One of my favorite, if not favorite movie of all time.

Rating: 10/10 (24 December 2008)

Amongst all of the other comments, I'm sure mine will get lost, but this movie is so great on so many levels, I felt I needed to underline/restate some important ideas regarding this film.
First, being why it wasn't widely accepted as a truly remarkable film. I think this is for a few reasons which would be: it's a remake of a Spanish film, it has Tom Cruise as the star, and the entire plot is based around sci-fi fantasy. These points are all ridiculous reasons to ignore the greatness of this film. Number one, show me a film that doesn't have some relation to some other film or book created before it. Number two, while Cruise is a weirdo, that doesn't mean he can't make good films and this is probably his best. And three, sci-fi plays with your imagination. Some people I guess like their movies all based in today's reality, which is sad. BAsically, some people don't like to think about what-ifs, only the what is. So with these notions out of the way, why is the movie so wonderful, and honestly a classic film?
I can't say it better than everyone else has already said it, but I'll try. The philosophical ideas brought up throughout the film, the unique plot twists and turns, and climactic ending which only ties all the loose ends together as the film ends wastes no time throughout the movie; it is only after the entire story is told, the movie ends. Now that's drama. That's story telling. With careful listening and observation, you can you detect hints throughout the movie. The whole story unfolds before your eyes as a viewer, though it's up to you how you interpret what's going on, based on what you know and don't know. This is the whole idea the movie is built around (We create our own realities), and it is played out in how the movie is filmed,directed, and told. The cinematography, the soundtrack, the acting, the plot, everything comes together to create one hell of an engrossing ride.
In closing, if you leave after a first viewing not understanding what happened or things didn't quite make sense, please do yourself the favor of seeing it again. If a person can't appreciate this movie, I honestly don't know what else you could be looking for in a film.
P.S. Some other poster said if you love Vanilla Sky, you'll probably love Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. How right he is!!! That's probably my second favorite movie behind Vanilla Sky!!