For many years this has been one of my favourite films. The very film itself is very "Faustian", in it's theoretically never ending quest for love, experience and knowledge. It also has a much darker side to it, reminding me somewhat of another absolutely wonderful dark film; "The Jacket", with a touch of "Donnie Darko". I've seen the original Spanish film "Abre los ojos" that this more or less is an exact remake of, and amusingly, it contains the same lovely Penelope Cruz in her role as Sofia Serrano. The lead character David Aames is played by Tom Cruise, not someone I particularly like neither in "real life" nor in this film, but he does a good job in this film, and that is after all what counts. His role as a lucky rich boy with no responsibility and who's "all about fun", in his own words, represents my complete opposite, that being so, he quickly finds himself forced to recognize that "there are consequences in life".

Aames falls completely in love with a girl that his lonely best friend brings to Aames' own birthday party (some friend, huh?). Jason Lee does an excellent role with his character Brian Shelby. The happiness ends suddenly though, after Aames lack of responsibility comes back around to him the morning after and he ends up emotionally and physically crippled afterwards. Cameron Diaz plays the character of the slut stalker of Aames, and no fault of Diaz, her character is completely horrible, an awful person.

Without revealing the end and the entire plot for those of you out there who strangely have not seen this marvellous film yet, I would just like to recommend this beyond words. Even though the upper layer of the film seems very "decadent" and "shallow", it really is about (in my view) the greatest thing of all, the search for knowledge and experience. Add the beautiful Penelope Cruz and a really existentialist theme throughout, which I'm sure everyone who thinks for him or herself can relate to (is the world real or merely an illusion?), and you've got yourself one of my favourite films. The end scene is simply sublime, with what probably is the best song in the world, Sigur Ros' divine "Njosnavellin".

Watch it!

This movie is a love story with some sci-fi elements awkwardly thrown in, but there are some moments of good acting and dialogue that make it worth watching.

A film which makes an attempt to pattern itself on the fantasy vs. reality films that had become popular at the turn of the new millennium - David Fichner's "Fight Club" and M. Night Shamalan's "Sixth Sense" both from 1999, Christopher Nolan's "Momento" from 2000, and David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" released the following year (all of which don't surpass the reigning king of this genre when Terry Gilliam released his 1985 masterpiece "Brazil") - by no means fails in this respect since I found it both entertaining and intriguing for the most part, but is noticeably long and certainly may confuse the average '2hr-max-movie-goer'. Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz both stand out playing their respective, 'good gal/bad gal roles and Jason Lee is quite appealing as the best friend of our dashing lead Tom Cruise. Yet Cruise may be viewed as stretching this performance given the physical challenges that are demanded. I hesitate to reveal these challenges to those that have not seen the picture as they are indeed the focal point of the plot. Many good things like the witty Cameron Crowe retrospective soundtrack that is weaved into clever culture references and tributes which are indeed enjoyable and even necessary to solve the riddle presented in 'what's is going on?' scenario of the main character's pressing dilemma which may not be easy to access with a single viewing. But still the ride can be entertaining as Tom runs away and into trouble as he often does in quasi-action films that are laced with mystery and intrigue like Sydney Pollack's 1993 "The Firm", Brian De Palma's 1996 "Mission Impossible" and even the more cerebrally dark, "Eyes Wide Shut" from Stanley Kubrick. As noted by many educated critics as well as the tasteless tabloids Mr. Cruise may be biting off more than he can chew as he dives into the land of independent production. I applaud Tom for his efforts and are rooting for his success yet do believe that his choice for future roles should include a return to comedic territory as a deviation/diversion to selecting elaborate/complicated efforts which could be prove too risky and result in a poor reception at the box office.

While Vanilla Sky does not compare in any way with it's far superior predecessor Abre los Ojos, Vanilla Sky succeeds in two ways:

- Style: The film is undeniably pretty and cast with three leading characters who are, by most standards, quite elegant themselves. The movie seems to be predominately made specifically as eye candy, and is thoroughly pleasing in that aspect.

- Suspension of Disbelief: the film, like it's predecessor, is surreal and challenges you to decipher what is real and what is not. Abre Los Ojos presented reality and distortion of reality in a way that was not completely boggling, allowed the viewer room for personal interpretation and provided a satisfying--if not somewhat depressing conclusion. Vanilla Sky is all over the place in this aspect--which is probably in part due to the jumpy, deliberately schizophrenic and pretentious editing. Only if you have seen the original will you be truly able to flesh out and appreciate what Vanilla Sky is about.

In the end, it is a pretty movie with a pretty cast and one of the best soundtracks you'll ever hear (although to get the full soundtrack you may have to do a little hunting of your own, since the official soundtrack is sadly lacking many of the great tunes from the classic scenes in this movie) Overall, it is NOT completely horrible/unwatchable, despite what some may say, and yet, it is not perfect. If you're a Cruise, Cruz or Diaz fan, you'll probably have to add this to your collection, whatever the title. If you enjoy surrealistic psycho-candy, you'll probably enjoy this movie. If you enjoy watching Tom Cruise in anything besides Top Gun, Rain Man, or Days of Thunder, this, and Minority Report, are definitely worth a watch.

The movie is stellar and so is the music. I'm surprised at how many people just don't get this film. It's so simple. It's a love story. Guy meets girl, his girlfriend gets jealous and kills both of them in a car crash. The guy already had some type of life insurance so that if he dies, they will keep his brain functioning (he's a millionaire with access to best revolutionary medical treatments). He has nightmares about the crash but it's all due to a problem with the software that is hardwired keeping his brain alive. It gets fixed and he has a choice to live in his fictional world that his mind creates or to go back into the real world where technology has allowed him to live a real life again. He chooses the latter. End of story.

Vanilla Sky directed by Cameron Crowe is such a disaster. I can't tell you how much I hated this film. Cameron Diaz is terribly cast, her performance is so hyper and foolish, I just wanted to slap her. Penelope Cruz is so hard to understand, she needs to take some speech classes, and Tom Cruise thinks he is the best actor that ever existed, he's not by the way. Couldn't believe Cameron Crowe could write and direct such an uneven, confusing, and boring story. This is one film to avoid, even the Paul McCartney song is awful and I love him.

Strange to me are the misguided reviews focusing on Tom Cruise's supposed vanity that awashes the film. Dave Denby of the New Yorker says "the only thing that emerges clearly is that a big star is coming to terms with the anxiety of losing his looks". Apparently Dave Denby needs to take some Film Comprehension classes. If he had, he would have seen that Cruise's character, David Aames, struggles not to cope with his disfigurement, but with the obstacle it presents between him and his desire to be with the amiable Sophia (Penelope Cruz). The frustration of his situation causes David to spiral before the audience's eyes from his fun-loving, charming demeanor, into suicidal depression. It is a universal theme; love, love lost, and the struggle to win back that love. Enveloping that motif is a creative plot full of twists that take David (and the viewers) on a psychological rollercoaster that puts a question to the fabric of reality itself.

Cameron Crowe skillfully creates a visually stunning collage of mystery, romance, horror, and science fiction, punctuated with a delicious, well-planned soundtrack that adds vibrant depth to the scenes at appropriate moments.

Moreso than the story, I was impressed by the strength of the film itself. Tom and Penelope share a moment in a park in which we watch (Tom Cruise's character) David's face change before our eyes from lovestruck elation to painful longing, in a slow-rotating camera shot that is just one of many testaments to Crowe's ability to direct his cast and crew into creating a powerful scene. As well, all of the actors in this film deliver solid performances that make this movie watchable again and again.

In comparison with the original version of this film, the Spanish "Open your Eyes", "Vanilla Sky" is better paced, better cast, better acted, has a better soundtrack, has better scene improvements (the Sophia-Julie metamorphosis is excellent in its subtlely), and is overall the better movie of the two.

Vanilla Sky is a twisting, surreal journey that will appeal to those that like their movies to stray off the beaten path and challenge their thinking.

Life's all about the little things that cause not so little consequences, so is this movie in some way.

Even though this film is a reprise of Amenabar's original, it has its own ambiance and everything is somehow weighted differently. Even the title, Vanilla Sky, has a special meaning of its own to which many of us can relate.

It's definitively worth watching at least once in your life and it's not a bad movie to own. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because some narrated parts could have been done better.

I felt sympathy for David (Cruise), maybe I even felt a little bit identified with him. I'm no Casanova and I certainly don't own an enterprise like David did, but we all have moments in our life where we make small "harmless" choices that change our life forever.

"Consequences, David"

bought this because it is one of the last movies showing the twin towers. I am not a Tom Cruise fan.

This has to be one of the most awful, convoluted and bizarre films that I have ever seen in my entire life! While I really respect Cameron Crowe ("Almost Famous") I really have to wonder what in the world happened to him to direct such a terrible film. You watch this movie and none of it rings true and none of it makes any sense: from the central character played by Tom Cruise to the storyline or even the main theme or plot of the whole enterprise. First it's a conventional story which turns into a mystery that becomes a thriller that's really a sci-fi - and none of it's any good and none of the pieces even fit together. Don't waste your time watching this. Find something else to watch or read a good book.

So I sat down to give Vanilla Sky a viewing, without reading much about it and just hoping it was even mildly interesting and thought-provoking. It turned out to be a well made movie, with some good performances, and decently thought-provoking as well!

Tom plays a wealthy playboy heir with one of his big hobbies being to get laid all the time and then cast the women aside when he gets bored of them. One day he appears to have broken one heart too many and his life is changed forever. He ends up in an accident, disfigured, in excruciating pain. He thinks the board of directors is out to steal his inherited company. Him and his friend have fallen for the same woman and he thinks he'll lose her because of his problems now. And from there it's down the rabbit hole... some force in his mind is degenerating... his dreams become nightmares and he can't tell what sanity is. Kurt Russell plays a psychologist who tries to coax it out of him and solve a crime.

That's about as far as I can go without explaining the truth of the plot revealed at the end. Suffice to say, it's something out of left field. I thought Cruise, while being his usual androidal self that does a good job at least of pretending to be human, did a capable job and the rest of cast are even better. Even Cameron Diaz had an effective scene which is remarkable. Penélope Cruz does the best job though, lighting up a relationship triangle with her humor and naturalness.

I'll have to see the original some time since it seems by a lot of consensus, Cruise took some rather crude liberties with the film. However, watching it as I did, without any of that in mind, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it.

You will probably either love or hate Vanilla Sky, but giving away too much about the plot to help you decide might ruin the experience of watching it for the first time. My advice: if you liked both Sabrina (or Sabrina) and The Matrix, give this movie a chance. It's a mixture of romance and science fiction that won't appeal to everyone, but if it works for you it will work very well.

I avoided Vanilla Sky at the theater because I'm not a big fan of Cruise or Diaz, but both are well-cast here--as is most of the cast, from Penélope Cruz (reprising her role from the original version, Open Your Eyes) to minor roles like "the seven dwarves" and the bartender in the club scene. There's a lot packed into this movie (check out the director's commentary) and I suspect everyone will take away something different as the most important theme. It's definitely a movie I'll watch more than once.

A unique concept - Crazy - Multiple Twists - What is going on here!
Those are all the things I thought as I saw this movie about 4 times. The concept is not as unique as the presentation of the concept is! At times you'll think the presentation is very crazy, but you have to find out what in the world is going on in this movie, because of all the twists and turns! Did it or did it not! Is he or is he not! I can't give it 5 stars because it was a tad too crazy! This is probably a love it or hate it movie! Enjoy, I did!

extremely complex film, very cameron crowe with the wonderful music selections and infinite details you would never pick up on until the fifth or sixth or twentieth viewing

i may be biased bc i enjoy penelope cruz very much. i thought it was a great film and something very different. atleast view it once!

Spoiler Alert: Skip this review if you don't want to know the ending.

Cruise's rich, handsome and happily shallow character has bought himself a custom-made Heaven. This heaven comes complete with his favorite sky, a vanilla-colored sky patterned after his late mother's Monet painting. The catch is that he doesn't know he's dreaming and that his peculiar heaven will eventually turn hellish. In fact, after 150 years of dreaming of the bliss of finding and winning his dearest and most true love Sofia, he first suspects and then rages that it's not real at all, but a nightmare. Strands of Hindu mysticism are subtly woven through this film, hinting of something beautifully infinite and strange. The movie's soundtrack heightens the mood and mind-bending confusion of this film, and it may turn the screws to your mind at times, leaving you spinning and feeling off center. If you don't understand the bad and the good vibrations that flow through this film, then--to paraphrase Penelope Cruz's character--maybe you will in another lifetime, when you are a cat.
In summary, I think this movie is worth watching more than once; so go ahead and get the DVD. There are many things to admire about it. For me, the romantic idea of being blissfully and timelessly sustained in a dream about finding one's true love is sweeter than a vanilla sky.

Based upon a foreign film that translates into English as OPEN YOUR EYES (ABRE LOS OJOS), VANILLA SKY gets its title from a Claude Monet painting, "Seine at Argenteuil" that the film's protagonist, David Aames (Tom Cruise) has upon a wall. The painting is sometimes mistakenly referred to as "Vanilla Sky" because of the color that Monet used for the sky in the painting. The misnomer of the painting's title is a key in understanding and appreciating the film because early on it becomes clear that this is a movie that likes to play with one's mind and the things that take place aren't necessarily real.

VANILLA SKY revolves around the character of David Aames. David is the son and heir of a international media tycoon. Most everyone close to him, including his best friend Brain Shelby (Jason Lee) see David as a spoiled brat who has no appreciation whatsoever for all the gifts that have been given to him since birth. He takes advantage of almost everyone he meets and lives in a fantasy world of wine, women, and song. At the start of the film David is involved in a serious relationship with a beautiful blonde named Julie Gianni (Cameron Diaz). They have been dating for sometime and are romantically linked, but David doesn't feel their relationship is as serious as Julie does. Whereas Julie is waiting for David to commit and propose, David sees her as simply being a "friend with benefits."

At his birthday party, David meets a woman that he finds so captivating and fascinating that he falls immediately in love with her. The woman, Sophia Serrano (Penelope Cruz) is the opposite of everything that he found attractive in Julie. David ends up walking her back to her place and spends the night talking with her. To him, Sophia is the woman of his dreams. She is the woman he would choose to marry. Unfortunately for David, Julie doesn't take things very well. She reminds him of some of the unavoidable truths about their relationship. Julie and David are involved in a car crash and when he opens his eyes, he is living in a different world.

His face has been reconstructed and at first things seem normal. But then David starts having nightmares. Soon the nightmares of his dreams seem to mix with his day to day life. He finds himself unable to distinguish the difference. Sophia is Julie and Julie is Sophia. The world is too confusing and David longs to sleep so that he can return to his dreams. Pleasant, pleasant dreams filled with the Sophia he met at the party and skies colored in vanilla.

I really don't like Tom Cruise much. He does have talent, but his large ego and cocky attitude take away from every picture I've ever seen him act in. Therefore, I was reluctant to see VANILLA SKY. I wish I would have watched the movie long ago.

The movie is a strange romantic drama sci-fi picture that tackles some huge issues. How do we live our lives? Would you rather live your life in a comfortable existence filled with superficial happiness or would you rather live an exciting, though often painful life filled with wonder and awe, truth and beauty, but only occasional moments of happiness? This is a decision that each one of us is actually presented with daily. We might not always recognize it as such, but it is and the way that choice is presented in the film makes VANILLA SKY such a powerful and engaging piece of cinema.

Cruise's ego works well for most of the film, though it denies the audience from completely identifying and empathizing with the plight of David Aames. Cruise is a great jerk, but not a very good reformed man. However, his gift at playing spoiled id-driven men sucks the audience into the action of VANILLA SKY from the beginning and even though one is never convinced of David's reformation, Cruise's performance/presence keeps the audience engaged throughout the film. Penelope Cruz reminds me of a Spanish Audrey Hepburn and though she isn't in the movie a great deal, she shines in the moments that she is. Cameron Diaz is a beauty and movie star, but overcomes her celebrity. She does a wonderful job of portraying Julie, an everywoman character that many women who have been stepped upon by men can relate to. Julie isn't on screen very long either, but when she is she raises some important questions about love, relationships, and sex in American society. Another important actor in the film is Jason Lee. Lee portrays David's best friend Brian, who is busy writing a novel. Brian is the catalyst for many of the film's deeper thought-provoking moments. It is also Brian who just might hold the key to the real meaning of the film. Like Cruise, sometimes having Lee in a picture is a turnoff, however in VANILLA SKY he is perfectly cast.

VANILLA SKY isn't the easiest film to understand. It isn't necessarily the most romantic film and though it's an intelligent movie, it asks more questions than it answers. It also has an open ending, so people who have to have a movie end all tidy will have problems with the film's ending. Nevertheless, the film is a beautiful piece of cinema that engages and entertains. A person cannot watch it without and not have something to think about later. That's something only really good movies can do.

Vanilla Sky is quite a disappointment considering the presence of Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell, and Penelope Cruz, among others!
The acting is pretty good (but nothing great), the plot is below average, while the dialogues/lines are way beyond "below average!"
Tom Cruise and the rest of this AMAZING cast are given terrible lines and bad roles. A shame, really...
The dialogues-oh my- the dialogues are beyond words...
As for the plot, school plays (and pre-school for that matter) have better storylines! It is truly sad...
It seems as though the writers/directors/producers decided to go artsy-fartsy on us, following in the dreaded footsteps of other such "films" as It's All About Love and the Russian Ark.
So it's a weak plot, and a GREAT-but-wasted cast and setting, which when put together fail to take off. No masterpiece here.

Vanilla Sky is either a disappointment when viewed against Indie Film standards, or a happily confusing lark when compared to the unending deluge of big budget / low-minded Hollywood that's released weekly.

On the plus side, we find a movie that engages the viewer and the mind. A movie that is certainly confusing at first sitting, it is that rare commodity: the movie we like to talk about later. Like Memento or Barton Fink, people will find themselves dissecting the minutiae of the film after it's over.

Also impressive is the fact that Tom Cruise, one of Hollywood's famed pretty boys, spends at least two-thirds of the film either hidden under a mask, or horribly disfigured. Not a role many other actors would jump to take.

On the down side, Vanilla Sky, (a re-make ?) is basically an Art House or Indie film starring a big Hollywood actor. What could have been an interesting view on the hidden nature of man, or alternate/multiple realities, or even a study on the nature of reality itself, instead ends up like an art house rip-off of Total Recall.

Rating: B- / C+

FYI:
1) When did the universe change so much that "Banky" from Chasing Amy could get a lead role playing opposite Tom Cruise?
2) When did Penelope Cruz get the role of Indecipherable Speaker, ala Brad Pitt in Snatch or Fenster in The Usual Suspects?
3) When did Paul McCartney last have a decent single? Here, with the title track.

This movie contains a large plot 'twist' at the end which changes the entire movie up until then (for the better), but unlike many other such movies, this twist doesn't hurt the movie on repeat viewings.

If anything, repeated viewings are more enjoyable than the first, as the characters and situations make more sense in light of the movie's 'truth.'

The concept is the same as total recall. Vanilla sky had potential, but the viewers hand is held in the end ,like we are retards, and everything is explained in one scene. I did enjoy this movie at one point, but when the entire idea is relayed in the end, it became stupid. Better than alot of Tom Cruise garbage, but not good overall.

It's important that a movie makes you think and actually feel something. To have a certain mood and personality. This movie includes all. Great direction, great acting, and great music. I find that this movie has a magic to it, and I prefer this movie over the original mainly because of that. "Open Your Eyes" is a good movie, but it didn't have that mojo that "Vanilla Sky" has. Also, I must admit "Vanilla Sky" is much more visually pleasing. However, if you're gonna' own this one, might as well get the original. It's only right.

I watched this movie last evening and I have to say that I have never seen weird, confusing movie since 12 Monkies. I'm still confused.
The plot is pathetic and mindlessly confusing, it's all about lucid dreams and Tom Cruise seeing how many times he can flick his hair in a minute while the cameras on him. The film is basically all a blur from start to finish, it's a dreadful mix of sci-fi nonsense and obvious fake romance. Why on earth would someone want to remake a foreign film with this kind of plot anyway. Don't buy this film on DVD or you'll be wasting your money. I'm sorry if you've found this review uninformative, but since Vanilla Sky is really about nothing whatsoever it's very hard to go into much detail.

I loved this movie. Great acting, great story. Some people might be disappointed if they were expecting a normal romance/drama and don't like the sci-fi turns.

This is a fantastic movie although it takes a bit of time to appreciate it. I saw it in the theater and it struck me as just plain weird and not just because Tom Cruise freaks out when having sex with Penelope Cruz who (in Cruise's mind) suddenly becomes transformed into Cameron Diaz. Yeah he must be nuts. I personally would be saying "Ok, I can deal with this!", but I digress.

The combination of genres is a bit hard to swallow, but therein lays the beauty of Vanilla Sky. It's a movie you'll want to watch again and again.

Beautifully made and acted and surely only maligned because it was a remake of a recent foreign film. Never the less truely excellent and satisfying viewing.

WOW! This is a truly bizzare film. There are a lot of genres here including romance, sci-fi and mystery... Tom Cruise and all of the co-stars including Cruz, Cameron, Russell and Mewes are excellent. The use of music in this film is so bizarre, but it really works and the choice in music is great for this type of film (Wait for "Good Vibrations"). If you like David Lynch type films, you'll definitely enjoy this. Also, if you enjoyed films like "Lost In Translation", "What Dreams May Come", "Memento" or "Fight Club", you should definitely invest the over two hours it takes to watch this film. This one is a truly original ride!

Just Fantastic! Yes, that's the way I always react whenever I see this movie or talk about it. There are very few movies that have left their mark in my heart and memory and this is one of them. Tom Cruise is at its best. A very challenging role for most, but he just did it so naturally. In fact, I was not a Cruise fan until I saw this movie.

The movie is very touching, and takes you on the emotional rollercoaster ride throughout the movie. It is sad to see that many people failed to understand the movie, and that explains the reason it didn't did well on the box-office. If you are a kind of mature viewer, you will understand this movie and love it too. For me, it was worth buying this DVD!

I'm not going to write a huge review here but just a few things I'd like to add. Firstly I'd just like to say don't believe the critics and see the original version of this film. This version is by far the better of the two. It irritates me when people just say the original is better to appear intellectual. As if it's cooler to say the original will always be the best. Critics like to pick holes in any remake with be name actors and actresses. However, this is an excellent example of superior directing, acting, writing, screenplay etc. . .

Never has a film been so complimented by its music. You can tell that much thought has gone into the songs chosen and it works incredibly well. You can tell that each song means something to the film makers involved and most probably to you also. You will find yourself pausing the credits to write down a big list of albums to get the next time you go music shopping.

That's all I wanted to say.
xo
David
ICQ:27008755
MSN:imaybeparanoidbutnoandroid@hotmail.com

David (Cruise) is a vain self loving man who takes for granted everything that he has. He's never worked for anything but had everything handed to him by those around him. Even his on-again-off-again F@#$-buddy Julie (Diaz) gives him everything she can regandless of how he treats her. His best friend played by Jason Lee is a loyal friend dispite the fact that David disregards his feelings on the drop of a dime, even going as far as to take the one woman that his friend really "digs"...that woman being the exotic Sofia (Cruz), a guest at his birthday party, a guest that his Jason Lee brings as a date but she ends up taking David home. At this point of the film you really dislike this guy. He rich, good looking and pretty much better than everyone else, and he knows it, so he flaunts it. Then the morning comes, and with the sun comes a gloomy day, a very gloomy day. Julie meets David outside Sofia's apartment and confronts him about his feelings for Sofia. She tells him she loves him and that she needs him and then...BAM! she drives him off a bridge and into a wall and here is where you need to open your eyes! From that point on the film spirals down towards an ending that wil have you guessing. From the murder charge he can't explain nor understand to the life he can't be living and the dreams/nightmares that he is having and theres this guy that keeps showing up in bars and clubs and he's almost everywhere that David turns. WHO IS THIS MAN? Open your eyes...you'll see him very soon. The acting is superb on the parts of the lesser players. Diaz gives an oscar worthy performance as proven by her SAG nomination for the part and Jason Lee as the loyal yet betrayed best friend and even Kurt Russell as his shrink trying to understand the mess he's in does a great job. The movie will have you guessing and it may even take 2 or 3 watches to fully get what's going on but it's well worth the time spent. Great concept for a film and I hear it's a remake of a film starring Penelope Cruz called 'Open your Eyes'...can't judge between the two beings that I've never seen the first one but from the other reviews I gather that this version is the better of the 2...Watch it and love it and remember to open your eyes...the answers are right in front of you...literally!

This film is excellent and I own the DVD but I probably will not watch it again unless it is with someone who never saw it. Like A and I another excellent film, it is just two much of a downer. Those downer movies usually don't bother me but this one did.

It seems to me that this is one of many films that you either get and you like, or you don't get and you hate. If you have an open mind when it comes to movies, then you might like it a lot. The negative reviews about the film seem to be because the reviewer didn't understand the film, and therefore was frustrated into attacking it. I love how people who don't get a movie say that the people who think highly of it are "acting smart" just because they think it makes them smart to like a particular film. It has nothing to do with intelligence in my view. All it is to me is perception. So if you like films with a science fiction flavor and you're open minded, then this is a five-star film. If not, don't waste your time with this one. You'd be better off going to see a movie that spells out every aspect of it's essence with perfect clarity. For those people I recommend something more along the lines of "Finding Nemo", or "Star Trek:The Wrath of Khan". For the rest, this is a great film.

I've watched many films - some are just disgarded as a waste of time. Others are thoughtful and remain in the memory for some time. And some a very good. Vanilla Sky is the best film I have ever seen. The only film that has actually affected how I live life. I saw the film in the cinema and I thought I liked it but I wasn't 100% sure because I didn't understand it fully. I watched it again and again (probably about 12 times now) and each time it just seemed to get better.

The film probably has it's flaws. But these are so outweighed by the plusses that I can't see them.
The soundtrack of the film is incredible. I'm not referring to the actual commercial CD of the soundtrack because I believe that more than half of the films tracks are not on the CD. I instantly took to the Sigur ros song that was played when David jumped off the rooftop at the end. I then heard it on the radio on night and decided that I had to get that tune. It took a few hours to track it down using the internet, but I learned all about Sigur Ros in the process. I bought their records and they are now by far my favourite band.
Anyway, the film itself has so many emotions and themes running through it that you identify with some of it. Obviously not the sci-fi part.
Temptation/Consequences - It's human nature to be tempted into wronful actions. How many times have we ruined love and friendship by wrong deeds. The lead character was revitalised after leaving Sofias house in the morning. He could have lived another 40 years in happiness and true love. But he got in the car and his life was ruined. On a personal note, I've done stupid things which nearly ruined the best relationship of my life. This film has made me really think.
Love - We dont appreciate love till something goes wrong

Anybody who can't understand the film should watch it again. Even a third time. That's when it all falls into place.

As for the reviewer who posted on 2 Jan 2006, he thinks Far and
Away was a good movie and doesn't like "hard to follow" movies.
Go rent a bunch of cartoons if you want to be entertained!! Don't dismiss a good film cause you don't understand it.

This guy hasn't made a decent movie since Far and Away. Vanilla Sky is just another one of those out-there movies that you have to think way to hard to follow. Then on top of this, the story is a mind bender only to conceal the ending. They try to keep you guessing till the end where you will be completely let down by the lame ending. The only scene worth wathcing in this whole movie is when they get in that car crash, but that was probably only worth seeing in the movie theater with the great sound and big screen. You couldn't pay me to see another Tom Cruise movie after his long string of wierd movies. To top it off the guy has been rated as the most annoying actor of 2005. I think its affecting the movies.

There's a lot of reasons why somebody would want you to believe this is a bad movie.
"The movies disguises confusion as deep plot" is a common one.

This movie is an amazing cinematic experience. For the people who said "poorly developed plot, specifically between Cruise & Cruz," well, the answer for that is in the last few minutes! The movie is AWARE of that fact and also gives you the reason! This movie is not one for casual viewing: it demands that you pay attention to every scene, the dialogues as well as the on-screen visuals. You can't just take a 40-second run to the fridge while the movie is running...a masterfully told story, with great music and greater lines.

SPOILER (SORT OF)
David Aames isn't exactly the kind of guy Average Joe Six-Pack can associate with: he's rich, better looking than 99% of us, sleeps with women who are about 10 times hotter than the ones we sleep with, lives life king size and doesn't even work (sort of). But even this flamboyant-sexy-rich hunk ends up making that one mistake that we all have committed at least once when we were younger: concocting an imaginary fairytale romance with somebody we love (read fascinated/obsessed with) so strongly for reasons unknown that in our little imaginary world, she's the perfect woman, who loves our jokes, loves us regardless of anything else, doesn't seem to care about money and is just too damn sweet. We barely know these girls/women, maybe engage in 3-minute conversations a few times a week at the water cooler and flash each other bright smiles down the hallway. It doesn't qualify for any kind of relationship (maybe except that guy/gal from work/school)...but in our young, love-lusting minds, they are the perfect saviours for our lovelorn lives. This is the essence of this movie...one that causes me to identify with Tom Cruise's character in the movie (yeah, even I was 17 once). But this movie, takes that 17-year-old-romance factor and makes it believable when it afflicts Tom Cruise. That, is an achievement in great storytelling.

I haven't seen the original and I'm sure it must be a good movie...but I still wonder if it can top the Cruise/Crowe experience.

Excellent choice for repeat viewings (in the same category as Terminator 2: Judgement Day. At least I can't seem to tire of these two...surprisingly, I no longer feel like sitting through The Matrix that frequently!)

P.S. You must really love this movie if you understand the title. I realized it after the 10th time (or something) I saw it. Its the scene, the morning-after the nightclub scene. It's shown twice in the movie - Halfway through and at the very end. Well, just observe the sky and notice what the reason for that Vanilla Sky is!

Director: Cameron Crowe
Cast: Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell, Jason Lee, Noah Taylor, Timothy Spall, Tilda Swinton, Michael Shannon.
Running Time: 136 minutes
Rated R for sexuality and strong language.

"Almost Famous" was Cameron Crowe's deeply felt ode to rock and roll, a personal journey that was one of the most highly acclaimed films of 2000. In keeping with the rock theme, "Vanilla Sky" could be considered Crowe's cover version of the Alejandro Amenabar's 1997 mind-bender "Open Your Eyes." Reteaming with his "Jerry Maguire" star Tom Cruise, Crowe has taken the lukewarm original vision and twisted it in to a thoroughly bizarre, yet unmercifully enthralling picture. David Aames (Tom Cruise) is an unapologetic, filthy rich playboy who heads a publishing empire and enjoys life to the fullest. At his birthday party, David, through his best friend Brian (Jason Lee), meets Sofia (Penelope Cruz). The two have instant chemistry, and David begins to have real feelings of love for her, something which angers Julie (Cameron Diaz), an old flame. Julie invites David into her car for a ride one afternoon, and promptly crashes it, killing her and disfiguring David. Dazed and confused, David must learn to live again with his disfigurement, and also confront his reality. A reality that is quickly spinning out of his control and heading toward dementia.

Written and directed by Crowe, "Vanilla Sky" is about as extreme a left turn as a filmmaker can make these days and he creates an extending, hallucinogenic film that succeeds only because Crowe is taking such a leap of faith. The higher aspirations for "Vanilla Sky" set Crowe's imagination afire. Taking on bigger topics such as the media-suffocating world and the true consequences of casual sex, Crowe's loftier ambitions with "Vanilla Sky" are miles away from his usual territory of optimism and love. It's a change that I wasn't comfortable with at first, but soon realized that this stretching of the artistic muscles seems to suit Crowe. A director with an incredible gift for visuals (the opening scene set in a completely abandoned Times Square is a knockout) and music placement (Crowe even includes a long forgotten Monkees tune "The Porpoise Song" in his kaleidoscope of a soundtrack), Crowe takes the audience on a journey of multiple realities this time out. A place where all might not be as it seems. Dangerous, even for a man who once asked Eddie Vedder to act, but the new direction opens Crowe up in an all new light. Though I would be disappointed if he completely dropped his heartfelt stories that shaped the foundation of his career, I can rest assured that he can hold his own with even the most peculiar of stories.

Enlisting Tom Cruise into the fold is a stroke of genius, since the actor seems to be the most comfortable under Crowe's direction. "Vanilla Sky" asks a lot of Cruise. It forces him to act with heavy prosthetics for the first time in his career and the character also confronts the very golden boy image that Cruise spent the better part of the last decade trying to bury six feet under. Hyper, convincing, and brutally committed, Cruise takes the challenge of "Vanilla Sky" very seriously. He comes away with an enriching performance that rivals the best work of his career. It helps to have great backup as well from actors the likes of Lee, Cruz, Diaz, Kurt Russell, Noah Taylor and Timothy Spall. It may seem from the opening that this is a no-brainer role for Cruise. Just wait. As the narrative mire becomes deeper, the intensity of his performance grows with each passing minute. While it is a remake (and a pretty straight one at that), "Vanilla Sky" does have many hurdles to cross that Amenabar's "Open Your Eyes" didn't even need to consider. With a bigger star and a budget roughly 60 times larger, Crowe and Cruise have to be very careful to make sure the audience doesn't begin to lose interest in the jigsaw puzzle story. They clarify the plot more efficiently than Amenabar did, and they don't leave the public cold in the end as the original did. "Open Your Eyes" was a scrappier, less involving yarn, as it had less at stake, and that was the very reason I didn't respond to it. "Vanilla Sky" is more urgent with its drama, more interested in keeping the story moving and not relying on the third act twist which propels this tale from being merely a brain-tickler to a full out acid trip. "Sky" is not an easy film to like, and for a big-budget holiday picture, seems and often acts as uncommercial as they come. Yet under all the deranged images, all the nightmare narrative and all the unsightly Tom Cruise, there is a motion picture that does the unthinkable. It is actually quite better than the film it's remaking. To see growth in talent and audacity in project selection from Crowe is certainly a treat, for "Vanilla Sky" is a solid entry from the director and promises some more changes of pace in the future. As long as he continues to have his heart buried somewhere beneath all the madness, we have nothing to worry about.