Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4622 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-11-18
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 130 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Vanilla Sky reunites director Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire) with the swoonsome Tom Cruise; adds another sexy Cruz (Penélope) and Cameron Diaz for good measure; and delivers a wildly entertaining, bizarre venture into erotic science fiction. Adapted almost exactly from Spanish filmmaker Alejandro Amenábar's 1997 romantic thriller Open Your Eyes, the film follows David Aames (Cruise) as he falls from his graceful Manhattan perch of inordinate wealth, good looks and new-found love with Sofia (Cruz) because of severe facial disfigurement resulting from a car accident caused by a suicidal ex-lover (Diaz). Reduced to wearing a latex mask and spurned by his friends, what at first promises to be a conventional allegory of redemption via true love is turned on its head as Cruise's character only wins back his princess after a miracle of plastic surgery restores his former beauty. A series of plot twists follow, as waking life, technological advances and nightmares merge to dizzying effect, leaving David face to face with his own mortality. Despite a final conceit to some vague morality, the appeal of the film is the wonderfully callous message conveyed by the whole--money and physical beauty equal happiness and an unabashed vanity perfectly embodied by Cruise and Cruz. --Fionn Meade

On the DVD: Vanilla Sky's anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen transfer is practically flawless with no visible pixilation, showing off John Toll's excellent cinematography. The audio is also exemplary, particularly with music tracks such as Radiohead's "Everything in Its Right Place". Cameron Crowe's commentary track is excellent and the other extra's consist of a couple of trailers, a stills gallery and an interview with Paul McCartney from Entertainment Tonight in regards to his Golden Globe-nominated song "Vanilla Sky". Two featurettes are included. In the first Crowe follows the surreal theme of the film. The second, "Prelude to a Dream", a "making-of" documentary, is conspicuous for it's lack of interviews or any real material about the making of the film. --Kristen Bowditch

Special Features
English Subtitles
Scene Selection
Commentary by Director Cameron Crowe and Composer Nancy Wilson, featuring a conversation with Tom Cruise.
Two Featurettees- "Prelude to dream", "Hitting it Hard"
An interview with Paul McCartney
Music Video "Africa Shox" by leftfield/Afrika Bambaataa
Unreleased Teaser Trailer
International Theatrical Trailer
Photo Gallery with Audio Introduction

Synopsis
Director Cameron Crowe (JERRY MAGUIRE, ALMOST FAMOUS) teams up with Tom Cruise once again in an adaptation of Alejandro Amenabar's 1997 Spanish film OPEN YOUR EYES. Cruise plays David Aames, a playboy publisher leading a seemingly charmed life. His most recent playmate is his "friend" Julie Gianni (Cameron Diaz), who cares for David more than he realizes. When David meets the fetching Sofia Serrano (Penelope Cruz) at his birthday party, he awakens to the possibility of what true love can feel like, leaving Julie distraught. However, after an accident that changes David's life, he is forced to rethink his choices. This psychological thriller becomes roller coaster ride of flashbacks as David tries to make sense of all that has happened, relaying some surreal experiences to a psychiatrist (Kurt Russell) after being charged with murder. The film's message may differ for each viewer, but it does make one bold point: every action has consequences.
Crowe gets exceptional performances from Cruise, Cruz, and Diaz and the alluring pop soundtrack features songs from REM, Radiohead, Bob Dylan, and Peter Gabriel. Amazingly, the scene of Cruise running through a completely empty Times Square was shot on location, a major feat in and of itself.

Customer Reviews

What is any life if not the pursuit of a dream?
Vanilla Sky is described by its creators as the film equivalent of a good song cover version. The film is a beautiful example of what happens when you take an unknown European film and Hollywood it up while trying to keep to the original's intent. Ventures like this can often turn out wrong: Vanilla Sky is not one of these films.

Those of you who have seen the ad think this film is about a car crash and the emotional effect of such a thing. Think again. This film is about many things, and once you've seen it you'll find yourself thinking about it a lot. It's about our obsession with fantasies; it's about our pop culture; it's about vanity and perfection; it's full of interesting stuff like this. You may want to try and stop yourself thinking about all the different ways this film could be interpreted. I say, don't bother trying to stop yourself. This film is meant to be thought-provoking, and it's does it very well. Vanilla Sky cannot be categorised either, so don't try that. It's part drama, part science fiction, part fantasy, part erotic thriller, part horror, and part psychological.

People who try to fault this film in major should try and understand the point of some of these things. Once you've seen the film you'll understand: the almost random but brill soundtrack (Radiohead, Sigur Ros, REM...fantastic!), the strangely vane and obsessive main characters, the almost sterotypical psychiatrist, the perfect love affair. All these things are explained in the ending, a scene that ranks among the best endings a film ever got the privalage to have.

A note on the DVD: it's packed with great extras. One of the best if the audio commentary, which lets the director explain all the little details of the film. You'll know what I mean once you've seen it.

I plan to see Abros los Oros soon, but to those who say this version is no good compared to the Spanish original: don't compare the films. Enjoy this one separately. Films like this don't come along all the time.

watch twice for understanding
What are movies for other than to provoke a meditation upon themselves and upon life? The most striking scenes from this film are played twice. One time they are glamourous and exciting. The next they are horrific and embarrassing. Such an example is the first meeting between Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz. He sounds fun and quirky. Later, recreating this in the nightclub, with his broken face, Cruise sounds like a loser who has pitched his first move laughably wrong. And so the film develops its idea that the superficial is a profound requirement for many of the most enjoyable things in everyday life.

If we refuse to accept this, are we not lying? The superficial pull of a first class seat is what we are drawn to, not the cramped misery of economy. We don't want to have sex with smelly overweight creeps with body odour. We want to have sex with Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz. Now, not when they're old and grey.

Unless we're seriously considering the life of the monastery, we're all caught up in the reality that the surface counts for a lot. We long to live in a perfect Vanilla Sky where nasty realities do not intrude. Maybe if we did go live there, we would come back to the real world eventually, but that doesn't stop us wanting all our fantasies fulfilled. Disneyland is still full every day of the year, and there's a reason.

Although the movie does not fully resolve the questions it raises, it has a good excuse. 'Im just a movie' it seems to proclaim from the shallows of its bright colours and fancy words.

Criticized for making no logical sense, the movie does tell you where the reality bit stops and the dream bit starts. It's up to you to allow the penny to drop that the extra pound of fat around your waist is a cause for concern, and that it is as serious as you think it is.

A mesmerizing masterpiece
I enjoyed this movie immensely. Tom Cruise proves himself to be a gifted actor, the angelic Penelope Cruz is delightful, Cameron Diaz is great; even Kurt Russell shines in his role. So many people complain about Hollywood, deriding the fact that today's movies are unoriginal, yet many folks don't seem to appreciate a truly "different" movie when it comes along. I know, this is a remake of the Spanish Obre las Ojos, yet it does represent something unique among recent American releases. I can also understand why some people may be confused about the movie as the story progresses, but I found it quite understandable by the end. The issues this movie addresses are "deep," but they get to the heart of life and existence for the individual soul. Reality, dreams, desires, disappointments--these are the determiners of life itself, and any movie that can really make you think about your own life and existence in a serious manner wins my highest praises. I won't even talk about the plot of this movie here--this movie has to be experienced; it cannot be explained. Don't worry about where the movie is going; just enjoy the ride. I would urge the viewer to devote a full 130 minutes to watching it; if you pause it to talk to your neighbor or mess around in the kitchen, you run the risk of losing comprehension and rob yourself of the spectacular aura this movie wraps around you.

This strikes me as rather a bold career move for Tom Cruise, especially given the fact that his character has his face disfigured in an accident. Of course, there could be no better way for him to define himself as a great actor. I love Penelope Cruz--her beauty is matched by a mesmerizing air of mystery which plays incredibly well in this particular motion picture. As for the DVD's special features, they are OK but not exceptional. There is a seven-minute mini-feature about the making of the movie--it doesn't really give any secrets away, but I would definitely watch it only after viewing the movie. Another mini-feature provides us with glimpses of the worldwide tour by Cruise, Cruz, and director Cameron Crowe. The interview with Paul McCartney is short and sweet, and I must admit that I didn't realize that he had contributed the "title song" to the movie until I watched the interview. Even if there were no extras, Vanilla Sky is definitely a movie worth owning. While I have only watched it once, the intricacies of the plot make this a prime candidate for the mantle of rewatchability. If you approach this movie with an open mind and let the story absorb you into its unique world, I do not see how you can walk away disappointed.