My personal favorite movie!

Rating: 10/10 (13 May 2009)

Above all else in a film, I look for emotional connectivity, and substance. There needs to be depth there. Vanilla Sky delivers like no other movie I've seen yet. It may not seem so for the first view of the film. I admit it is somewhat of a tangled bit of processes, if you will. However, it's also one of those movies - and really more than any other movie I know of - that you can watch again and again and only enjoy it more each time.
I still am uncertain about the true nature the film's story, though, even after watching it many times. Personally I view this as a good thing. I have little doubt that it was made so that this was the case. Is the whole film a dream that David is having during a coma? Or only the portion between the car wreck and the final image of the opened eye? Is it exactly what the film says it is? The viewer is in as much confusion as to the difference between dreams and reality as David is. The scene directly after the crash, amongst the trees is superb. The emotional twinge when David realizes it's a dream can be felt by anyone, since we all know what it's like to dream such a pleasant dream but to awaken to less.
The culminating elevator and roof top sequence wraps everything up wonderfully. A lot of people may be disappointed that the mysteries of the film are somewhat revealed here, but I think it is very well done in that it doesn't reveal too much, certainly not the details; instead, it reveals the core ratios that have played into the whole. Then it all concludes in that beautiful line: "I want to live a real life. I don't want to dream any longer." I'm not a huge Tom Cruise fan, but I definitely consider this his best work. His usual overbearing idioms are offset by the horrible disfigurement he bears through half the movie, to add even more dimension to a great performance. Kurt Russel is also superb as Dr. McCabe. I would love to see him in another like role. Finally, the soundtrack is without a doubt the best from any movie. If anything Vanilla Sky is worth watching only to feel the way the music saturates the emotional landscape.
In conclusion, if you're willing to be confused, willing to accept unanswered questions, and enjoy an emotionally vivid film, Vanilla Sky is a delight. It's not a lighthearted view, you must be thoughtful and ready to let the movie take you where it will. Like any good art, it's a different experience for each different viewer.