Tag Archives: Tom Cruise

Sydney Pollack – a filmmaker with a great sense of music

By Ray Bennett Music has been an intrinsic element of filmmaking since the silent era but not all filmmakers have had a full grasp of how to blend it successfully into a production. Sydney Pollack, who would have turned 90 … Continue reading

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Dave Grusin’s good and bad memories scoring movies

By Ray Bennett Great keyboard jazz player Dave Grusin, who turns 90 today, has written many wonderful movie scores including several for the late director Sydney Pollack, who told me, ‘He’s a chameleon, he can do anything.  His range is … Continue reading

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How Jerry Bruckheimer landed Tom Cruise for ‘Top Gun’

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Several actors claimed to have been first choice to play hot-shot pilot ‘Maverick’ Mitchell in ‘Top Gun’ but producer Jerry Bruckheimer told me Tom Cruise always had the part.

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FILM REVIEW: Tom Cruise in ‘Jack Reacher’

By Ray Bennett For the millions of fans of crime writer Lee Child’s bestselling novels, Jack Reacher is 6-foot-5 with a barrel chest and fists like hams. Tom Cruise is not. For the majority of Cruise fans who have not … Continue reading

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FILM REVIEW: Robert Redford’s ‘Lions for Lambs’

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The title of Robert Redford’s “Lions for Lambs” comes from a comment made by a German officer in World War I about the bravery of British soldiers compared to the criminal stupidity of their commanders. … Continue reading

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