Far & Away (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
Remember the big, broad epics of old? Well, Ron Howard attempts to make one of his own with 'Far & Away'. The setting: western Ireland, 1892. Joseph Donnelly (Tom Cruise), a poor tenant farmer, is determined to fulfill his father's dying wish of owning land someday and - coincidingly - bring swift justice to his oppressive absentee landlord (Robert Prosky). But instead of killing said landlord, he himself is injured & sentenced to a duel with the landlord's arrogant manager. Meanwhile, Shannon (Nicole Kidman), the landlord's spoiled daughter, is dissatisfied with her parent's traditional views; and plans to leave for America (of course). Though they don't initially get along - she even stabbed him with a pitchfork - Shannon escapes, & with her help ... Joseph flees, as well. Their quest first brings them to Boston; where they instantly become immigrant riffraff. But after finding a small room in a brothel, they find menial jobs, & begin accruing $$.
Shannon works, first, in a processing plant (plucking chickens), & then as a dancer in a sideshow. And Joseph becomes a bare-knuckles boxer. All the while, these 2 immigrants try desperately to hide their buried feelings for each other; even posing as brother & sister for the locals. Everything seems okay for a while until Joseph loses his 1st match (and all of their $$). Left to starve in Boston's wicked winter cold, a grim situation tears Shannon & Joseph apart. Meanwhile, tragedy strikes Shannon's parents (in Ireland), and they, along with one of Shannon's handsome, but jealous suitors, Chase (Thomas Gibson), head for America to find land & retrieve Shannon themselves. Simultaneously, Joseph heads west to work on the railroad; and to pursue the dream (and his father's) of owning land. And after arriving in Oklahoma Territory, he joins 1893's infamous horse-rode land rush; whereas, the winner of the race receives 160 acres of free soil. But fate intervenes on everyone's plans. Will Shannon & Joseph ever re-connect? Will they ever (whether together or apart) achieve their separate dreams of owning land?
'Far & Away' does not have the smartest screenplay (the 2nd half is much better than the 1st). Parts of the movie/dialogue are quite hokey. And I'm sure it isn't altogether historically accurate (on Irish immigration/land rush of 1893). BUT, I still enjoyed it, greatly; despite some of its weaknesses. As a grandiose, old-fashioned melodrama, I was highly entertained. And there is a flurry of either charming, involving, or outright magnetic moments throughout. Of the smaller scenes, one of my faves is the one where Kidman & Cruise are undressing & they keep trying to sneak peeks at each other as they disrobe for bed. It's a fun little scene; and the back & forth editing of it is perfect. And my favorite scene has to be the land rush at the end. It's incredible to see the sweep of all the horses, riders, covered wagons, and the like in a mad dash across the open field as they try to claim the prized land; impressive to see Cruise & Kidman on horseback, as well. The editing of this sequence (& the coinciding music) left me fully exhilarated.
'Far & Away' is the 1st film in decades to be filmed using Panavision's 70mm equipment. And you can tell. Few films have looked lovelier than this one in quite a long time. Cinematographer Mikael Salomon has shot a gorgeous motion picture (hard to screw up the Ireland & Montana locales, anyway). And it's not only the settings & the panoramic lensing which impresses. The production designs create a superb look at late 19th c. Ireland & America. The costumes are well-detailed. And the aforementioned score (by the brilliant John Williams) is very stirring. I still hear it's themes in my head. Concerning the screenplay: it's a fairly straightforward tale of lower-class man meets upper-class woman; who defy early misunderstandings to fall in love. The script covers a lot of ground; but not with much depth or revelation. It's a healthy accumulation of humorous, heartfelt, & serious scenes that make up one big whole. I like it's themes of manifest destiny. There's nothing urgent (or pressing) about the script; with the film gliding along at a leisurely pace. But it is dramatically sound.
Though the supporting roles are fairly anemic, the acting is solid. But Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman (married in real life) are wonderful, here. Cruise employs an Irish accent - that - doesn't always ring true. But the effort is there. He has a nice story arc. And, say what you want to say about his hunky movie star status - I always think Cruise gives 100%. Nicole Kidman also gives a great performance. I loved everything about her: her feistiness, grit, determination, beauty, & also her vulnerability. Cruise & Kidman work well together; playing headstrong, yet playful characters who get through life by experiencing some highs, but many more lows. And I felt their sexual chemistry. Overall, 'Far & Away' just really appealed to me. Sure, we've seen these types of historical epics before. Cynics may pick at it for lacking in complexity. But it's still a highly ambitious, well-made, & boisterous movie that most audiences should eat up. I know I did.
Shannon works, first, in a processing plant (plucking chickens), & then as a dancer in a sideshow. And Joseph becomes a bare-knuckles boxer. All the while, these 2 immigrants try desperately to hide their buried feelings for each other; even posing as brother & sister for the locals. Everything seems okay for a while until Joseph loses his 1st match (and all of their $$). Left to starve in Boston's wicked winter cold, a grim situation tears Shannon & Joseph apart. Meanwhile, tragedy strikes Shannon's parents (in Ireland), and they, along with one of Shannon's handsome, but jealous suitors, Chase (Thomas Gibson), head for America to find land & retrieve Shannon themselves. Simultaneously, Joseph heads west to work on the railroad; and to pursue the dream (and his father's) of owning land. And after arriving in Oklahoma Territory, he joins 1893's infamous horse-rode land rush; whereas, the winner of the race receives 160 acres of free soil. But fate intervenes on everyone's plans. Will Shannon & Joseph ever re-connect? Will they ever (whether together or apart) achieve their separate dreams of owning land?
'Far & Away' does not have the smartest screenplay (the 2nd half is much better than the 1st). Parts of the movie/dialogue are quite hokey. And I'm sure it isn't altogether historically accurate (on Irish immigration/land rush of 1893). BUT, I still enjoyed it, greatly; despite some of its weaknesses. As a grandiose, old-fashioned melodrama, I was highly entertained. And there is a flurry of either charming, involving, or outright magnetic moments throughout. Of the smaller scenes, one of my faves is the one where Kidman & Cruise are undressing & they keep trying to sneak peeks at each other as they disrobe for bed. It's a fun little scene; and the back & forth editing of it is perfect. And my favorite scene has to be the land rush at the end. It's incredible to see the sweep of all the horses, riders, covered wagons, and the like in a mad dash across the open field as they try to claim the prized land; impressive to see Cruise & Kidman on horseback, as well. The editing of this sequence (& the coinciding music) left me fully exhilarated.
'Far & Away' is the 1st film in decades to be filmed using Panavision's 70mm equipment. And you can tell. Few films have looked lovelier than this one in quite a long time. Cinematographer Mikael Salomon has shot a gorgeous motion picture (hard to screw up the Ireland & Montana locales, anyway). And it's not only the settings & the panoramic lensing which impresses. The production designs create a superb look at late 19th c. Ireland & America. The costumes are well-detailed. And the aforementioned score (by the brilliant John Williams) is very stirring. I still hear it's themes in my head. Concerning the screenplay: it's a fairly straightforward tale of lower-class man meets upper-class woman; who defy early misunderstandings to fall in love. The script covers a lot of ground; but not with much depth or revelation. It's a healthy accumulation of humorous, heartfelt, & serious scenes that make up one big whole. I like it's themes of manifest destiny. There's nothing urgent (or pressing) about the script; with the film gliding along at a leisurely pace. But it is dramatically sound.
Though the supporting roles are fairly anemic, the acting is solid. But Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman (married in real life) are wonderful, here. Cruise employs an Irish accent - that - doesn't always ring true. But the effort is there. He has a nice story arc. And, say what you want to say about his hunky movie star status - I always think Cruise gives 100%. Nicole Kidman also gives a great performance. I loved everything about her: her feistiness, grit, determination, beauty, & also her vulnerability. Cruise & Kidman work well together; playing headstrong, yet playful characters who get through life by experiencing some highs, but many more lows. And I felt their sexual chemistry. Overall, 'Far & Away' just really appealed to me. Sure, we've seen these types of historical epics before. Cynics may pick at it for lacking in complexity. But it's still a highly ambitious, well-made, & boisterous movie that most audiences should eat up. I know I did.