A trip for the mind, Crowe pulls of this surreal film

Rating: 8/10 (20 December 2001)

Vanilla Sky is a haunting and beautiful masterpiece from Cameron Crowe. This film was an interesting move for Cruise and Crowe, especially Crowe whose films include Almost Famous and Jerry Maguire. For a movie called Vanilla Sky (which describes how Monet painted his skies) I was expecting a more surreal experience. The dream sequences didn't blend well and can leave the audience scratching their heads. With its large budget they could have taken more use of computer effects to give a truly dreamlike feel. Instead it can feel more like just another murder mystery then the intended journey of the mind. The ending, one of the most hyped parts of the film isn't a new concept and has been used in multiple earlier movies. This doesn't mean I disliked the ending, quite the contrary; it fit the film well and added a whole new dimension to the film. Crowe's look at how pop culture affects our lives and the way it affects our personal views of happiness was masterfully done, especially in the intro of Tom Cruise running through a deserted Time Square. It is impossible to review Vanilla Sky without mentioning the amazing assortment of music laced throughout the film. Each song fits perfectly with each scene whether its Radiohead's Everything in its Right Place or Peter Gabriel's Salisbury Hill. Crowe did an excellent job of choosing a collage of different music, which sets the changing moods of each scene. Was this film as mind blowing as the advertisements say it will be? Not quite. It is hard to advertise this type of film properly. The commercials gave away key parts of the film, which were less effective after seeing them on television a dozen times. Plus the viewer may just ignore the film altogether and not enjoy the ride just waiting for the ending. It is hard for a movie to live up to the hype of (what I believe) is the best movie trailer ever. Not every scene was effective, but Vanilla Sky's concept and attempts to take you somewhere new make it a personal classic. Grade: A-