All hail 'Citizen Dildo'!

Rating: Null/10 (15 November 2002)

For those who thought that "Eyes Wide Shut" was Tom Cruise's most compelling film, take a look at this surrealistic 2001 fantasy/allegory directed by Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire). In one of his most introspective roles, Cruise plays David Aames, a wealthy, handsome head of a publishing company. Cameron Diaz plays Julie, David's friend and frequent sex partner whose mental instability and psychotic fixation on him (literally) drives them over the edge. Penelope Cruz is Sofia, a luminous dancer who captures the heart of David and fuels his true masculine passions. These three characters form a mental/emotional menage-a-trois which leads David into a harrowing sequence of events, which he relates to Dr. Curtis McCabe (Kurt Russell). From the moment their eyes meet, the audience can sense the chemistry between Cruise and Cruz, but the MANY instances of deja vu in the movie will keep you guessing until the gripping end. The fantasy episodes are a marvel to watch, which transports the film from its realism and turns it into perceptive imagery. With surrealistic set-pieces (the deserted New York streets in the beginning) and artistic cinematography by John Toll, Vanilla Sky is a wondrous venture into the complexity of one man's personality, mind and soul. Why Cruise was overlooked for a Best Actor Oscar nomination, and Cruz and Diaz for Supporting Actresses, is one of those unexplainable omissions only the AMPAS can answer. All in all, a provocative and disturbing movie experience. *****