Vanilla Sky (R) *
Starring: Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Jason Lee, and Kurt Russell
Tom Cruise stars as David Aames, a wealthy womanizer in this adaptation of the 1997 Spanish film "Abre Los Ojos" ("Open Your Eyes"). David lives a lavish life after he is left in charge of his deceased father's magazine publishing company. The movie starts off very slowly and does not pick up until midway through. It appears to follow the "Fatal Attraction" theme as Julie (Cameron Diaz), one of David's casual sex partners, is bitten by the jealousy bug. When Cruise is introduced to his new love interest Sofia (Penelope Cruz) by his best friend Brain (Jason Lee) at a party, it causes Julie to become obsessive. Julie then coaxes David to take a ride with her that turns into a suicide mission, as she drives off of a bridge leaving him severely disfigured. The movie then takes a number of strange twists. Although at times there is a high level of suspense, overall there is a lack of clarity. There are several episodes in which David goes back and forth from a dream state to reality. It is very hard to follow. A person would have to see this movie at least two or three times in order to get a grasp on what is taking place, and even then there is no guarantee. Nevertheless, I don't feel this movie is worth a person putting that much effort in attempting to understand it. In an attempt to create a deep, psychological thriller, the result was a distorted, confusing money taker. The television previews of this movie are truly the best parts. On top of all of that, the ending leaves you hanging.
- Jay $