Reel Critics

Allen MacDonald

No one will ever accuse “Vanilla Sky” of being a boring film. It grips

you by the throat then takes you on a mind bending cinematic ride.

This was an audacious choice of material for director Cameron Crowe

and star Tom Cruise. They must have awoken one morning and decided, “Hey,

let’s reinvent ourselves today!” “Vanilla Sky” provides them ample

opportunity as they flex their creative muscles while simultaneously

defying audience expectation. This is, after all, the last thing you’d

expect the guys behind “Jerry Maguire” to cook up.

“Vanilla Sky” is an often disturbing exploration of pop culture,

sexual consequences and the “sweet and sour” nature of love. Crowe

successfully fuses his gift for dimensional character development with

the thriller genre, while Cruise strips himself of his most commercial

feature -- his face.

Cruise plays David Aames, a rich, magazine tycoon/playboy who has

inherited everything but earned nothing. He’s spoiled, but not petulant.

Since failure is an unknown entity, he’s never needed to develop a nasty

streak. If David wants something, the world defers.

David frequently engages in casual sex with Julie Gianni (Cameron

Diaz), an unstable beauty. David’s chronically insecure, self-deprecating

best friend (Jason Lee) warns that David will one day be struck by true

love.

And indeed, it happens the very next evening when David meets the

beautiful Sophia (Penelope Cruz), a guileless, plucky dancer. Sophia is

wise to David’s charm and keeps him at bay just long enough for him to

fall in love.

David’s world quickly unravels into a horrific nightmare. The line

between dream and reality shifts, moves, then disappears altogether. To

tell more would ruin the surprise. Suffice it to say this film goes

places you would not or could not ever anticipate.

At this point “Vanilla Sky” stumbles, bombarding the viewer with

increasingly absurd situations that ride a fine line between harrowing

and laughable. It slips toward the latter a few times. Crowe purposely

disorients you until you are completely lost and scrambling for a clue.

Two things helped me weather the frustration: First, even a midst the

confusion, I remained emotionally invested in the characters. In fact,

“Vanilla Sky” boils over with carbonated emotion, shaking up David until

the pressure is unbearable and he bursts. Second, my faith in Crowe.

Crowe’s too good of a writer to leave his viewer stranded (If you’re

attracted to incoherence, go see “Mulholland Drive” instead). He

skillfully dispatches you into a dark, dangerous forest with only an

unraveling roll of thread to lead you back to safety.

“Vanilla Sky” is loosely based on the Spanish thriller “Abre Los

Ojos,” which also featured Cruz in the same role. To his credit, Crowe

has reinterpreted the material and deftly made it his own. The hypnotic

imagery displays his continued growth as a visual filmmaker. As a former

rock journalist, Crowe also finds the perfect songs to weave inside the

tonal fabric of his narrative. Crowe’s music choices aren’t throwaway

tunes geared toward a soundtrack. Instead, they aid the storytelling,

becoming as crucial as dialogue.

Not everyone will like “Vanilla Sky,” but give it a chance and you may

just fall under its spell.

* ALLEN MacDONALD, 28, is currently working toward his master’s degree

in screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles.