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Laramie Movie Scope:
Vanilla Sky

Eyes wide open

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by Robert Roten, Film Critic
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December 14, 2001 -- "Vanilla Sky" has gotten huge amounts of hype lately, and for once, the trailer doesn't give away much of the film's plot. I don't want to give away anything either, so I guess I'll have to just peck around the edges of the story.

You must have heard from all the hype this film stars Tom Cruise and Penélope Cruz, and that Cruise and Cruz got together after Tom and Nicole split the sheets. Well, this is unlike any Tom Cruise movie I've ever seen. Indeed, it is unlike most movies. It's a mind-twisting psychological thriller of mythic proportions. Cruz previously starred in another film, "Abre Los Ojos" ("Open Your Eyes") on which "Vanilla Sky" was based. It was written by Mateo Gil ("The Others").

Cruise, who seems to be on cruise control in some of his films, turns in a hell of an acting performance in this film. Even the klunky but beautiful Cruz is sharp in this film, but then director Cameron Crowe ("Almost Famous") usually gets the best out of his actors. Cruise stars as David Aames, a rich and famous magazine publisher, and Cruz is Sofia Serrano, his love interest, but then so is Julie Gianni (played by Cameron Diaz of "Charlie's Angels").

Aames gets in trouble when he tries to dump Gianni and she goes all Fatal Attraction on him. He finds his life drastically changed and he tries to get back to normal. He loses his self confidence. Wracked by guilt and shame, he even seems to be losing his mind. He spends a lot of time with shrink Dr. Curtis McCabe Kurt Russell of "3,000 Miles to Graceland," but nothing seems to be able to snap him out of his funk.

The film reminds me of the old Orson Welles film "The Trial" based on the book by Franz Kafka. This film portrays a world every bit as nightmarish as that dreamed up by Kafka. I'm not a fan of existentialism, but "Vanilla Sky" does raise questions about the nature of reality and life, of being and existence, love and character, as well as questions about morality and the consequences of sexual acts. In a way, this film also reminds me of a much more recent film, "American Psycho."

Cruise anchors the film all the way through, ably assisted by Cruz, Diaz, Russell, and Jason Lee of "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," who plays Brian Shelby, Aames' best friend. This is a challenging film, more of an art film, really, than most wide releases. It is hard to follow and confusing. Some will undoubtedly feel cheated by it because they were fooled by the story. Because of that, I feel this will not be one of Cruise's more successful films. If you don't mind a film that challenges you to think and to re-evaluate your perceptions, you might just like it. Otherwise, you may leave the theater in a huff. Myself? I don't know how to feel about it, but I didn't leave in a huff, more like a minute and a huff. This film rates a B, I guess.

Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

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Copyright © 2001 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.
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Robert Roten can be reached via e-mail at my last name at lariat dot org. [Mailer button: image of letter and envelope]

(If you e-mail me with a question about this or any other movie or review, please mention the name of the movie you are asking the question about, otherwise I may have no way of knowing which film you are referring to)