Best Film of the Year

Rating: 9/10 (16 December 2001)

After seeing Vanilla Sky on opening night i left the theatre with a feeling in my got that basically was telling i saw a movie that was different, compelling, thought-provoking, and wondefully crafted. I haven't had this feeling since American Beauty. I've seen some good films since then don't get me wrong but I need to tell you that a film strikes a core with you when you know that it's one step closer to taking cinema to the next level. American Beauty did that in my opinion and now Vanilla Sky is setting a new trend in this evolution of film.
The plot is too difficult to describe because i'm afraid i may give too many things away. One must go into this film without knowing any of the plot-twist. Just know that i agree with someone else that posted a comment who said the film is broken up into 3 sections: Tom Cruise as the ultimate playboy with everything going for him, His downfall, and finally the reality vs. dreams aspect of the film. All these elements are very important to the film because they shape the picture once it reaches its conclusion. During these sections several different themes are araised. During the first section the concept of What is casual sex? is addressed. Cameron Diaz delivers one of the best lines in the film that sums up this concept: "When you sleep with someone your body makes a promise even if don't". During the second section we get the whole vanity issue. After his accident with Diaz he is horribly disfigured. One has determine if he choses not to show his face for awhile because he feels Sofia(Penelope Cruz) won't like him or if he's simply vain. The final section is by far the most interesting and that is what is reality? Is it one big dream? Is it one big nightmare? Questions like these are addressed during the duration of Vanilla Sky and i for one love a film that can make me think about its many themes.
Critics who have bashed this film all said it was too confusing. Sorry to say it but they really need to "Open Their Eyes" and see the big picture. Maybe some of these critics aren't open-minded enough to reach into their psyche and try focus on the questions that this film is giving them.
As a filmmaker i think this is Cameron Crowe's best film because it's his most ambitious. I agree with others that his other films like "Jerry Maguire" and "Almost Famous" are good because there is a piece of himself that is detectable in the film. However with Vanilla Sky he is going beyond his limits as a filmmaker to craft a truly magnificent film and if you think about it all the characters in the film you can kinda identify with so there is most likely a piece of him in all of these characters.
Vanilla Sky wouldn't work half as well without the capable actors that are present in this film. Tom Cruise is quite good here because he has to play 3 different "characters" throughout the film: the playboy, the recluse when he's disfigured in the accident, and a man struggling with determining what is real and what isn't. This could possibly be one of his best performances and probably his most ambitious work as an actor.
Penelope Cruz is actually decent as Sofia(pointing out that i haven't seen the spanish language version of the film which she is also in). I've never really been a fan of hers. Her films don't really leave a lasting impression on me, with the exception of "Blow", which i found her to be annoying in actually. However here she's quite adorable with a bitting sense of humor. Her and Tom share an unforced chemistry and it makes it quite clear why they're now a pair in real life.
Kurt Russell is good in the film as well. His scenes are all shared with Tom Cruise so it's very important that they share some kind of chemistry to make their scenes work and in the end they do. Jason Lee is quite funny as Tom's best friend in the film and he brings with him a charm that is present in all of his roles.
FINALLY!!!!! we have Cameron Diaz who gives her bestformance to date in a small yet pivotal role in the film. She has to convey anger, sympathy, and all around weirdness all at one time during certain scenes and she just carries herself so well. The scene with her and Tom in the car is both intense and bizzare.(*SPOILER*) There is also two key moments where in the second half of the film, she has to mimic penelope cruz and she does an amazing job. I was quite impressed shows that she deserves that $20 million dollar paycheck she's getting for Charlie's Angels 2.
I'm going to wrap up my review bt i swear i can't stop talking abut this film. It's just such a beautifully crafted film and i'm so glad that a film like this is out right now. The ads for this film are quite misleading and think people that see it will be pleasantly surprised or quite disappointed because they were expecting something a little more simple. This could be one of those misunderstood films like A.I. However, i sure hope this doesn't get lost in the shuffle.
10/10
*Note: There is a really interesting scene in the beginning where Tom Cruise is running through Time Square in New York that was quite interesting to watch. What a site to see no one walking through Time Square. Quite eerie.