Mysterious, fascinating study of identity and its meaning

Rating: 9/10 (2 June 2003)

It's a shame this movie was released at the time that it was. If it had been at any time other than just on the heels of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's highly public split, there might not have been such a huge holocaust against two of the three main stars of the movie.
Essentially, this is a dream-like version of The Matrix. The same themes - that of reality and its fragility, identity and the power of perception - are covered, but they are given far more than the superficial treatment that The Wachowski Brothers gave them in The Matrix.
Tom Cruise plays David Aames, a person whose life seems to have spiraled downhill since a car accident involving his lover, Julie (given a bit of an edge by Cameron Diaz). It's difficult to sum up the plot of the movie, and what I've just said sounds overly simplistic, but watching the movie yourself will give you a chance to really follow things.
As the movie descends into a more and more dream-like state, it becomes increasingly apparent that David's world - which is actually a sort of induced dream in itself - has been affected by his own perceptions, subconscious fears and feelings.
While the plot is occasionally difficult to follow, Cameron Crowe has delivered a highly original movie that stresses the control of our own subconscious over how we take in the world. The dream sequences are particularly interesting to watch, and the movie definitely requires a second viewing to take everything in.
Try it. I think you might like it, presuming you don't dislike Tom Cruise.
Grade: B+