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Vanilla
Sky
Vanilla
Sky is one of those films that made you think, instead of having
some Hollywood producer, or director, doing the thinking for you.
It answers questions with questions, and highlights the impact
of the moments, memories and decisions that we take for granted.
REVIEW
BY SIMON REMARK
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Vanilla Sky
(2001)
This page was created on December 15, 2001
This page was last updated on
May 23, 2005
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Directed
by Cameron Crowe?
Writing credits (WGA) Alejandro Amen?bar? (film Abre Los Ojos) and
Mateo Gil? (film Abre Los Ojos) (as Mateo Gil Rodr?guez) ?
Tom
Cruise .... David Aames
Pen?lope Cruz .... Sofia Serrano
Kurt Russell .... Dr. Curtis McCabe
Cameron Diaz .... Julie Gianni
Jason Lee .... Brian Shelby
Johnny Galecki .... Peter Brown
Jean Carol .... Woman in New York
Jennifer Aspen .... Nina
Mark Bramhall .... Sneezy W.
Directed
by Cameron Crowe
Screenplay by Cameron Crowe
Original film Abre Los Ojos screenplay by Alejandro Amen?bar and
Mateo Gil
Produced
by Tom Cruise (producer), Michael Doven (associate producer), Donald
J. Lee Jr. (co-producer), Scott M. Martin (associate producer),
Jonathan Sanger (executive producer), Paula Wagner (producer)
Original music by Nancy Wilson
Cinematography by John Toll Film
Editing by Joe Hutshing
MPAA
Rating R - for sexuality and strong language
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Vanilla Sky
[SOUNDTRACK]
Various Artists
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LoveHateDreamsLifeWorkPlayFriendshipSex
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STUDIO
SYNOPSIS:
Director Cameron Crowe (JERRY MAGUIRE, ALMOST FAMOUS) teams up with
Tom Cruise once again in an adaptation of Alejandro Amenabar's 1997
Spanish film OPEN YOUR EYES. Cruise plays David Aames, a playboy
publisher leading a seemingly charmed life. His most recent playmate
is his "friend" Julie Gianni (Cameron Diaz), who cares for David
more than he realizes. When David meets the fetching Sofia Serrano
(Pen?lope Cruz) at his birthday party, he awakens to the possibility
of what true love can feel like, leaving Julie distraught. However,
after an accident that changes David's life, he is forced to rethink
his choices. This psychological thriller becomes roller coaster
ride of flashbacks as David tries to make sense of all that has
happened, relaying some surreal experiences to a psychiatrist (Kurt
Russell) after being charged with murder. The film's message may
differ for each viewer, but it does make one bold point: every action
has consequences.
Crowe
gets exceptional performances from Cruise, Cruz, and Diaz and the
alluring pop soundtrack features songs from REM, U2, and Peter Gabriel.
Amazingly, the scene of Cruise running through a completely empty
Times Square was shot on location, a major feat in and of itself.
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 Review
by
SIMON REMARK
simon_remark@hotmail.com
Film Reviewer
Simon
graduated from Trinity Western University where he studied film
under prolific screenwriter Ned Vankevich. He prefers independent
and lower-budget films.
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| After
she saw Vanilla Sky, my sister called me and asked if I'd seen it
yet. I replied that I hadn't but was going within the next couple
days. "Good, I need you to explain it to me," she said. Well, I've
now seen it, but don't know if I can adequately explain it? sorry.
But I have a theory. It'll probably change next time I see the film
though, as Vanilla Sky is one of those mind-bending thrillers, where
you never quite know what's going on. It's surreal in form and content,
similar to Waking Life in the sense
that it seems as though Tom Cruise's character, David Aames, is forever
waking to a new dream. |
 "Just
open your eyes?" David Aames is on his way to work when he notices
something peculiar: the streets of New York are empty. He comes to
a screeching halt in Times Square, gets out of his car and begins
to run.  When
he stops and raises his hands and screams he awakes to beautiful lover
Julie Gianni. Their relationship is casual, superficial like most
things in David's life. He's a young, rich, cocky, suave New Yorker
who inherited a successful publishing company when his father passed
away. He's livin' the dream. |
 Now,
keep in mind, the following are simply theories, my interpretation
of the film's content and imagery. Aames seems to represent the post-modern,
fragmented person. As I mentioned, Aames seems shallow: his life appears
to be devoid of spiritual substance. First, we see how detached he
is with lover Gianni (Cameron Diaz), even though they frequently have
sex with one another-four times the previous night. When he leaves
for work he says goodbye to her the way one would say goodbye to a
buddy, or acquaintance. |
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 His
best friend Brian Shelby (Jason Lee) refers to Gianni as David's f*ck
buddy-here sex is stripped of all sacredness.  Aames
is publishing a book by Shelby on rejection, a topic Shelby claims
Aames knows nothing about. He tells Aames that you have to experience
the bitter to appreciate the sweet. |
 Shelby
shows up at Aames' birthday party with the lovely Sofia Serrano (Penelope
Cruz), and Aames is instantly attracted to her. They flirt for the
remainder of the party: Aames doesn't seem to care that she came with
his best friend, or that Gianni is at the party (although she showed
up uninvited). Aames eventually goes back to Serrano's apartment,
where the two have an enchanting night, there is wonderful chemistry.
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 Aames
and Serrano don't have sex: they talk, they laugh, they simply enjoy
one another. There is an interesting exchange, however, where the
two draw each other. His portrait of her is beautiful, it is real.
But she draws a caricature, perhaps symbolic of the fact that he's
not real, that his life lacks substance. |
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 When
Aames leaves Serrano's apartment the next morning he's glowing, but
his smile is abruptly replaced with an anxious look when Gianni pulls
up as he is about to get into his car. She greets him and he asks
her if she is following him. The mood changes a bit when she gives
him a playful wink and invites him into her car. Once she starts driving,
however, her demeanor switches from playful to intense. She asks him
whatever happened to the promise he made; when he responds, "What
promise?" she pleads, "When you sleep with someone your body makes
a promise whether you do or not." After this exchange her demeanor
switches from intense to suicidal, and after she drives the car off
a bridge Vanilla Sky gets bizarre. |
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| The
exchange between Gianni and Aames highlights the sacredness of sex,
as she points out that when you have sex your body makes a promise
whether you do or not-during sex, two become one flesh. One of my
university professors suggested that when you have sex with someone
you give a part of yourself to that person; and the more people you
have sex with, the more fragmented you become because you are continually
leaving parts of yourself with various people |
 Vanilla
Sky switches back and forth from the supposed here and now to a later
time when Aames is in prison, accused of murder. During these haunting
prison scenes David wears an eerie mask to cover his disfigured face.
He also wears the mask at times during the supposed here and now,
as his face became highly disfigured when Gianni drove her car off
the bridge. This mask may be another symbol suggesting that David
is depthless: his identity is a facade, and behind that fa?ade is
a hideous person-David is just afraid to show others that vulnerable
aspect of himself. |
| The
film is challenging, albeit a tad frustrating, to watch, as you never
really know what's happening: whether it's real, a dream, or an alternate
universe. It has the unpredictability of a John Coltrane piece, as
the plot plays like an existential puzzle that is slowly pieced together
by a highly confused Aames. |
 When
he faces one of his greatest fears towards the end of the film he
has an epiphany: he discovers that life is about moments, decisions
and memories. I really loved this scene. It made me think of how so
often we take small moments and decisions for granted. Instead it
is these moments that we should cherish: our memories of love, hurt,
comfort, security and joy. |
 Vanilla
Sky is one of those films that make you think. While some people may
not enjoy this detour from traditional plots and narrative structures,
others will appreciate the opportunity to think for themselves, instead
of having some Hollywood producer, or director, doing the thinking
for them. It's one of those films that answers questions with questions,
and highlights the impact of the moments, memories and decisions that
we take for granted. |
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VANILLA
SKY IS A GREAT FILM
Subject:
Vanilla Sky
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2002
From: Mac
Hello,
I used to be a native New Yorker, but I got up and am now an Angeleno.
I had been in NY for the holidays for the opening of Vanilla Sky
which I had
been anticipating for several months now, so I couldn't wait to
see it. Of
course, I was not disappointed (and I have gone back to see it several
more
times indeed). Now, it's too bad that about one thing from my experiences
which are that as an original New Yorker myself I was wondering
what the
audience around me would make of it. Up until this experience I
always said
to my L.A. friends (who have yet to visit the big apple) how wonderfully
mind-orientated my fellow nykers were and how, like me, they liked
to be
challenged and driven into unconscious depths of films and that
was a great
part I missed about seeing films in a NY theatre. But it didn't
happen that
way at all. People at various parts of the film were leaving as
if snakes
were entering the building. This happened Every time that I saw
the movie in
this city. I heard hisses and lewd comments as the movie played....
Come on
people, don't you like to exercise your minds a little? Do you like
being
told like a baby what is happening and what will happen next in
this bedtime
tale and la lee lah lee laaa? Every time the theatres emptied out
and the
ones that "stuck it out" were demanding refunds and all
kind of absurdities.
Heck, I am so Happy, I mean more than Happy that I moved to L.A.
and reside
there now! At least they can appreciate a good movie and its themes,
dare to
unlimit their imaginations, and go home still wondering every possible
angle
that it couldhave meant and then some. Einstein said that if you
value
nothing else, if you wish to be armed with nothing else, then have
"Imagination" . This is what motivates the human soul;
not "smarts", not
"cleverness"- IMAGINATION.
So
go back to that car you now drive that was someone's Image in ing
and that house or apartment that was once a figment of someone's
Imagination and that pillow that was Imagined long before any of
us ever dreamt of it and dare to give yourself another try with
Vanilla Sky. A chinese philosopher once wondered if he was a butterfly
dreaming he was human (thus making this current "reality" questionable)
or "really" a human dreaming he was a butterfly (yet that dream
had felt so vividly Real while he slept). Has anyone here Not had
a similar experience? If so, then who has dared to question it,
because when none of us do, no progress can be assured, and we are
all automatons without awareness of the beautiful souls we house.
What is the movie Existenz, Dark City, The Wizard of Oz, and so
many others challenging us to dare to question about ourselves?
All good art challenges us to
OOOOPPPPEEENNN OOOUUURRRR EEEYYYYEEESSSSS!!!
signed Mac .
My email is phoenixdreamus@yahoo.com
SO
MUCH FUN
Subject: Vanilla
Sky
Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002
From: Wes
Has anyone postulated that the whole movie might be simply one of
David Ames dreams? I remember at the beginning hearing, "open your
eyes" and expecting Cameron Diaz's voice, but it didn't seem to
sound like her. (Later on I thought maybe it was Penelope Cruz's
voice). As well, at the end all we see is Cruise's eye open, his
right eye if I remeber correctly. This is important because I thought
the right eye was the one that was disfigured a bit, but it didn't
look disfigured at the end. "Tech Support" said they had the technology
to fix it, but he didn't say that they had fixed it. That would
make me think that Aames was not actually waking up at some later
date after a horrendous accident, but was instead waking up from
his real life back in the present. I would suppose that this guessing
is what the writer's intended and that even they don't know (or
would prefer not telling) what the outcome really is (or even if
there really is o! ne). I think that's what makes the movie so much
fun, and interesting.
PLEASE
Subject: Vanilla
sky
Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002
From: Mary
There
are so many of us that have not gone to movies is such a long time.
I pray they make more wholesome movies, please tell them too. I
went for the first time to see Tom Cruise in Vanilla sky, yes I
walked out, my girls were shocked, I did that Hey they Followed,
Now you can see why there is a market for us out there. I took a
chance and lost. I will never attend a movie that Tom is in again.
He has had a couple real losers I hear.
Good Luck and God Bless,
Mary
THOUGHTS
ON VANILLA SKY
Subject: Vanilla_Sky
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002
From: hensley
wow sex was a little intense for me... but the message was great-
i thought that it was about examining your life. loved the quote
about knowing the bitter makes you appreciate the sweet ..."he who
has been forgiven much- loves much." even a lesson about how you
percieve things doesn't change the way they really are. and that
consequences touch us even in immortality....
WHEW
Subject: Vanilla
Sky
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002
From: "amaze"
saw it two days ago, and stll can't get it out of my head
WHY
NO MENTION OF THE REZ?
Subject: Vanilla
Sky
Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002
From: Walter Skold
Maybe
it's because a movie review shouldn't give away the whole "plot"
(or lack thereof) of a movie, but I'm struck why Mr. Remark did
not mention the major theme that sometime in the future scientific
man will be truly like God, in that he will be able to confer immortality
upon man (rich man).
And
one wonders if this perversion, and perhaps mockery, although it
may be flattery, of the resurrection has anything to do with Cruise's
belief in Scientology. I don't know what they teach about immortality,
but in this movie, we see the distinctly religious quest for eternal
life in a scientific resurrection that keeps man on the throne and
is divorced from the claims of Christ the King.
If
Mr. Remark is right, in that under the mask is shown the "real"
Mr. Aames, a handicapped sinner, then this movie provides no cross.
no redemption.
Good
music though, but we wonder what the message is. Perhaps that's
part of postmodern heresy: there doesn't need to be a message, nor
meaning, in life.
Walter Skold
Response:
I don't think Cruise's Scientology (if he even prescribes to this
ideology) had anything to do with this film. It was actually a Spanish
film first, called Open Your Eyes, which also starred Penelope
Cruz.
I
think that many Christians are perhaps a little too rigid in their
beliefs and their views of God, and that is why so many Christians
have a problem with ambiguity. Let's face it, there really is no
such thing as certainty until death. And perhaps this film reflects
this lack of certainty in life: but remember, cherish the beautiful
moments, and remember that all of our decisions do impact our lives.
Each beautiful moment reflects God, and our decisions impact our
relationship with God. -Simon Remark
WHAT
WAS THAT!!?!
Subject: Vanilla_Sky
Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002
From: Angel
the movie made noo sense and hollywood jesus just restated what
i knew... i wish there was some clarity as to what is real and what
isn't real. i think the only way we'll know is to find one of the
writers!!
Response:
Angel, I saw an interview with tom cruise the other day that reiterated
my thoughts in the review. Vanilla sky is about a young man so submersed
in pop culture that he is unable to connect with people (the opening
scene wonderfully suggests this). cruise also said that the character
never takes responsibility, and doesn't realize the ramifications
of his decisions until the incident with gianni--thus cruise is
saying that one of the main themes is taking responsibility. Cruise
also said that vanilla sky is about the small moments and decisions
that we deem insignificant that actually have a huge impact. Maybe
you all are looking for something that isn't there: maybe the film
is simpler. -Simon Remark
THE
ENDING OF VANILLA SKY
Subject: Vanilla
Sky
Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2002
From: Chris Utley
i totally understood it. many people don't. the whole film was a
cross between Twilight Zone and It's A Wonderful Life. that may
be too much for people to bear and stomach. it would have been nice
to see how David Aames lived his life after his eyes were opened.
Chris Utley
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