Good, uneven movie, solid actors, cool ending

Rating: 7/10 (17 August 2006)

I've always liked Cameron Crowe's movies - Jerry Maguire being my personal favorite - but I'd not seen Vanilla Sky until this week. When it came out, the previews were less than inspiring, so I avoided it - I didn't want to see CC blow it. Later a friend with Good Taste told me it was pretty good, but I just forgot about it.
I'd like to compare it to another movie I've seen recently to point out some of the things that VS does right where this other, allegedly classic film completely floundered, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I will say that while Tom Cat Cruise wasn't his usual flamboyant self in this one, I like him as an actor - even if he is an ass in life. I'll also say that the film is intriguing at the beginning and lulls toward what seems to be the conclusion. Then, just as I began to give up on it, the movie found its feet for a interesting twist in the final minutes.
There's a line very near the ending in which Cruise's character is told that he was careless with someone and it resonates - that's exactly the linchpin of the entire movie, distilled into a single sentence.
As in movies, so it is in life, sometimes. A moment's carelessness can destroy one's entire life, yet it's impossible to be perfect, isn't it?