Disappointing film with brilliant moments

Rating: Null/10 (17 January 2002)

I was intrigued -- how was Cameron Crowe going to top "Almost Famous"? How did all those weird scenes in the trailer tie together? Was this the film that would convince me that Tom Cruise has more talent than I give him credit for? Well, for me "Vanilla Sky" was a real mixed bag. Seldom have I had so many loved-it-or-hated-it moments in one film. On the "loved" side was the existential, reality-spinning plot, the usual great Crowe soundtrack of on-target pop/rock songs, and some great performances, particularly by Jason Lee, Cameron Diaz and Kurt Russell (of all people). But that plot gets wrapped up with a tedious pulp-sci-fi explanation at the end that almost sours the preceding two hours. Still, there are so many good moments. In particular I loved the very brief (and barely noticeable) clips from two "Twilight Zone" episodes playing on a Times Square video display at the beginning of the movie. One is from "Shadow Play", where Dennis Weaver relives the same nightmare again and again. The other is "It's a Good Life," where Billy Mumy creates a bizarre reality for the citizens of his small town. Both, of course, presage major themes to come in "Vanilla Sky".