Still love this film all these years later though decided to watch it fully with the alternate ending which really didn't care for, didn't flow nearly as well. That said, and watching the original ending afterwards, just so great with wonderful performances from all involved. Certainly follows the theme of sweet and sour. **4.5/5**
I'm not really a fan of Tom Cruise, but I think this film might be his finest example of actually not just being all teeth and torso. He might actually do some acting here as the full-of-himself publisher "Aames" who lives the life of the wealthy playboy. A beautiful apartment, vintage car and convenient relationship with "Julie" (Cameron Diaz) fill his days of inherited luxury. Then his world comes, quite literally, crashing about his ears and he finds himself in jail explaining what happened to psychologist "McCabe" (the sparingly used Kurt Russell). It's a story of jealousy that leads to suicide, disfigurement and presents us with a rather stark indictment of this man's rather shallow and selfish life. His decline all starts when "Julie" - who seems quite a bit more invested in their relationship than he does - gets a bit jealous of his flirtations with "Sofia" (Penélope Cruz) who was dating his best friend "Shelby" (Jason Lee) until he brings her along to his party. Then sexual chemistry starts buzzing but that quite quickly adds a toxic element to just about everyone's lives. His have my cake and eat it approach swiftly leads to a series of circumstances that not only leads to his current predicament but also causes him to vacillate between worlds of dream and reality - he simply isn't sure what is happening any more. Which, if any of the scenarios unfolding is the true one? Are any of them? The story itself is not especially innovative. What does impress here is Cruise playing a character that is pretty unlikeable and he does it well. He imbues "Aames" with characteristics that made me feel a life behind bars was just about right. Unfortunately, I felt Cruz's "Sofia" character a bit under-developed but there are plaudits for Diaz who really does deliver her role of the jilted, besotted, lover convincingly. It takes too long to get up to speed, and there is too much dialogue but the last hour presents us with quite a compelling look at self-destruction in a man ill-equipped to deal with anything he hadn't already dealt with using his silver spoon and good looks. Whilst I didn't actually, I almost felt sorry for him at the end...
Zed and Addison are back at Seabrook High, where, after a groundbreaking semester, they continue to steer both their school and community toward unity. But the arrival of a new group of outsiders – mysterious werewolves – threatens to shake up the newfound peace and causes a rift in Zed and Addison’s budding romance.
Inspired by true events, a friendship rivalry between three high school girls escalates into a shocking act of violence, and soon one of them is dead. Now the dead girl's mom is determined to find her missing child... and get justice for her daughter.
Mak suffered a heart attack and was rescued on the way to the hospital. God gave him one hour to complete one last wish, so he went to find Choi Yuen Ting, his crush in elementary school.
On his bike, Titouan is jealous of his older brother, Quentin, who has his own motorbike. Like him, he would like to win the esteem of a motorcycle gang, participate in underground races and have a girlfriend. The sibling rivalry that opposes them will lead Titouan to live a tragic experience.
A Distant Cry from Spring (TV Movies). After Tamiko Kazami 's husband passes away, she works their dairy farm. People around her oppose her, but she places her cattle out to pasture which her late husband insisted. Tamiko's situation is not very good. Her father-in-law's chronic disease gets worse and she must do all the labor by herself. One night, a man comes to stay the night because of a broken bike. Tamiko asks him "Please work here."
A teenage girl living with schizophrenia begins to suspect her neighbor has kidnapped a child. Her parents try desperately to help her live a normal life, without exposing their own tragic secrets, and the only person who believes her is Caleb – a boy she isn’t even sure exists.
A study of the mental breakdown of a doctor in a remote rural village. He believes himself intellectually superior to everyone except for a political prisoner in a mental ward. This is a metaphor on life under repressive governments, conformity versus individual expression.
Quizz West is conscripted into the United States Army in late 1940. Prior to being shipped out first to San Francisco, then the Philippines, Quizz and his hometown girlfriend Janet discuss their future plans.
The main characters are two male best friends, Jerry and Hui Lok, and their female friend, Cherie. The story revolves around their relationships with others, including Jenny and Kei Kei, and each other. Jerry, Cherrie, and Lok are a pop trio, and the boys have agreed not to court Cherrie for the good of the group. Jerry's a feckless playboy, but he falls hard for the beautiful and talented Fonfong; she becomes his roommate as Cherrie looks on. Lok has two women in his life, the young and innocent Man-Yi, and Rachel, a mysterious minx into bondage and sexual excess. Things come to a head when Fonfong has a chance to study in Paris and Rachel takes things a bit far with Lok. It's time for Jerry and Lok to look around: is true love closer at hand? And what about Cherrie, who's been bruised often by Jerry: what will she decide?
Held captive for 7 years in an enclosed space, a woman and her young son finally gain their freedom, allowing the boy to experience the outside world for the first time.
Roman is a born proofreader from a family of proofreaders, a real intellectual from St. Petersburg who comes to Narva-Jõesuu, a small Estonian spa town, to find inspiration, tranquility, and silence. He does proofreading of the encyclopedia of the Baltic Sea Fishes, compiled in the same location by Professor Polyanski, winner of the Nobel Prize. This work is very important for Roman. He would have accomplished his task, but once he swam too far in the sea. It was then that Helena came into his life, to change his ideas about the world forever.