It's not all explained

Rating: 9/10 (7 June 2008)

Many will criticize this film for being too bizarre, too pretentious, too confusing. On the other end of the spectrum there will be those that will criticize it for showing us it's hand far too clearly and tying things up too neatly and conveniently. I just want to chime in and respond to all those who are disappointed by the ending - believing it's a let down because it apparently holds your hand through a complete explanation of what preceded and dispels all the intrigue and enigma that has been building. If you watch the film again more carefully - with extra attention to the first scene and the first lines of dialog we hear, you're perspective will probably change. Sprinkled throughout are subtle clues that the ending is not necessarily telling us the truth.
I think Cameron Crowe has done something quite clever with Vanilla Sky - he has given us a enigmatic dreamscape of a film capped by what is apparently an easy and direct explanation. This will (in theory) quiet at least some of the dissatisfaction of a mainstream audience desiring closure and answers and a "happy ending" or sorts. But if you look deeper you will find that the ending, rather than being an explanation, only complicates the mystery.
I must admit I avoided seeing this movie for years simply out of dislike for Tom Cruise - I shouldn't have. He perfectly embodies the essence of this character. Cameron Diaz, and especially Penelope Cruz are also perfect in their roles. Penelope Cruz also stared in the original Spanish version of this film - Abre los Ojos (Open Your Eyes). I recommend watching the original if you like Vanilla Sky - it is definitely a strong film in it's own right - but I can honestly say I much prefer Cameron Crowe's version. As critic Richard Roeper put it: if Abre los Ojos is the acoustic version, Vanilla Sky is the symphony. Every scene seems to be packed with more detail and multiple layers of meaning, and the characters are painted with so much more shading and nuance. This was one story that benefited from the Hollywood treatment - the cinematography is fittingly sweeping and epic and the soundtrack is characteristically Cameron Crowe - that is to say perfect - right down to the opening scenes backed by Radiohead's "Everything in It's Right Place", which sets the tone perfectly. That ambiguity and interpretability I described is barley present in Abre los Ojos, if at all. In the end I don't really find myself left questioning if everything is as it appears to be.
Vanilla Sky is a movie that has grown on me over time and with repeated viewings, but even after the first time I saw it I immediately had that dizzying feeling of mixed emotions, and a palpable inability to get it out of my head that only happens when you've just witnessed something approaching a masterpiece.