Head in the Clouds (2004)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

John Duigan

Writer:

John Duigan (written by)

Release Date:

30 October 2004 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

Three lives. One destiny.

Plot:

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS is a sweeping romantic drama set in 1930's England, Paris, and Spain. Gilda Bessé...

Plot Keywords:

Paris | Spain | England | 1930s | Photographer

Awards:

6 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Charlize Theron	...	Gilda Bessé
Penélope Cruz	...	Mia
Stuart Townsend	...	Guy Malyon
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Major Franz Bietrich
Steven Berkoff	...	Charles Bessé
David La Haye	...	Lucien
Karine Vanasse	...	Lisette
Gabriel Hogan	...	Julian Elsworth
Peter Cockett	...	Max
Élizabeth Chouvalidzé	...	Fortune Teller
Jolyane Langlois	...	Gilda, Age 14
Sophie Desmarais	...	Élodie
Éloïsa Laflamme-Cervantes	...	Julie
Ivan Vukov	...	Undergraduate #1
Sebastian Bailey	...	Undergraduate #2
Michael Daniel Murphy	...	Undergraduate #3
Linda Tomassone	...	Molly Twelvetrees
Julian Casey	...	Winston
Lisa Bronwyn Moore	...	Davina
Frank Fontaine	...	Unwin
Vanya Rose	...	Venetia
Amy Sloan	...	Linda
Sven Eriksson	...	Centurion
Michèle Chatelet	...	Elderly Woman
Arthur Holden	...	Arnold Beck
Paule Ducharme	...	Simone
Jérôme Tiberghien	...	Vincent
Lenie Scoffié	...	Béatrice (as Lénie Scoffié)
Sarah Gravel	...	Bride
Benjamin Chouinard	...	Small Boy
Émilie Carrier	...	Small Girl
John Jorgenson	...	Django Reinhardt
Eric Bérard	...	Stefan Grappelli
François Rousseau	...	Baro Ferret
André Farleiros	...	Roger Grasset
Elisa Sergent	...	Françoise - Bessé's Maid
Cécile Cassel	...	Céline Bessé
Michel Albert Côté	...	Taxi Driver
Christopher Freeman	...	Ferguson
Jérôme Huerta	...	Nationalist Soldier #1
Carlos Alvear	...	Nationalist Soldier #2
Sonia Auger-Guimont	...	Photographic Studio Assistant
Hervé Desbois	...	Mailman
Jan Oliver Schroeder	...	German Soldier at Gardens
Paul-Antoine Taillefer	...	Michel
Allen Altman	...	Raul
Mark Antony Krupa	...	Goltz
Judith Baribeau	...	Pascale
Armand Laroche	...	Maître d'Hôtel L'Aiglon
Elizabeth Marleau	...	L'Aiglon Evicted Woman (as Elizabeth A. Marleau)
John Robinson	...	David Beamish
Harald Winter	...	German Soldier at Brasserie
Elizabeth Whitmere	...	W.R.A.C.
Stéphane Boutet	...	French Officer
Charles Lelaure	...	French Soldier
Vincent Leclerc	...	Resistant
Giovanni Sabetta	...	FFI Man
Stéphanie Pasterkamp	...	Hairdresser #1
Julie Judd	...	Hairdresser #2
Annick D'Amours	...	Annette
Lucien Rémillard	...	Man at the Barricade
Melanie Bergeron	...	Ballet Dancer (as Mélanie Bergeron)
Michel Langelier	...	Ballet Teacher
Jaladriel Ardacar	...	Ballet Dancer
Nancy Loof	...	Ballet Dancer
Mabel Palomino	...	Ballet Dancer
Sophye Anne Sherer	...	Ballet Dancer
Martine Tremblay	...	Ballet Dancer
Gilbert Patenaude	...	Boys Choir's Conductor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Christopher Dyson	...	Scottish Lover (uncredited)
David Graham	...	Billy (uncredited)
Rachelle Lefevre	...	Alice (uncredited)
Frankie Pain	...	Whore (uncredited)
France Viens	...	Parisian Woman (uncredited)

Directed by
John Duigan

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John Duigan		written by

Produced by
Xavier Catafal	....	co-executive producer
Michael Cowan	....	producer
Luis de Val	....	co-executive producer
Nigel Goldsack	....	co-producer
Peter James	....	co-executive producer
Pierre Laberge	....	line producer
Pete Maggi	....	associate producer
Bertil Ohlsson	....	producer
Jonathan Olsberg	....	producer
Julia Palau	....	executive producer
Alain Pancrazi	....	co-executive producer
Matthew Payne	....	executive producer
Jason Piette	....	producer
Julien Remillard	....	co-executive producer
Maxime Rémillard	....	producer
André Rouleau	....	producer
James Simpson	....	co-executive producer

Original Music by
Terry Frewer

Cinematography by
Paul Sarossy

Film Editing by
Dominique Fortin

Casting by
Rosina Bucci
Vera Miller

Production Design by
Jonathan Lee

Art Direction by
Gilles Aird

Set Decoration by
Frances Calder
Jim Erickson
Gérard Marcireau

Costume Design by
Mario Davignon

Makeup Department
Gérard Carrissimoux	....	hairdresser: Paris (as Gérard Carissimoux)
Julie Chabot	....	assistant makeup artist
Michel Demonteix	....	key hairdresser: Paris
Sandro Di Gioacchino	....	assistant hair stylist
Charmaine Fuller	....	makeup artist: London
Kay Georgiou	....	hair stylist: London
Réjean Goderre	....	key hair stylist
Linda Gordon	....	assistant hair stylist
Belinda Hodson	....	key makeup artist: London
Whitney James	....	personal makeup artist: Ms. Cruz (as Whitney L. James)
Raymonde Laliberté	....	assistant hair stylist
Anne-Louise Landry	....	assistant hair stylist
Gaétan Landry	....	assistant hair stylist
Christine Larocque	....	wig maker
Catherine Lavoie	....	makeup artist
Lorraine Le Compte	....	assistant hair stylist (as Lorraine Lecompte)
Julie Mignot	....	assistant makeup artist
Shane Paish	....	personal makeup artist: Ms. Theron
Denis Parent	....	hair stylist
Patricia Planche	....	key makeup artist: Paris (as Patricia Plance)
Lydia Pujols	....	makeup artist: Paris
Marie Régimbald	....	assistant makeup artist (as Marie Regimbald)
Suzanne Stokes-Munton	....	key hairdresser: London (as Suzanne Stokes Munton)
Nathalie Trépanier	....	key makeup artist (as Natalie Trépanier)
Claudie Vandenbroucque	....	assistant makeup artist (as Claudie Vanderbroucque)

Production Management
Adrien Adriaco	....	assistant unit manager
Martin Allegaree	....	unit manager trainee
Gregory Bruneau	....	assistant unit manager
Edith Colnel	....	line production manager
Sébastien Delepine	....	unit manager trainee
Emmanuelle Jacobson-Roques	....	unit manager trainee
George Jardon	....	post-production supervisor
Gilles Legare	....	unit production manager
Guinal Riou	....	assistant unit manager
Grégory Valais	....	unit manager
Elena Zokas	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Muriel Aubin	....	second assistant director: Paris
Guillaume Blanc	....	additional third assistant director
Jesabelle Boileau	....	additional third assistant director
Chloe Chesterton	....	second assistant director: UK
Emmanuel Rondeau du Noyer	....	first assistant director: Paris
Allison Johnston	....	second assistant director
Roxanna Macedo	....	third assistant director
Vicky Marks	....	third assistant director: London
Vanessa Mujica	....	trainee assistant director: Paris
Anne Murphy	....	first assistant director
Natalie Plante	....	additional third assistant director (as Nathalie Plante)
Carole Reinhard	....	trainee assistant director: Paris
Julie Sageau	....	trainee assistant director
Gareth Tandy	....	first assistant director: London
Manon Vincent	....	trainee assistant director

Art Department
John-Michael Bellamy	....	graphic designer
Ashley Cannon	....	set designer
Martin Chalifoux	....	construction manager
Clément Colin	....	props buyer
Nick Cosens	....	dressing props
Carrie Foster	....	art department coordinator
Annie Jamison-DeMarbre	....	construction coordinator
Brent Lambert	....	set designer
Raynald Langelier	....	set designer
Elissa Lewis	....	lead man
Steve Louis	....	graphic designer
Cyril Mignot	....	set swing gang
Francois Poublan	....	set swing gang
Claire Nia Richards	....	assistant set decorator
Patrick Schmitt	....	assistant art director
Andrew Semple	....	sculptor
Nick Turnbull	....	property master

Sound Department
Pierre Bertrand	....	boom operator
Pierre Blain	....	sound
Christian Brousselle	....	adr supervisor
Jocelyn Caron	....	adr foley recordist
Jocelyn Caron	....	adr recording engineer (as Jo Caron)
Jocelyn Caron	....	foley recording engineer (as Jo Caron)
Michel Descombes	....	sound
Gavin Fernandes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gavin Fernandes	....	sound
Natalie Fleurant	....	adr supervisor
Gareth John	....	boom operator: UK
Pierre Laroche	....	assistant sound re-recording engineer
Benoit Leduc	....	adr recording engineer
Benoit Leduc	....	foley recording engineer
Matthew McKenzie	....	adr recordist
Colin McLellan	....	adr recordist
Philippe Mercier	....	sound mixer
Antoine Morin	....	sound effects editor
Chris Navarro	....	adr recordist
Viateur Paiement	....	adr supervisor
Guy Pelletier	....	dialogue editor
Louis-Philippe Perron	....	assistant dialogue editor
Marcel Pothier	....	sound
Victoria Rose Sampson	....	adr supervisor (as Vicky Sampson)
Jean-François Sauvé	....	assistant sound effects editor
Brian Simmons	....	sound mixer: UK
David Spence	....	adr supervisor

Special Effects by
Philippe Alleton	....	special effects helper: Paris
Barry Angus	....	special effects technician: London
Dana Campbell	....	special effects technician
Remi Caron	....	special effects technician
Ryal Cosgrove	....	special effects director: Cinefects
Mike Cozens	....	special effects technician
Cyril D'Agata	....	special effects helper: Paris
Jody Eltham	....	special effects technician: London
Pierre Foury	....	special effects consultant: Paris
Peter Hutchinson	....	special effects supervisor: London
Stephen Hutchinson	....	senior special effects technician: London (as Steve Hutchinson)
Daniel Lenoir	....	special effects helper: Paris
Marc Reichel	....	special effects technician (as Marc T. Reichel)
Suzanne Simard	....	special effects shop coordinator
Kevin Skehan	....	special effects trainee: London
Peter Skehan	....	senior special effects technician: London
Benoît Squizzato	....	special effects coordinator: Paris

Visual Effects by
Annie Alix	....	3D project manager
Alan Bak	....	senior producer: Cine-Byte Imaging
Jeff Baker	....	technical supervisor: Cine-Byte Imaging
Tom Bak	....	senior producer: Cine-Byte Imaging
Benoit Brière	....	visual effects supervisor
Sophie Chometton	....	compositor
Sophie Chometton	....	digital compositor: Head in the Clouds
Lafleche Dumais	....	3D supervisor
Olivier Goulet	....	digital artist
Charles Granger	....	compositor
Rick Hannigan	....	project manager: Cine-Byte Imaging
Gael Hollard	....	compositor
Lina Hum	....	3D artist
Suzanne Jandu	....	digital compositor
Diana Madureira	....	project coordinator: Cine-Byte Imaging
Frederic Milot	....	compositor
Carlos Monzon	....	3D artist
Stéphane Paradis	....	compositor
Mario Rachiele	....	visual effects supervisor
Martine Rivest	....	compositing project manager
Chris Ross	....	digital opticals and titles: Cine-Byte Imaging
Luc Sansfacon	....	3D artist
Antonin Messier Turcotte	....	3D artist (as Antonin Messier-Turcotte)
Mark Tureski	....	digital opticals and titles: Cine-Byte Imaging

Stunts
Ben Dimmock	....	stunts
David McKeown	....	stunt coordinator (as Dave McKeown)
Rod Woodruff	....	stunt arranger: London

Camera and Electrical Department
Joe Allen	....	gaffer: UK
Francois Archambault	....	Steadicam operator
Francois Archambault	....	camera operator
Simon Baker	....	Steadicam operator
Simon Baker	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Marc Bonin	....	electrician
Mathieu Caudroy	....	Steadicam operator
John Colley	....	rigging gaffer: UK
Mathieu Décary	....	key first assistant camera
Hamish Doyne-Ditmas	....	assistant camera: UK
Mathieu-Félix Drouin	....	second assistant camera
Eames Gagnon	....	gaffer
Alan Grayley	....	rigging electrician
Agnès Letessier	....	focus puller: second camera
Dan Lowe	....	best boy
Sally Low	....	second assistant camera
Alexandre Marien	....	electrician
Patrick Rainville	....	electrician
Roger Robichaud	....	electrician
Matt Wilson	....	electrician: UK

Casting Department
Guillaume Moulin	....	extras casting: France

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Azmin Jaffer	....	key dresser

Editorial Department
Karina Baccanale	....	first assistant editor
Mathieu Berube	....	assistant editor
Linda Bourgeois	....	negative cutter
Simon Broderick	....	telecine colorist
Jim Campabanal	....	negative cutter (as Jim Campabadal)
Drake Conrad	....	film scanning and recording: Cine-Byte Imaging
Brigitte Daigneault	....	video colorist
Jason Giberson	....	film scanning and recording: Cine-Byte Imaging
Felix Heeb	....	film scanning and recording: Cine-Byte Imaging
Arthur Montreuil	....	color timer (as Art Montreuil)

Music Department
François Arbour	....	score recordist
François Arbour	....	scoring mixer
Terry Frewer	....	orchestrator
Philippe Mercier	....	music recordist
Yannick Nezet-Seguin	....	conductor
Jean Paquin	....	musician contractor
Guy Pelletier	....	music editor
Jean Robitaille	....	music coordinator
Jean Robitaille	....	music rights clearance
Sébastien Robitaille	....	musician
Sébastien Robitaille	....	recording engineer
Scottpatrick J. Sellitto	....	music coordinator and consultant
Clinton Shorter	....	assistant composer

Transportation Department
Richard Chabot	....	driver
Eric Govignon	....	set driver
Daniel Langlois	....	unit transportation coordinator
Karen Russell	....	driver: minibus

Other crew
Shirine Best	....	development assistant
Sandra Borromeo	....	production coordinator
Nathalie Brigitte Bustos	....	assistant to producers
Sam Coppola	....	legal services
Raymond Ducasse	....	animal wrangler
Mia Farrell	....	unit publicist
Sue Field	....	script supervisor: UK
Julia Finn	....	publicist
Christina Giffen	....	assistant: Ms. Cruz
Robert Gray	....	subtitler
Scott Hamshere	....	armorer: London unit
Mel Hider	....	assistant: Mr. Cowan and Mr. Piette
Josh Kimmel	....	stand-in: Thomas Kretschmann
Beth Kono	....	assistant: Ms. Theron
Emily Kyriakides	....	assistant to producer: UK
Michel Langelier	....	choreographer
Alyssa Lapointe	....	assistant to producer
Stéphane Larquemin	....	assistant administrator
Galith Lévy	....	assistant: Mr. Duigan
Zénaïde Lussier	....	script clearance
Alex Marshall	....	head of business affairs
Caroline Mireault	....	production coordinator: preparation
Elise Nadeau	....	production assistant
Sandrin Olivier	....	production assistant
Chantal Quesmard	....	administrator
France Raymond	....	stand-in: Peneloppe Cruz
Lucy Shuttleworth	....	development executive
Kelly Taylor-Dias	....	production runner: UK
Danny Turgeon	....	set production assistant
Kimi Webber	....	script supervisor
Pete White	....	animal wrangler
Pete White	....	equestrian coordinator

Production Companies

• Remstar Productions
• Dakota Films
• Spice Factory
• Movision
• Tusk Productions

Distributors

• Sony Pictures Classics (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Communications
• Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Distribution
• Arclight Films
• GAGA Communications (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• La Fabrique de Films (France) (all media)
• Manga Films
• Moviemax (2004) (Italy) (all media)
• PM Holding (2004) (worldwide) (video)
• Remstar Distribution
• Shaw Organisation (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• TOBIS Film (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Cineffects Productions (special effects)
• Big Bang FX/Animation Inc. (visual effects and 3D animation)
• Cine-Byte Imaging (digital optical effects)

Other Companies

• Bapty and Co.  armourer: London
• Chris Stone Audio Productions  additional music
• Cine-Cite  sound stage
• Cite Lab  dailies lab
• Concept & Creation Mordicus  construction
• DeLuxe Toronto  color
• Dennis Davidson & Associates Public Releations (DDA)  publicity
• ITN Archive  archives
• Intermede Pik Music  additional music
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Mad Dog Casting  extras casting
• Modulations  adr studios
• Modulations  sound post-production
• Moliflex-Whyte  camera equipment (as Moliflex-White Montreal)
• Moliflex-Whyte  lighting and grip equipment (as Moliflex-White Montreal)
• National Film Board of Canada (NFB)  archives
• Pathé Archives  archives
• Splice Post-Production  offline editing
• Studio Image Sonore  music recording and mixing stages (as Image Sonore)
• Studios Piccolo  music recording and mixing stages
• Technicolor Creative Services  re-recording studio

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, nudity and some violence.

Runtime:

Canada:121 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:132 min

Country:

UK | Canada

Language:

English | German | French | Spanish

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:16 | Australia:MA | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Japan:R-15 | Singapore:M18 | UK:15 | USA:R | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Remstar Productions

Quotes:

Julian Elsworth: [Guy and Gilda are on the pool table, naked under a blanket] What are you wearing under there?
Gilda Bessé: As it's your big day, I'm wearing my Birthday Suit in your honor.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Cinemania: I anodos kai i ptosi tou Nazismou" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Vous qui passez sans me voir

Good performances, but story suspect

Charlize dominates this film not only because of her bathtub scene, but because she turns in the best performance of all the actors. This part provides a needed relief from the part that she had in "Monster" and shows her to be a truly beautiful woman.

Personally, I feel that Stuart Townsend is in over his head in trying to be the man that captivates the debutante of France as played by Miss Theron. He plays the part well but seems to be miscast in a role that needs a man that is stronger physically as well as mentally.

Penelope Cruz is outstanding as the lame Spanish beauty. She provides a excellent performance as the stereotypical cripple with a golden heart as she uses her earnings as a model to become a nurse.

The story provides little, if any, inspiration and needs a stronger hand at the screen writing duties.

I was well entertained by this movie and thought the total effect was to keep me interested although it did become predictable in some spots. Perhaps my rating of 7 is partly because I thought that Charlize should have held out for a stronger screenplay for her next movie.