“I Don’t Wanna Kill Anybody!”

Venice - Day 3 A quiet day on the Lido, not even ruffled by the appearance of Tom Cruise, in town with Michael Mann and co for the Italian launch of Collateral. Far from being the huge media event anticipated, the press conference was a surprisingly muted affair. Because of the plethora of other junkets going on right now (Manchurian Candidate and Vanity Fair to name but two, there weren't the usual rubbernecking journalists and, much like the equally dull showing for The Terminal, some of the questions had the distinct whiff of festival plant about them. Of course, everyone wanted a slice of Cruise, but the boy wonder looked pretty tired, as well he might after premiering in Paris, London and Berlin. Michael Mann seemed oblivious, but then he did get a few questions, unlike the distinctly bored-looking Jamie Foxx and Jada Pinkett Smith. After a stupid question about taxi rides, a Croatian journalist quizzed Cruise about his bad guy role (no, he wailed, much like Meg Ryan this time last year, it's not a reinvention) and asked him who he would like to kill in this world. Shockingly, Tom simply smiled his killer smile and said he didn't "wanna kill anybody". Curiously, he then asked her who she would like to kill, and the reply was Osama Bin Laden. Tom smiled a no-comment smile (come on, Tom, there's no controversy here - it's Osama bin fucking Laden!!!), leaving the killer punchline to Foxx. After Cruise repeated that, no, he didn't "wanna kill anybody", Foxx leanded into the mic and drawled, "Kill him with luuuuuuuuuurve". Film-wise it was a slack day, dominated by the latest from Alejandro Amenabar. Perhaps anticipating M Night's next movie, Amenabar has crafted his first non-genre piece in the moving but never quite overwhelming Mar Adentro (Out To Sea). Inspired by a true life story, it features a stunning performance by Javier Bardem, perhaps the coolest actor in the world and quite possibly the best, as a quadriplegic who has been confined to bed for nearly 30 years after breaking his neck in a diving accident. His life has become so unbearable he demands the option to die with dignity, and the bulk of this rather heavy two-hour movie centres on his right to do so. Amenabar hasn't quite made his masterpiece yet but it's beautifully made and wonderfully acted, despite some rather obvious musical cues. Nevertheless, we're willing to suggest that Bardem might be in with a punt come Oscar time if the film bows in the US before Xmas; remember where you read it first.