Review of Vanilla Sky

Introduction

A few years ago, young Spanish helmer Alejandro Amenábar wrote a provocative piece of cinema - a film where the boundaries between dreams and reality have to be drawn. That film was Abre Los Ojos (translated as `Open Your Eyes`), and it was good, packed full of ideas and originality, but it did have flaws (one of which was the fact that it was in Spanish - although I don`t mind this, others can`t stand subtitles or poor dubbing). Flaws that deserved to be corrected.

Tom Cruise watched the film, and as the end credits were rolling, called up his co-producer, Paula Wagner (Cruise and Wagner co-produced Mission Impossible and its sequel), and said how he enjoyed it, and would love to be involved in a possible remake. Enter Cameron Crowe, the acclaimed writer-director of Oscar-winning romantic comedy Jerry Maguire and music biopic Almost Famous. He then proceeded to adapt the Spanish flick into what would one day become Vanilla Sky…

Young, handsome and wealthy, publishing tycoon David Aames (Cruise) can have anything his heart desires. Still, David`s charmed life seems incomplete. One night, David meets the woman of his dreams (Penelope Cruz) and believes he may have found the missing piece. But a fateful encounter with a jealous lover (Cameron Diaz) suddenly sends David`s world out of control, rocketing him on a roller-coaster ride of romance, sex, suspicion and dreams… to a shocking, final awakening you will never forget.

And yes, it is indeed a roller-coaster ride…

Video

It is presented in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, and there are no compression signs visible, with deep visuals and a print that remains crisp and clear throughout. There is no dust nor grain evident, which is expected considering this is a 21st century release.

Vanilla Sky has some great visual moments in it, from the literally jaw-dropping opening sequence (the film-makers actually shut off the whole of Times Square for three hours!) to the inventive end sequence, it is makes a great feast for the eyes.

Audio

A DD 5.1 track is on offer, and the surrounds are used well, with the subwoofer given a good workout during any scenes of heightened action or music. The main audio stream is crisp and clear, and the ambience level is good throughout.

Crowe adapted the script, and although on first impression it seems a direct replica of Amenábar`s, it has added depth - in particular fleshing out Cruise and Diaz`s characters. In Abre Los Ojos, it was more of an event picture: events coming one after another, with little justification. However, Crowe has changed all that, and Vanilla Sky is the better for it.

Features

This went through the Paramount rental window, but it still packs the following features:

Audio Commentary - writer-director Cameron Crowe and composer Nancy Wilson lend their vocals to an informative track, with some interesting anecdotes and the duo talk through most of the decision process…a good example of this, showcasing Crowe`s musical obsession, is when he talks about how he chose the REM song that plays at the start.

Featurette: Prelude to a Dream - this clocks in at under ten minutes and tells the (brief) story of how Cruise and Crowe decided to adapt Abre Los Ojos, with soundbites and on-the-set footage. OK, but needs much more fleshing out.

Featurette: Hitting it Hard - this focuses on the promotional aspect of the film, such as the appearance of the main players in various international locations. This kind of extra doesn`t appear often on discs, so it makes it all the more interesting. But again, it is too short…

An Interview with Paul McCartney - call this an interview? It is a goddamn 90-second soundbite! However, Sir Paul does manage to talk about how he was asked to do the title song (which was nominated for an Oscar). Interesting, but we need more!

Music Video - this piece of so-called `music` is entitled "Afrika Shox", and `performed` by Leftfield and Afrika Bambaataa. Right…

Photo Gallery - does what it says on the tin, although this time there is an audio commentary introduction from photographer Neal Preston. If you like stills, then this is for you I guess.

Trailers - an unreleased teaser trailer and international theatrical trailer are supplied.

The menus are animated well with ambient music in the background, and excellent animations relevant to the film.

Vanilla Sky is presented in a blue Amaray case, with a leaflet containing chapter listings.

Conclusion

I originally saw this back in January in my local cinema, and came away thinking it was an amazing film, but one hell of a mind trip. Nine months later, and I still think that. It boasts great performances, one hell of a story and script, and some intelligent directing, good use of music, cinematography et al. This isn`t one to watch whilst doing something else - on your first viewing at least it requires your undivided attention, but it will be worth it. Trust me.

Disc wise, the presentation is excellent, and the extras are OK, and when I say OK, I mean distinctly average. A comprehensive making-of is needed, but anything to boost the quantity and substance levels would be welcome.

Overall, one of the year`s best films is given good treatment on DVD. Definitely one to wish for in your stockings…