Head in the Clouds

Set mainly in Paris during the 1930s, Head in the Clouds centres on Gilda Bessé, a French-American photographer who shares her apartment with two others: Guy Malyon, an Irish teacher, and Mia, a Spanish refugee. The three form a close, unconventional household, and Gilda divides her affections between the two of them while pursuing a life of parties and luxury. As fascism spreads across Europe, Guy and Mia are drawn to take sides in the Spanish Civil War, a decision Gilda sees as a betrayal, and the friends are pulled apart by the conflict around them.

John Duigan wrote and directed the film, his seventh feature following Paranoid in 2000, and it was produced by Bertil Ohlsson, Maxime Rémillard and Michael Cowan for a group of British and Canadian companies. Charlize Theron plays Gilda, Penélope Cruz plays Mia and Stuart Townsend plays Guy, with Thomas Kretschmann, Peter Cockett and Gabriel Hogan among a credited cast of fifty-six. The production credits fifty crew members.

Released in April 2004, the film runs 121 minutes and blends drama, romance and war. On TMDB it holds a rating of 5.9 out of 10 from 238 votes, which suggests a modest response from those who have seen it.