A dull contrivance

Rating: 4/10 (17 December 2001)

Vanilla Sky is the story of a fantastically privileged ad exec (Tom
Cruise) who finds his life slipping off the tracks while romancing
two women (Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz). I liked the way the
film's trailers made you think the movie was going to work out
quite differently than it does. The only problem is that the film
works out in the most preposterous way imaginable.
Tom Cruise is allowed to over-act in scene after scene (or maybe
it's just that he's not a very good actor). Penelope Cruz tries to be
cute, but ends up a disappointment (unless, of course, you have a
crush on the actress). However, Cameron Diaz comes up with
another nice performance, and at least you have to give her credit
for booking onto unusual projects.
SPOILER ALERT!!!
There's no question that director Cameron Crowe worked out his
imagery with great care, and that most of our clues to the mystery
of the ad exec's life hinges on those clues. But the film starts off
with one set of rules (Cruise versus the board of his company) and
ends up with another which is quite unexpected (Cruise having
lucid dreams during suspended animation). While the twist might
have worked under different conditions, the audience has no real
reason to believe that the medical technology is nothing but a cruel
hoax. As a result, the twist ending is almost a deus ex machina
finale. It makes sense in a contrived kind of way, but you feel as if
you've been cheated.
Vanilla Sky is a drama founded on cinematic tricks. Some (as in
The Others) work out well; this did not.