An ethereal classic of emotion and visual splendour

Rating: 10/10 (11 January 2016)

Cameron Crowe's Vanilla Sky leads you on an incredibly picturesque journey into the life of a wealthy publishing heir, played with impressive emotional heft by Tom Cruise. He once had an idyllic life that gave way to some tragic events, and is now in a way station of existential despair, lamenting his sad tale to a sympathetic psychiatrist (Kurt Russell) and daydreaming of his gleaming past. Crowe's films always have an impossibly bright, strikingly beautiful sheen in their composition, displayed here by a distinct urge to forge the melodrama, and melancholy not with dark, muted tones like some craftsmen might, but to keep a vibrantly lit, dreamy aesthetic that never lets go of beauty, even in dark places. Cruise is forced to contend with a jilted, unstable lover (Cameron Diaz) whilst pursuing his angelic dream girl (Penelope Cruz) into realms of thought, feeling and action that ripple through his life like scintillating reflections in a sunlit meadow pond. I'm purposefully being vague and poetic as not to disturb the veil hanging over plot and resolution, for the surprises which lay in wait for you are a riveting rop-a-dope and should be explored with a blank canvas of expectation and complete lack of any previous knowledge about the story. The supporting cast sees very memorable work from Timothy Spall, Jason Lee, Alicia Witt, Tilda Swinton, Michael Shannon, Ivana Milicivec, Johnny Galecki, W. Earl Brown, Tommy Lee and Noah Taylor. Cruise is compelling, finding the confused soul in his creation, Diaz scares wonderfully as the unpredictable live wire, but Cruz steals the show with her usual sweet disposition. This film is based on a Spanish one called "Abre Los Ojos" which also starred Cruz in the same role she plays here. This, however, is the superior version, for me a masterpiece and a personal favourite. Crowe makes poetry of light and colour, painting visual splendour that flows flawlessly in tandem with the achingly beautiful soundtrack, another aspect of film he always excels in. And as for the deep well of secrets that is the story? I'll tell you in another life, when we are both cats.