Fantastic Actor

I'm glad to hear someone say this about Tom Cruise. Just two days ago, I watched the taunt thriller Valkyrie, and I had to pause to think about how much I've liked almost everything he's in.  Over the last few years, he's become one of the most interesting actors in Hollywood, taking some very unusual or surprising choices.  Two come to mind right off, Vanilla Sky and Minority Report. 

Let's discuss Vanilla Sky.  Okay.   Maybe I can understand someone's not appreciating it the way I did, because I watch a lot of movies and I really like it when someone does something very daring, and just flat-out leaps out of the mainstream.  Why people aren't willing to go to these more unusual places will remain a mystery to me.  It's not like the tried and true path is going to disappear in your absense; you can always return to the mundane, no harm done.  Watching Vanilla Sky at home with my companion, I noticed that she had become antsy.  She wanted it to move along; she wanted to know what it was about.  So I had to hit the pause button, and I turned to her and said, "Look.  I'm going to go ahead and tell you, or you'll loose complete interest and stop paying attention, and it deserves more than you're giving it.  It's a science fiction movie." She then turned her head slowly back to the screen, frowning, wondering if she had missed something.  I had to inform her that, no, it doesn't look like it, but it is.  She ended up enjoying it, but not as much as I did.   Cruise was very credible in that movie, and sympathetic, too. 

Then right after he completes that foray into weirdness, he turns around and collaborates with Steven Speilberg for Minority Report, which is not only good sci-fi, but a rip-roaring ride through a fascinatingly futurized citiscape.  That is a very good movie, and why it's not talked about more is due almost entirely because Tom Cruise was the star instead of, say, Arnold Schwarznegger. 

I like Cruise.  I've liked since Born on the 4th of July.  I preferred the remake of War of the Worlds to the original, and I thought Cruise evoked a lot of emotions in his passion for his children.  When I see Cruise's name attached to a project, I immediately become interested.  I do so because he's so rich now -- and take that, you naysayers -- I know he can afford to choose whatever project he wants, according to his own very interesting lights.  I didn't like his last Mission: Impossible movie, but his body of work is sprinkled with things I have a high regard for.  I've even bought a few of his movies on DVD.  My reaction is generally favorable toward him.

And anyone who hasn't seen Valkyrie should put it in their queue. 

I've never bashed him, but Scientology is kinda weird. I lived very near Clearwater, Florida, the city they bought, and it was very strange watching them walk around in their little coast guard uniforms. What takes me aback is this military attitude they have; the uniforms, the saluting. Just makes me antsy.

Thank you - well said, my sentiments exactly. Tom Cruise is a fine actor who deserves to win and Academy Award.