Rating: Summary: Only one complaint about this otherwise great great movie... Review: As others have said, Crowe's insistence in using classic rock songs throughout the picture takes a bit away from the flow of the movie; you kinda get the impression that he just wanted to put the songs in there because he really likes them - not so much because he thought they would augment the general feeling in the scene well. This is really only a minor drawback, though; actually some of the time it works rather well. You got to be pretty open minded to appreciate this one - the first viewing really screws with your head. I love movies like this - you have no idea whats going on, but you really want to find out, and in the end you do, and it blows your mind (at least it blew MINE for sure). Definately check this out. It's worlds better than the original version, "Abre Los Ojos" sp? ("Open Your Eyes"), by the way.
Rating: Summary: Life is but a DREAM Review: This movie has enough plot twists and turns to make your head spin. So, like the main character Tom Cruise, you spend your time trying to figure out just what the hell is going on.I had enjoyed 90% of this movie because I was looking forward to an intelligent ending that would pull everything together - and when that ending occured, I felt completely let down and LIED TO. If you remember the shower scene with Bobby Ewing on the old TV show "Dallas", when the producers tried to pass off the entire 8th season as a dream (do a web search). The ending of this movie insults the intelligence of the viewer - c'mon, it's not even a fun ending! This movie fools you by engaging you in what at first appears to be intelligent dialog... which later turns out to be nonsense. However, having said all this, people that enjoy being fooled, any maybe appreciate movies for art's sake, may like this movie. Just expect to be disappointed by the ending, that's all.
Rating: Summary: Isn't It About Time Review: well well well what have we here. finally a great movie in the 2000's, NO WAY! I feel that Cameron Crowe is a great director who now has put some good flicks, but none as crazy as Vanilla Sky. I give Vanilla Sky 2 very enthuastic thumbs up for originality and also for such great acting from Tom Cruise. Rock on Cameron, your on your way.
Rating: Summary: Cogito Ergo Penelope! Review: Much like the Matrix, this movie brought me back to some of my favorite topics of Philosophy from college. Personal identity, and how can one know that that reality is in fact that or just a dream. Descartes might be chuckling somewhere. Combining this premise with the additional interesting field from the late eighties of lucid dreaming, with the always wonderful Jason Lee, made for an interesting and entertaining film for me. Tom Cruise is a silver spoon playboy, gleefully slacking through life and Cameron Diaz. Enter the slim, dark Penelope Cruz to contrast with slim, light Diaz to battle for Tom's affections. Jason Lee, as Tom's erstwhile buddy gets some great monologues reminiscent of his characters in Kevin Smith's comedies. A life altering car crash ensues and the movie begins its dizzying descent into the surreal and macabre. What is real, what is a dream or lucid dream. The viewer is left to flail about looking for visual clues while coming along for the ride. Recommended.
Rating: Summary: the message Review: I thought this was a hauntingly dark movie,from which a strong message is sent.To many people attacking the messenger,and not allowing the message to get thru.The only mark against it is,that not enough blanks are filled in until the very end,but that just made me feel a little jilted,until I found myself analizing this movie days after I watched it,and realized the sacrafice Cameron Crowe made,in order to get the powerful ending this movie was able to achieve.
Rating: Summary: this movie takes 90 minutes to get started Review: tom cruise doesnt even begin acting until 90 minutes into the movie. cameron crowe goes way overboard in trying to symbolize the plot thru rock n' roll songs. penelope cruz is beautiful! this movie was terrible thoough. an ending does NOT make a movie good. if u can stand the first 90 minutes, the last part of the movie is interesting. but i had to FORCE myself to keep with it and stay thru the first hour and a half. kurt russell is okay too. overall, lame mostly, solid in the end. eh.
Rating: Summary: Excellent, thought-provoking thriller Review: I don't think I've come across a film to polarize opinion as much as Vanilla Sky(except perhaps Magnolia). I thought it was fantastic but a lot of my friends hated it. Some of them felt cheated by the twist at the end, others just plain don't like Tom Cruise. I found the story clever and intriguing. Some the set-pieces were amazing and really stuck in my head, especially Tom Cruise racing manically through a deserted Times Square. I enjoyed the reveal at the end which pointed out the visual clues to the solution that I missed earlier in the story. Another bonus is the eclectic but amazing soundtrack. I loved the scene where Tom and Penelope spend their first night together. It is perfectly innocent but there is real chemistry between them. And when Tom walked outside to the intro of Jeff Buckley's Last Goodbye it just made my day.
Rating: Summary: Confused disaster Review: This is one of the worst big budget films i have ever seen. after the equally turgid Eyes Wide Shut I would have hoped Tom Cruise would steer clear of nonesense such as this. If there is one thing guaranteed to annoy it is directors who work on the Emperors New Clothes approach i.e. make your film so obscure that the critics are scared to critisise it too much in case it does have a hidden message. Well the news is it has no message other than how on earth did this come from the same director as Almost Famous. If I could give it no stars I would do so without hesitation.
Rating: Summary: Inspiring Gem Review: Perhaps it is deserving of the poor marks it has received, this film does not satisfy the mainstream appetite. However I find inspiration in the message delivered of the abstract content: We are not mere victims of circumstance here, it is up to each individual to determine what makes their being. This notion has an agenda, and is sought out with vis and vim - to be realized. We are truly in control of our own existance. From a creative view, the film is absolutely fabulous. Excellent cinematography, dialog and soundtrack. Spectacular performances add value to this collectible. I believe the beyond-modern storyline was a bit difficult for many to digest, however it is quite thought-provoking and well worth ponderance.
Rating: Summary: Good but stupid Review: This is a good movie, well only what I liked about the movie was the love, and brief nudity. The only thing I hated was it was freaky. I give it ** (2 out of 5). I SEE NO SEQUEL!
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