drama + romance + thriller + sci-fi = bollocks.

Rating: Null/10 (21 October 2002)

Warning: Minor Spoilers Ahoy!
As an avid admirer of Cameron Crowe, I contemplated seeing this one at the cinema. But given the less than flattering reviews and word of mouth it received, I decided to wait a while, and I've only recently watched a preview tape I obtained from a friend. I'm glad I didn't have to pay for it. Where do I start? Has anyone seen a Tom Cruise film - apart from Interview with a Vampire, Magnolia and maybe Born on the 4th - where he didn't portray a cocky upstart who eventually gets his comeuppance and is forced to see the error of his ways? Has anyone seen a Tom Cruise film where he wasn't somewhat overshadowed by a member of the supporting cast? Go on, pick a film, any film. In this case, the performance honours go to Cameron Diaz (psycho hose beast from hell) Jason Lee (the cynical writer) and Timothy Spall (the boozy lawyer). IMHO, despite the real life romance, there is no palpable chemistry between Cruise and Cruz (who has yet to convince me of her potential in any American film she's done thus far).

As for the film, it's a melting pot of drama, romance, thriller and mystical sci-fi. It starts off promisingly enough, but at about the hour mark, it becomes mired in its own shortcomings. Essentially, the narrative is a bit like an unholy collision between Jerry Maguire, Gattaca and Total Recall. Three quality films in their own right, but when you an attempt to throw all three into the narrative arc, well, you're most probably doomed to fail. It could have worked with some more judicious editing -ie cut at least 30m from it- and a better script. But unfortunately, the film is overblown, overlong, and self- indulgent. And don't worry, I know narcisissm/self-absorbtion is one of the film's key themes, but I don't think Crowe intended for the sheer pretentiousness and implausability of Vanilla Sky to overshadow his obvious talents. But when you feel the need to explain the whole film (as they do in the awkward final scences) rather than let the audience figure it out for themselves, well that's just a short-cut to thinking. By the conclusion, I didn't care what was going to happen, I just wanted it to end. Cameron Crowe: this is your dud. I'm hoping that Vanilla Sky is just one small blip on an otherwise stellar career. As for Mr Cruise: that cock-eyed smile and so-called "magnetism" of yours is starting to wear very thin. Thought provoking, only in the provoking the thought that I'd wasted two and a half hours of my life on this.
Some of the cinematography is mesmerising, the music is generally top shelf, but that (and the aforementioned support cast)are about the limits of Vanilla Sky's virtues, IMHO.
Best line: "She was a proximity infatuation" (Jason Lee). Worst: Cruise's reply when Cruz asks, "What do you want to listen to, Jeff Buckley or Maria Callas? - "Jeff Buckley and Maria Callas ... (dramatic pause whilst Tom fixes Penelope with one of his trademark, wistful, charming stares) ... simultaneously!"
Vanilla Sky? Should have just been called Navel Gazing.
** out of *****.