Like Alejandro Amenábar before him, Cameron Crowe can't really balance the romance/drama and mystery/thriller elements too well...

Rating: 7/10 (8 May 2005)

Vanilla Sky
David Aames (Tom Cruise) is a young and wealthy womaniser, who has a slightly jealous best friend, Brian (Jason Lee). At David's birthday party, he meets Brian's date, Sofia (Penélope Cruz), and instantly warms to her, and they end up spending the night together, but only enjoying each other's company. When Julie (Cameron Diaz), one of David's latest conquests who has been developing an unhealthy obsession with him, crashes her car with him in the passenger's seat, it leaves David horribly disfigured. Feeling his life is essentially over, David becomes withdrawn and angry, but his relationship with Sofia helps him to see the world in a new light. He cheers up even more when he learns of the possibility that doctors may be able to reconstruct his facial features, but everything changes when a face from the past comes back to haunt him.
It's great that Channel Four broadcast the 1997 Spanish original 'Open Your Eyes' the night before this Hollywood remake, 'Vanilla Sky' (which is also good, but suffers from the same problems), was broadcast. Problems, you say? Well, writer/director Cameron Crowe has made a very interesting, involving film, but like Alejandro Amenábar before him, he can't really balance the romance/drama and mystery/thriller elements too well. 'Sky' feels kind of uneven, even though the plot is fresh and surprising. However, the performances are good, and I can see why Cameron Crowe decided to rehire Penélope Cruz for the remake, as she really is a radiant presence. Just a note, though: this film is more of a romance, while 'Open Your Eyes' is more of a thriller, so I guess your preference depends on which genre you like more, I suppose. I don't have a favourite out of the two, so I think they are both good...just not great.
~ 7/10 ~