Extraordinary movie

Rating: 9/10 (11 November 2007)

Vanilla Sky shows that a remake of a European movie doesn't automatically suck. This is largely because Vanilla Sky is pretty much a scene-by-scene copy of the original Spanish Abre los Ojos. The unique thing is, they do a much better job than the Spanish creators. Abre los Ojos get's credit for their cool idea and for a good movie, but Vanilla Sky takes that material and creates more than a brain-twister; it's simply an amazing movie.
While the original had good actors, Vanilla Sky has better ones. Maybe it's because it's in English, but I think it's more than that. Tom Cruise plays the role of his lifetime, very believable and also likable as David Aames, the man with everything he could ever wish for. If you think Cruise is just a pretty face, just wait and see and the movie will prove you wrong. Penelop Cruz, returning from Abre los Ojos to repeat her role as Sofia, is cute as a button but in no way superficial. Cameron Diaz is simply scary and shows she handles a dramatic role excellently. The rest of the cast is also very good, down to little details.
Direction is nice, with occasional quick cuts but mostly just solid and still interesting. New York always looks good on film and Vanilla Sky is no exception. There is a spectacular scene in the start of the movie that perfectly sets the mood for the movie.
The biggest difference between Abre los Ojos and Vanilla Sky is the soundtrack. While Abre los Ojos had an alright soundtrack, Vanilla Sky's one is simply amazing, well worth buying actually. Every scene has a fresh, interesting and suiting choice of music, many songs so out- there for the scene but still very effective. "Good Vibrations" is a good example of a song that really shouldn't work, but does.
If you're looking for a mystery with some surreal overtones and a very satisfying ending(yes, it all makes sense in the end!), look no further.