Finally, Kurt Russell plays the psychologist who befriends David and tries to help him unravel the mystery that makes him doubt his sanity. Cameron Diaz has no difficulty with a difficult part - not only must she portray the playful girlfriend and the demented, rejected lover, but she has to mimic Cruz during two key sequences. However, while there's definitely a spark, it doesn't seem any more potent than the one between Cruise and Renee Zellweger in Jerry Maguire, and there was nothing going on between them off-screen. Crowe was reportedly delighted that he was able to capture the two falling in love on camera. Penelope Cruz, reprising the part of Sofia (which she also played in Open Your Eyes) displays a fair amount of chemistry with Cruise. Noah Taylor, Stillwater's manager, plays the part of a mysterious stranger who frequently crosses David's path. Jason Lee, seen as the Stillwater lead singer in Almost Famous, is David's best friend, Brian. He plays David as a charismatic rogue - someone the audience is supposed to recognize as a bit of a scoundrel, but like nevertheless. Tom Cruise, previously in Jerry Maguire, brings along his boyish good looks. Several of the principals are veterans of Crowe's behind-the-camera approach. However, the changes are minor this is not a case in which Hollywood has butchered the end of a foreign feature in the hope of boosting ticket sales. In addition, the screenplay closes with a less evasive explanation of what has transpired. Crowe's use of music (one of the strengths of his previous efforts) - everything from the Beach Boys to Peter Gabriel's 'Solsbury Hill' - enhances the mood, allowing Vanilla Sky to develop its own identity.

In many ways, the story is pure Twilight Zone, but Crowe's down-to-earth approach softens and grounds it, making the characters seem more genuine, even amidst the surreal setting. (With the mask on, he looks uncannily like Michael Myers, the psycho killer of the Halloween series.) He survives, but is maimed and disfigured, and must wear a mask to hide the mass of scars and twisted flesh that comprises his once-handsome face.

So, feeling hurt and betrayed, she invites David for a ride, then crashes her car, killing herself and badly injuring him. It seems that she doesn't share David's casual view of their sexual encounters. Unfortunately, David's blossoming relationship with Sofia fans Julie's jealousy.

Then, one day, confirmed bachelor David meets Sofia (Penelope Cruz), and he suddenly discovers what love is. The majority stock owner of a big-time publishing firm, David has everything he wants - a great job with short hours, a spectacular Manhattan pad, and a gorgeous female pal named Julie (Cameron Diaz) who's willing to have sex with him whenever the urge hits (which seems to be fairly often). The Spanish-language film is the better version, but Vanilla Sky is a credible substitute for subtitle-phobic audiences.ĭavid Aames (Tom Cruise) has the world in the palm of his hand. Crowe has brought his own unique strengths to bear upon the material, staying very much in step with Open Your Eyes while adding some warmth and clarity that were not evident in the cooler, more ambiguous original. Vanilla Sky is a faithful remake of Alejandro Amenabar's Open Your Eyes, but, like all good remakes, it can stand on its own and does not fade and discolor in the face of the original.

Crowe shows immense respect for his source material, but not the kind of slavish reverence lavished upon the book-to-movie conversion of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Not only is this his initial foray into the much-maligned realm of remakes, but it's the first time he has performed without the safety net of being firmly rooted in pop culture elements. Vanilla Sky gives new meaning to the familiar phrase from a children's song: 'Life is but a dream.'įor director Cameron Crowe, the man behind Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous, Vanilla Sky represents a groundbreaking career move. There are plenty of philosophical musings on the difference between dreams and reality, and numerous occasions in which the film dares us to tell them apart. Like its predecessor, Vanilla Sky is a mind-bending excursion across genres - a warped fairy tale that dabbles in romance, mythology, horror, mystery, and science fiction. Vanilla Sky (the name refers to a painting by Monet) is the quirkily titled American remake of the 1997 Spanish language feature, Open Your Eyes.

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