Genres

Visitors Review

Harry Guerin 2012-05-24 09:43:26

You mightn't see its like from mainstream Hollywood for some time.

2012-05-23 20:03:36

SEE 'ABRE LOS OJOS'!

"Abre Los Ojos", the film on which "Vanilla Sky" is based, is abetter film by far than this mess made by Cameron Crowe (sorry - Iusually like his movies). It's also available on dvd and video."Vanilla Sky" is too long, self-indulgent and a mess. It lookedbeautiful, the fx were amazing, music etc. were great (CameronDiaz was really, really good), but this movie is proof that a hugebudget does not make a good movie. "Abre Los Ojos" is quick,intelligent genre movie that Cameron Crowe turned into some sortof overblown, boring, pseudo-romance. Everything about "VanillaSky" is fine - maybe I wouldn't have been so annoyed by it if I hadn'talready seen the FAR, FAR superior original. "Vanilla Sky" wasone big waste of, what, $80,000,000?

Laura Clifford 2012-05-23 01:05:04

Cameron Crowe's remake is glossier, warmer and star-powered, although his ending... is muddled.

2012-05-22 18:21:09

The massive ego of Tom Cruise has now entered the building

I was skeptical about this film at first, but my mom said, "hey, it's not so bad." 5 minutes into the film I remembered why I hated Tom Cruise. Then, I began to think about a good way to end terrorism worldwide--show them this movie. As usual, Tom plays Tom again and for good measure, he throws his latest girlfriend into the picture and guess what folks? She can't ACT!!Now I do have one positive note on this film--I actually liked Cameron Diaz in her role. She gave a brilliant performance and I think this girl is being typecast as the funny girl. Hasn't every woman who has been screwed over by a man wanted to get revenge? Cameron proved to me she can be a serious actress when she wants to be.Other than that, it took me an hour to wretch and purge this film out of my system. As time went by, Tom's head got bigger and bigger and bigger and I think I threw up the contents of that head. Someone said they couldn't turn it off and this is true--I wanted to stop watching it, but something kept me going through it all, maybe a secret desire to see Cameron comeback in the end, who knows. ...

kellyadmirer 2012-05-16 07:53:33

Tom Cruise as JFK Jr. in a nightmare

I was pleasantly surprised by this film. After seeing a lot of murky orlightweight films this year, this one stands out. Not a completemasterpiece, as the science fiction aspects are a bit out there, but one ofthe best I've seen recently. I have never been a huge fan of any of the big talents in this film. TomCruise movies are often bland and formulaic, and it is painful to watch himsmirk his way through yet another big money business deal that takes theform of a movie. Penelope Cruz does not strike me as any more talented thandozens of other actresses. Cameron Diaz, well, let's just say that she isbest served sticking to light comedy like "The Mask" and "There's SomethingAbout Mary." So, I was predisposed to not like this film much, which is whyI was so pleasantly surprised by it."Vanilla Sky" advances the ball for all concerned. I found the NYC streetscenes just fabulous, particularly the upper West side and Times Squareshots that begin the film. That is the New York City I know, though I'venever seen Times Square deserted. The style is retro to some 60'sexperimental pieces, which I found to be bold and, oddly, the best way totell the story. There aren't wasted scenes or shots here. Everythingcounts. The style is not experimental for the sake of being experimental,but to deliver the story properly. And it works. Tom Cruise is much better here than I can recall. While he always dominateshis films, this is an artistic breakthrough in the way "Risky Business" wasa career breakthrough (fine work there, too, despite the lightweightscript). It is very difficult to extend your personality through a formlessmask, but Cruise manages to do that for about a third of the film. Iwondered at times if maybe Crowe just used a double for those shots to savemoney, but then Cruise would give a distinctive shrug or flash his eyes andyou knew it was him.My favorite scenes are of Cruise in a disco, lights flashing, peopledancing, lost in a crowd of happy people oblivious to his disfigurementafter he has survived a car crash. Given Cruise's fame, he perhaps reallyunderstood the character's desire to lose himself in a crowd once in awhile. Even there, he manages to convey a unique presence. Just anamazing, mature performance.If Cruise is superb, then Kurt Russell is just as good as a psychologisttrying, like us, to figure out what is going on. He draws you in, just likehe intends to draw in Aames so that he can crack the code. I would say thisis Russell's finest work since "Escape from New York," which, like thisfilm, used science fiction simply to set up the real, non-sf story beingtold.Normally, I don't like "artsy" direction with lots of quick cuts andunanswered questions. I think it works brilliantly here. You get a realfeeling for the disjointed world that Cruise's character inhabits. Fortunately, answers ultimately are supplied in an ending that manages tostartle. I can understand why release of this film was delayed after theWorld Trade Center terrorist attacks.The rest of the cast performs adequately. Tilda Swinton makes an impact inbarely more than a cameo, and Timothy Spall artfully recreates ThomasMitchell's part as Uncle Billy In "It's a Wonderful Life." Given how theplot turns out, drawing such connections is not outlandish - perhaps that iswhere Aames drew inspiration for the character.... (That last comment willmake no sense until you have seen the film.) The focus here really is on the leads, though. They shine under finedirection of a creative script. Because the film is a bit unusual, andturns out to be a science fiction film, which the Academy hates, this filmprobably won't receive many awards. It deserves them. About my comment that Cruise is playing JFK Jr. in a nightmare - notice thehuge picture of Aames' dead father in his apartment and how his father'sinfluence dominates his life. Note the carefree bachelor lifestyle cutshort by a disastrous accident with his beautiful blonde lover. Figure inCruise's clean-cut good looks. Sure, the resemblance is not exact, and thistale is from before JFK Jr.'s untimely passing. But does all that at allremind YOU of any recently deceased celebrity?

Garth Franklin 2012-05-15 12:56:32

A combination of various successful players/styles has resulted in a nice looking art house-look big budget mess.

gordem1 2012-05-15 14:12:44

Esoteric, convoluted drivel

People who see this movie as artistic, creative and "fascinating" must havebeen watching a different flick than I was. It appeared to me to have beenscripted during a bad acid trip and I couldn't even find any redeeming"highs" for momentary enjoyment. If you want to be entertained withouthaving to guess which nightmare flashback you're watching, don't waste yourtime on this piece of trash. I've tried to wade through it twice now and itjust keeps getting worse with each viewing. I think it was a gross misuseof fine talent.

grumpy-3 2012-05-14 16:24:41

cameron crowe! join the ranks of the overratted

so yet another crowe disaster, god,this man, like soderberg and speilberg,is now rightly in the most overrated category of film makers, mediumsizedtalents who are pretentious and self important. Vanilla Sky, is so lameandbadly writtten, worse because it is a remake of a much supperior film madewith ideas and talent and yet he still gets it wrong. Never have i heardsomany cliched lines delivered badly by all concerned. The dream within adream, could have made for great philosophical possibilites, but all wegetare boring cliches, takes on love and how to get it and lose it. Scenesthatgo on and on and on, serving no purpose, rather they are embarrassing,almost all the scenes with Cruz are unwatchable, with trite dialogue, thatthankfully is forgotten as quickly as its said.

2012-05-14 09:14:36

Somewhere between "Fatal Attraction" and "The Matrix" ...

... you'll find this surreal dreamscape of a movie by Cameron Crowe. A bit longish, but fascinating nonetheless, "Vanilla Sky" takes its title from a painting by Monet, which is significant, but not crucial to understanding or enjoying this American remake of Alejandro Amenabar's "Abre Los Ojos." Both my wife and I found this to be a far better movie than "Mulholland Drive," which we watched a few weeks earlier. It's not perfect, and there's at least one glaring plot/structure flaw -- why would Aames choose to make his "splice" when he does, rather than earlier? -- but the film holds your interest and provides some food for thought. Not one of the all-time greats, but well worth watching ... perhaps even more than once.

douglaslevine 2012-05-13 14:49:00

What's the point?

This film is exactly like it's predecessor "Open Your Eyes." I mean, eventhe shots - angle, lighting, etc. - are identical. I don't mind remakes ifthey're presenting a fresh spin on the original (i.e. Eddy Murphy's versionof "The Nutty Professor") but why remake a movie if you're just copying itshot for shot? Why not come up with an original idea instead? This posedaproblem for the "Psycho" remake and it is poses a problem for "VanillaSky."Seriously though, it doesn't matter whether you see "Vanilla Sky" or "OpenYour Eyes" since they are 95% identical. You'll be getting the same bangfor your buck either way. I, however, will watch the former.

Blondie_ 2012-05-13 03:34:14

I liked it more than I thought I would

I had heard nothing but mostly bad reviews from aquaintances of mine who hadalready seen it. That said, I only saw it because I am a huge Crowe fan andwas curious. It wasn't nearly as bad as I had heard. The plot was veryinteresting and the cinematography was beatiful. The only complaint I haveis that it was about a half hour too long. It came to the point where I feltthere was enough kooky stuff going on, let's get to the ending resolve aboutthis. I had heard that the ending was so stupid, but I didn't think so. Igive this film 6/10.

MrOrange214 2012-05-12 14:31:04

Something to make you think

This is probably one of the most underrated films I've ever come acrossand I never know why.It's without doubt one of the best performancestom cruise has ever done in a film, and the supporting cast (CameronDiaz, Jason Lee etc) only add to the emotional impact of this film.The first time I saw it was on TV, and at first, I wasn't thatimpressed. But then, I took the time to watch it and found myselfabsorbed in a brilliant story that you cared about in so many ways.When a film feels as personal as this, when you feel like it belongs tobecause of how you see it, thats when you get great movies.And that's what vanilla sky does, it leaves an impression that doesn'tgo away. And that's why I like it.

Jeffrey Overstreet 2012-05-09 22:19:06

Vanilla Sky is a long, complex, ambitious thriller that doesn't quite work.

mike summers 2012-05-09 15:41:03

Good movie up until the end (SPOILERS)

First off i do not know how this film compares to "abre los ojos" as aremake but i did not find it to be a very satisfying experience. The moviestarted off well and continued to keep my interest up until the final 15minutes where all the suspense and mystery that had been built disappeared.For the people who act like those who didnt appreciate the film just didn'tget it, well that wasnt the case for me.(SPOILERS)The plot is clearly explained and that was actually what i didnt like. Thewhole "tech support" scene was completely unnecessary since the plot wasjust previously explained by the LE woman. I thought of the film as a crossbetween total recall and mulholland drive, both of which i found to be alittle more entertaining.

2012-05-05 19:14:28

Too many twists, couldn't tell what was real in the movie

Tom Cruise is a great actor. This was just a very bad movie. I couldn't tell when he was supposed to be dreaming and when he wasn't. The story just jumped around too much. I definately do not recommend anyone to buy this. Just rent it.

2012-05-05 14:46:28

Vanilla Sky... It's so good, it's almost a lucid dream

What more can I say to describe Cameron Crowes 2001 picture "Vanilla Sky". It is truly the best movie I have seen this year, and possibly the best love story ever made to date. Cameron Crowe, who also directed last years "Almost Famous", which I also loved, directes Vanilla Sky into a climatic shower of the unknown every minute, while the plot unfolds into a mind bubbling unexpected twist of suspense, love, hate, dreams, sex and jealousy. Tom Cruise is at his best here, and gives every emotion forward to make us inhale the wonderful sensual feelings that his character feels and goes through. Cruz and Diaz are a delight, and Kurt Russell, who rarely does a film today is wonderful as the part of McCabe the lawyer. A lot of critism has been made over Vanilla Sky, mostly because people just don't get it. It's hard to explain how you feel after the viewing Vanilla Sky for the first time. You alsot feel confused, but enjoyed and entertained at the same time, wanting you to go back for more to see it again. Upon your second viewing of Vanilla Sky, your questions will be answered and you will see the real beauty and love story that Vanilla Sky portrays. Vanilla Sky is a pure treat and refreshment from the human heart. Great performances, directing and screenplay... Vanilla Sky is a gift that everyone should open and see.2 hours and 12 minutesRated [R] U.S.A. [14A] Canadafor sexuality and strong language

dig 2012-05-03 01:07:26

Rent it,See it

Lighten up people, I read all the comments and was about to forgo rentingit.I found it to be a very deep movie, it kept my interest and i wasentertained from start to finish.At some points it was confusing, but as it went on, it explained thecomplete story line.The people who could not follow it and gave it a bad rating must not havebeen paying much attention.Rent it by all means, But pay close attention to the movie and you will beglad you rented it. I rate it a 10 out of 10 stars. Good Watchingfolks.

Jargy1 2012-05-02 12:38:12

A film you hate to love

I want to state clearly first of all that I am a fan of the darker side offilm. Give me Se7en, Fight Club, A Clockwork Orange, Memento, and VanillaSky and I'll be happy forever.With that said Vanilla Sky is the lightest movie I've ever seen.Stay with me, it'll make sense in the end.Tom Cruise has been fleshing out lately to test the waters of what he canachieve. Some are very good, such as Jerry Maguire, some are very bad,suchas Eyes Wide Shut. Vanilla Sky breaks the mold as he steps far far awayfromanything he's ever done before. Throughout the movie his character, DavidAames, feels differently about HIMSELF (a big change for male charactersinmovies). He goes from feeling his life is great, to how his life isworthless, to being a nutcase, to being a fake since he was born. The wayCrowe directs leads all of these together in a confusing mass, but in agoodway. The film is supposed to toss your brain around as much as David's.I won't go into the story plot, too many people do that. What makes this afilm you would hate to love is that it's getting such horrible reviews. Itmakes you almost ashamed to admit you even saw it. But what Crowe andCruise(and Cruz come to think of it) are giving you in this film is a new era.This movie is not aimed at any specific group. I'd have to say if anyoneit's aimed at teenagers who are sick of teeny bopper films and somegeneration X'ers. I remember watching Castaway and Lord of the Rings andseeing people stand and cheer either at the end or at impressive moments.Inearly applauded this film for it's fantastic direction and momentum.Castaway was too long and Lord of the Rings...well nothing from 2001 or2002will compare to it. But Vanilla Sky is a look at our society andespeciallythe highly sexual male. It picks apart the things we all know and none ofuswant to say. Male's won't want to admit that David is a bad character forhaving one night stands even though we know it's true. Females won't wanttolook like rebellious types for saying he's a jerk when he's doing what alltheir male friends do anyway. It's a sad cycle that equals dismal ticketsales.Do not be turned away though. If you want to see the best non-Lord of theRings film for the next 12 months then go see Vanilla Sky. Do it now. Youwill not regret this if you're like me and hate teeny bopper films and seehorrible holes in the plots of movies like Ali.

Glenn Lovell 2012-04-29 03:59:09

One big mushy mess of a movie.

GitarGod75 2012-04-28 15:17:55

Brilliant and Beautiful

I'm not sure why it took me so long to get around to seeing thisfilm,because I did enjoy Cameron Crowe's previous films, especially AlmostFamous, a film that was created back to back with this one.I expected that this would be a great film, because Cameron has agreatsense of beauty in his portrayal of human emotions, but i had no idea ofthedepth of his ideals of love, emotion, consiquence, etc.This film works on so many levels. It is a psychological thriller,science fiction, drama, etc. Every moment you think you have figured itout, it's compleatly different than what you expected. Plus, this isanother film where cameron's uncanny ability to convey an emotion shinesthrough, with the help of some great acting.Beyond its content depth, it has spectacular visuals. The whole filmhas a David Lynch-like dream quality to it. His immense love of musicalsoshows. His blending of Nancy Wilson's (his wife/ ex heart guitarist)compositions and the intense visuals flow together beautifully.For me, the best thing about the movie is how it draws you in. Youcompleatly forget about your own life because you are so overwhelmed withhis. When it ended, i was amazed at the fact that i was still sitting inmyapartment. Anyway.....wether or not you agree with Cameron's views onlife,love, etc is beside the point. I think it is a man trying to share hisviews and ideals, and leave them for you to think about, he's not tryingtopush anything on you, and i think the film is worth seeing for all thesereasons.