Tom Cruise Surprises Again

I was never a fan of Tom Cruise or sci-fi movies, and originally had no intention of watching his latest movie Oblivion. But to make a long story short, I ended up in the cinema on the first night when the movie premiered. Once again, I have to say - Cruise surprises me!

Most of the film critics panned the movie, so I went with the lowest of expectations. But whether you like Tom Cruise or not, this is a visually stunning movie. Credit, of course, goes to director of cinematography Claudio Miranda, who won an Oscar this year with The Life of Pi. With a combination of digital effects and brilliant cinematography with a huge budget, your breath will be swept away by the power of the universe - mountains, cliffs, bridges, valleys, caves, waterfalls and volcanoes. The use of minimalistic white for the interior shots is equally stunning and effective. I wouldn't be surprised if Miranda wins another Oscar next year.

I read that this is only director Joseph Kosinski's second movie (his first was Tron: Legacy) which he adapted from his never-published comic book. His latest work was fiercely criticized by reviewers who claimed that it was a mishmash of a number of other renowned epics. It's true that the film reminds you of Blade Runner, Total Recall, The Matrix, The Planet of the Apes, Inception and many others. But the plot kind of makes sense in a sci-fi kind of way and before you realize it, you're entertained by Tom Cruise (playing the technician Jack Harper in 2077) again - and he doesn't even need to smile!

The film is also a love story and Cruise's leading ladies do not disappoint. Ukranian-French model/actress Olga Kurylenko (as Julia) is so ethereally beautiful that I wonder why she was hardly noticeable as a Bond girl in Casino Royale. I understand that Kurylenko got the role only when Jessica Chastain dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.

Andrea Riseborough who plays Cruise's partner Victoria is appropriately chilling and aloof in her performance. After playing Wallis Simpson in Madonna's WE, the British actress has once again proven her versatility.

The US$120 million production partially accounts for the technical supremacy and flawless filming in eight locations including Reykjavik and Jarlhettur in Iceland; New Orleans, St. Francisville and Baton Rouge in Louisiana; June Lake and Mammoth Lakes in California; and New York City. If the film were edited down by 30 minutes and some of the sappy music be replaced by more original scores, Oblivion could have been a better sci-fi movie.