Nerely great

Rating: 7/10 (14 August 2006)

The first and most obvious thing about this film is how perfectly everyone was cast, their on screen characters reflected the actors' real personalities. Tom Cruise plays an eccentric guy who is so full of himself that even those closest to him don't really matter. He's a very wealthy publisher with everything: youth, looks, cars, women, et al. His best friend is played by Jason Lee, a sarcastic and forgiving guy always ready to party. He also works for Cruise as a writer. Cameron Diaz plays another friend of Cruise who also happens to be his booty call. She's a skanky, obsessive beauty with not much going on in her head except for dreams of being with Tom forever. The story begins with Tom Cruise in a jail talking to a psychologist, portrayed by Kurt Russell, about the murder that took place. Kurt is a warm, but firm man who could care, or could care less (if that makes any sense). Cruise begins his story at his birthday party where Jason brings a random girl he just met, who happens to be played by Penélope Cruz. She is a quiet, cute and exotic woman who captivates the attention of Tom, much to the chagrin of Cameron. Tom ends up spending a sleepless night with Cruz drawing caricatures of each other, and talking about random stuff, and invariably fall in love. When he leaves the next morning, he is in a massive automobile accident that crushes his arm and face. I've left out a little there because I don't want to spoil the plot. Cruise wakes from a coma weeks later with a disfigured face, and the surgeons really can't do much about his looks, and he has terrible headaches. He falls into a depression, and is struck with the feeling that he's unwanted by his friends, his company, and even Penélope. Tom finally learns they can repair his face, and things turn his way again. Cruz is finally his, and they live happily until things start happening that Tom's mind cannot reconcile.
The movie is directed by the incredulous Cameron Crowe with the beauty and grace you would expect from him. Vanilla Sky easily slides in and out of beautiful scenes you'd expect from Monet if he did film, and harsh scenes of emotional intensity. The story is well written as well, and very much like Mark Twain's The Mysterious Stranger. There are better movies of this type, but this one does have its own feel to it (thanks to Crowe) that sets it apart as something special. It really is a great film about love, loss, and friendship.