Knight and Day

Movie Review:

So I'd gone out to see what movies had been released on DVD and knew that I wanted, or needed, to watch something light and fluffy or maybe just action. Scanning the shelves there were a few that I had been thinking of watching, but I settled on Knight and Day.

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz.... weird combination, so wasn't expecting too much from this one. I was just hoping that it would be remotely entertaining. What can I say...  it cracked me up. Little nuances and motions here and there from Mr. Cruise, and comic throw-ins by the writer, Patrick O'Neill fit the bill. I looked the latter up on IMDb and noted that he had acted in a couple of John Cusack movies, starting as far back as "Say Anything" (a personal favourite from way back when), all the way to Grosse Pointe Blank (another fave). From the scoring and the set-up of the first fight scene ten minutes in... this had to be a fun ride. 

I have liked Tom Cruise since I first saw him thirty years ago... something about his cocky and assured attitude that hasn't seemed to have faded at all. He definitely doesn't disappoint in this movie, handing out straight-faced dialogue and instructions to a panicky Cameron Diaz, who, as usual lights up the screen with her huge smile. Her trademark talking to herself, cluelessness and hysterics fit well here... and she gets to straddle Tom Cruise on a motorcycle whilst firing TWO guns. Cruise does his signature run two times, and also has a couple shirtless scenes. For whatever reason, him emerging out of the ocean in swim trunks isn't quite on par with Daniel Craig from Casino Royale. I don't know what it is, but his body looks a little fake, almost like a GI Joe doll, if I remember correctly. 

The director of this movie is James Mangold, who also directed "3:10 to Yuma", a Russell Crowe/Christian Bale western, and "Kate & Leopold" a Meg Ryan/Hugh Jackman romantic comedy. So he has worked with some great actors. Besides Cruise and Diaz in this film, included in the supporting cast there is Peter Sarsgaard, whose voice so reminds me of John Malkovich, and oddly enough, played Malkovich's son in "The Man in the Iron Mask", as well as Marc Blucas, the cutie who played Riley Finn in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this time sporting a ridiculous looking moustache as a rather dimwitted fireman.

A few little things that caught my attention or made me laugh:

Scarecrow on window

Motorcyle to water, helmet to car

A guy hanging on by a sausage...

"If anyone follows, I'm going to kill myself and then her."

"I think I can get you in and out of some clothes without looking."

Like I said, I wasn't expecting much... but it turned out to be just what I needed.