Review of Vanilla Sky (2001) by Ben S — 11 Apr 2013

Subversive high-concept drama starring Tom Cruise as David Aames, a young publishing tycoon who has inherited his parents' magazine empire. Enjoying a carefree bachelor lifestyle in New York City he avoids commitments and serious relationships, instead choosing to fool around with blonde temptress Julie (Cameron Diaz)....... until the beautiful, wholesome Sofia (Penélope Cruz) enters his life, triggering a chain of events that leave David experiencing vivid dreams he can't distinguish from his reality. This is told in tandem with a future narrative where David, incarcerated and with his face disfigured and hidden behind an eerie minimal latex mask, recounts his earlier life to psychiatrist Dr. Curtis McCabe (Kurt Russell). These realities are intercut as we share in David's tireless pursuit of the truth.

This is a promising setup that offers plenty of enjoyment, though not without flaws. A piece of pure Hollywood melodrama, it's unrelentingly schmaltzy for large periods and chooses to shun several opportunities to dig into darker territory, instead glimpsing them briefly before moving on. That being said, it deserves commendation for bringing some of its concepts and structure to a mainstream audience. Blacker than the title and marketing would suggest, it does have the ability to shock and surprise. Unfortunately the layer of polish is so thick it's often hard to see what is going on beneath the surface - as a result it often feels like very little.

Films are more entertaining when you know less about them, and 'Vanilla Sky' is a classic example - a fairly shallow experience that garners its pleasure from the twists and turns of the plot. The characters and direction are passable, but fail to conjure up the pathos intended. Switching back and forth between time periods David's story is slowly unravelled and pieced together - slowly being the operative word. It takes an eternity to kick into gear and doesn't really hit its stride until the second hour - a shame because from then on it's far more pacy and compelling. The initial stages are intended to develop our empathy for David, but it's all painted with such broad strokes and sentimentality that they offer very little. Later scenes that deserve to be gut-wrenching are nothing of the sort. Tom Cruise is on top form as the laid-back millionaire tinged with mania and inner sadness (not a stretch for him) and does a fine job holding the film up during its meandering dull sections. Few actors have the presence or charm to keep you on side when a film is seemingly going nowhere, and despite his critics Cruise has that indefinable star quality that draws the eye.

'Vanilla Sky' is a little too flabby and self-aware. On the whole it's well handled (including a few truly memorable scenes) and is a gratifying, unusual experience - but several vast leaps of faith are required along the way.