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Vanilla Sky Customer Reviews (34 - 36 of 96 Reviews)

Another Cruise Catastrophe
This film stars Tom Cruise.

Sadly, that statement condemns the watcher to over two hours of flat characterisation, empty purpose and hollow feelings. Tom Cruise plays himself admirably. He dare attempt no other role. The casting deprives a powerful story of its fundamental strength. The perceptive viewer will quickly realise that this plot is rich with promise, a covenant emptied of its worth by the inadequacy of its lead actor. The story, opening with the hackneyed depiction of sex, money and power, soon enters a new realm of fantasy. The issue of "what is real?", reduced to a trance state from overuse, is here granted a fine resurrection. The surprise is its mechanism.

The story of a "poor little rich kid" seems, initially, too weary to endure again. Inheriting a publishing house, a New York apartment and a resentment toward his departed father, David Ames has no aims. His sole relationship with the company is an ongoing battle with the Board of Directors for control. The control isn't rooted in how the business is run - it seems to run itself. It's a personality clash - with seven people collectively having less personality than Cruise. How is that possible? David has a stable of ready women, as any rich pretty boy should. Notable among them is Julie - Cameron Diaz, whose sensuality is somehow actually enhanced in this film. How is that possible? David has another stable - his friends. This one contains but one resident - a stereotype struggling writer doing a fictional autobiography. Which is possible to the point of saturation.

This scenario promises the ennui of a George Sanders film until David encounters Sofia. Played by Penelope Cruz, Sofia vacillates between repelling David's advances and enticing him on. The first encounter lasts the entire night. David emerges from Sofia's apartment to be confronted by Julie. The result of this encounter initiates the film's departure from stereotype. Julie, challenging David's flighty notions of committment, leads them to an act of mutual destruction. Or does it? Something goes awry and David is being interviewed by a psychiatrist. This interaction becomes the basis of the story as David struggles to detail the events of his life leading to horrible disfigurement, emotional conflicts over his women, his friend and his inheritance. David may have murdered somebody, but the victim isn't identified and the circumstances defy definition. The resolution shows why this film could have been a masterpiece. Crowe's struggles to retain the power of the original story are Herculean, but simply undercut by Cruise's insistence on playing the lead. I would have preferred George Sanders.

There is evidence of Crowe's abilities in the other roles. Cameron Diaz brings a fresh intensity to her depiction of the rejected suitor. She's not just a gold-seeker - David is a real person to her [obviously surpassing our perception]. Penelope Cruz possesses all the grace and dignity you would expect of a ballerina. She handles every scene with finesse. The real standout here is Kurt Russell as the psychologist. In their exchanges, Russell is drawn in by both David's personality and the bizarre condition he suffers - the wearing of a latex face mask to conceal his scars. It's tempting to say Cruise is at his best behind a mask, but we'll forebear. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

A Rollercoaster Ride for Your Brain
One of the best movies of the last 10 years or so, alongside The Sixth Sense, Memento, The Usual Suspects, and Twelve Monkeys. If you are the type to pay attention to details and are willing to accept that what you are seeing may not be the actual truth, this may be the movie for you. (Along those lines, you may also want to check out Mulholland Drive, but it's a bit more whacked in the head.) If you pick up the movie just because Tom Cruise (or Penelope Cruz) turns you on, but don't want to think much beyond that, go rent Legend again. (That's a very pretty Cruise movie that has a comic book plot that a five year old can understand.) Mind you, EVERYTHING is eventually explained in Vanilla Sky, but it's not given to you like the ending of a Scooby-Doo story where the characters sit around for three or four minutes summing up the whole plot for the second-grade mentality. This is don't-stop-paying-attention material, and, like Memento, even better upon a second viewing. *****


Shocking, disturbing.......but great!
I saw this movie with my dad on a Saturday because i was bored and tired so I went to the store and I rented this. Once I put it in the player i could not stop it because it was so interesting and suspensful. This movie Vanilla SKy is based on a spanish movie called Abres Los Ojos(Open Your Eyes). The Movie Stars Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Kurt Russel, and Cameron Diaz. Its mainly about this guy named David(Tom Cruise) who has everything and at one party he meets the woman of his dreams Sofia(Penelope Cruz) after he spends one night at her apartment talking to her he suddenly is about to get into his car and a jealous lover named Julie Gianni(Cameron Diaz) asks him to get in they start to have a nice conversation but she says that she loves him but he tells her she doesnt. She feels used because David slept with her and decided not to have anything to do with her. She goes crazy and gets into a tantrum and drives the car into a bridge and it falls down and their in a car accident.

Julie died but David is now severely disfigured and then he cant remember much of anything suddenly hes in weird phases of his life its like the whole thing is a dream suddenly he finds out some dark secrets that happened after that day.

I thought this movie was shocking especially towards the end it was definately pure fantasy fiction because of all the themes. I was disturbed after I saw this movie i was completely shocked and worried. I was scared because this movie can really get to you. If your looking for a movie to enjoy on a Saturday night this is the wrong one. You have to give thought into this movie before you decide to watch it.

Thats all I have to say.

peAce.

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