Beyond The Clouds

Michelangelo Antonioni's BEYOND THE CLOUDS tells several tales of romantic obsession, highlighted by the director's gift for creating beautiful images. But this long-awaited production (which was made 14 years after Antonioni s IDENTIFICATION OF A WOMAN) also contains some truly risible dialogue and acting, making the film a sad blot on an impressive career.

The four stories in BEYOND THE CLOUDS are linked by the efforts of a film director (John Malkovich) to understand the meaning behind his cinematic pictures and to find a character for his next movie. In the first episode, a handsome tourist, Silvano (Kim Rossi Stuart) meets a beautiful young woman, Carmen (...