operetta level and the freedom that is glimpsed in this remarkable adaptation of the work of Anne Rice. Although I still think that the most interesting story is actually in the room where the interview takes place more than in the past of the characters, it is one of those films that are, what a paradox, immortal.
Criticism in Espinof: ‘Interview with the vampire’.
Mission: Impossible (all, including the second)
Address: Brian De Palma, John Woo, JJ Abrams, Brad Bird, Christopher McQuarrie
Distribution: Tom Cruise and a lot of people.
If ‘Jaws’ inaugurated the “blockbuster”, the franchise designed to the millimeter by Cruise and a lot of directors eager to contribute their two cents, it reformulated it. Despite that second installment that, how things are, still has its defenders, the saga has not stopped ascending steps unheard of entertainment sequel after sequel. A blessing.
Eyes Wide Shut
Address: Stanley Kubrick
Distribution: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack, Marie Richardson
A masterpiece about the power of desire and the weight of secrets. About finding out that you don’t really know anything. About life as a couple and the fear that this entails. Because there are, there are. One of those movies that hurt us the older we get.
Criticism in Espinof: ‘Eyes Wide Shut’.
Magnolia
Address: Paul Thomas Anderson
Distribution: Tom Cruise, John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall, William H. Macy
Cruise’s third and final nomination (first as secondary) came from the hand of this choral favorite of many people. High melodrama, perhaps the most “classic” film from the director of ‘Wells of Ambition’ and ‘The Master’, which is saying. An X-ray of human pain with echoes of a fable that always surprises.
Criticism in Espinof: ‘Magnolia’.
Minority Report
Address: Steven Spielberg
Distribution: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Max von Sydow
Of course Philip K. Dick can be the basis for a fast-paced sci-fi adventure and not just sci-fi with a brainy author. To achieve it you only need Spielberg playing Hitchcock and making some of the impossible dreams of the director of ‘Psychosis’ come true. An impeccable thriller where King Midas of Hollywood meets the prince. They would cross their paths again shortly after.
Criticism in Espinof: ‘Minority Report’.
Collateral
Address: Michael Mann
Distribution: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo
Many years later it is still a few more ahead of the rest of the trendy experimental thriller. Of the fashion that is in the moment that is. Only someone so capable of turning tacky into magic as Michael Mann can wrap this remix of philias and phobias of people who use the American jacket to live on dirty laundry.
Criticism in Espinof: ‘Collateral’.
Edge of Tomorrow
Address: Doug Liman
Distribution: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Jonas Armstrong, Brendan Gleeson
After three “rare” films (‘Rock of Ages’, ‘Oblivion’ and ‘Jack Reacher’) Cruise was back to doing what he was destined to do from the beginning: filling great film shows with good vibes, charisma and rogue airs that they mixed better than any other business success with boldness. Although the box office did not want to see him, especially at home, we may at some point continue to see adventures of that Bill Cage trapped in times of war.
Criticism in Espinof: ‘At the edge of tomorrow’.
Addendum: Tom Cruise playing the idiot
No, I am not going to rescue any embarrassing moment from US television now, but I did not want to close this list without highlight that playful side of the star. Not for nothing do I use the great making of John Woo’s film at the beginning of the article.
It’s hard to believe that Cruise never starred in a pure comedy. Especially when you see how great a comedian he is on screen (practically all his films have some humorous moment that works like a shot) and how much he enjoys when they let him play the clown. The surprise of the world during the credits of ‘Austin Powers in Gold Member’ and his hilarious character in ‘Tropic Thunder, a very bitchy war!’ they deserve their place on a list like this.