Rating- * * * * * (5/5)
This film seems to fall outside of the realm of classification; it defies all logic for 90% of the film and then returns to logic, only to find that the logical explanation is more fantastic than the falsity. If you are confused now, wait until you see the movie. This is one of the best examples of a new genre of film making its way that forces the viewer to think rather than watch in order to keep up with what’s going on. I won’t attempt a plot summary since anything I would tell you would either be misleading or give the plot away. Instead, I will say that this film constantly tears you back and forth between reality and dreams, so much so that you never know until the end of the film what exactly is real and what is a dream. The film is a remake of a Spanish film called Open Your Eyes that starred Penelope Cruz in the same role she reprises in this version. Tom Cruise stars as a savvy businessman who gets whatever he wants, including a sleeping buddy played rather brilliantly by Cameron Diaz. The director, Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous), uses a visual style and non-linear plot sequence that adds to the dream-like quality of the film and the entire experience gives us the sense of confusion and disorientation that the character feels as well. Even the soundtrack is a little trippy, particularly the Oscar-nominated theme by Paul McCartney. This is the kind of movie that you will not understand right away, but you’re not supposed to. Just like the other films in the recent wave of psychological puzzle-thrillers, the fun of the film is in the revelation of the truth after all the confusion. This is without a doubt one of my favorite films of the year and it gets better every time I see it. If you like movies that make you think and you’re in the mood for something different, try Vanilla Sky and you will not be disappointed.