Not as bad as everyone says, but not great either...

Rating: Null/10 (7 June 2002)

Vanilla Sky will always be a frustrating movie. Not because of any ideas it suggests or observations it makes, but because it could have been a GREAT FILM instead of just an OKAY FILM.
For about an hour, this movie is fantastic. Beautifully, inventively shot with a gorgeous New York of classic brownstones and enormous, empty spaces, it is a true visual feast. Contrary to what you may have heard, the Cruiser is very good; whatever anyone says, he is a great actor. Cameron Diaz is good, too, although I've never really liked her that much. Penelope Cruz is her usual sweet self.
Jason Lee, however, is magnificent. He really is one of the finest actors in Hollywood, and his attitude towards beards is commendable. His small role in Vanilla Sky is electric, and he is never overshadowed by the Cruiser.

So, for about an hour, this is a superb film. It is creepy, shocking, sexy, funny and utterly compelling. Then Cameron Crowe throws it all down the pan for the sake of a bad twist-in-the-tail. What a shame.
Noah Taylor, who is great in Almost Famous, is very annoying. His calm, drab monotone and white suit were so irritating, I wanted to throw my coffee at the screen. Shut up! Plus, the Cruiser decides to forget how to act for the last 20 minutes of the movie, right after he screams "Tech Support!" in the lobby of L.E. Some of the scriptwriting during the end scene is terrible, too, particularly coming from Kurt Russell. Shame on you Cameron, you can do so much better.
Great beginning, terrible ending. A huge disappointment, because it could have been much, much better. The soundtrack, unlike the movie, is uniformly excellent (Beach Boys, Red House Painters, Jeff Buckley).
And, if you think about it, the final scene was a bit tasteless; something about a body falling from a tall building in New York...