cameron crowe said

Vanilla Sky was of those films that I wanted to see last year when it came out in the theaters, but due to my busy schedule never got around to seeing until now. It was worth the wait and I'm glad that my sister lent me her copy on DVD to watch.

I knew that there was a jilted lover and that this was a remake of a foreign film, but that was all that I knew before I saw it. I'm glad that I didn't know anymore, because that would have taken something away from what I saw. The element of surprise is something that this film needs in order to succeed.

Now that I've seen it, I can understand the mixed reviews. Either people love it and say that there are many levels to the film or people who see it hate it and say that it was nothing more than a case of the wool being pulled over peoples' eyes. I guess that I see myself leaning more towards the first camp than the other. It may not be nearly as complex or layered as Citizen Kane, but it still beats the majority of what Hollywood has to offer today.

If a film makes me want to read more about it after I see it, than I'd have to say that I liked it. Vanilla Sky was one of those films. As I said I went to Amazon and read dozens of reviews and discovered something that I didn't know. In one review a person mentioned the Philip K. Dick novel Ubik and how elements of that story made its way into the film and from what I read I'd have to agree. The man who gave the catalyst for such films as Bladerunner, Total Recall and Minority Report has done it again.

The ending was what bothered my sister the first time that she saw the film, but obviously she changed her mind about it since she bought a copy of it. Part of me can understand why the ending can be troubling for people. One reviewer felt as though Tom was shoving his religious views on people, but I'd disagree. The idea may not be within the traditional Christian line of thought, but it didn't strike me as blatant Scientology propaganda either.

For me the film was a good mix of romantic comedy which Crowe did well with both Jerry Maguire and Singles with hints of science fiction interwoven here and there which I think is something new for him. That odd mix lets him reach a far wider audience or maybe one that likes something that requires an attention span of more than five minutes.

Without a doubt Crowe loves pop culture and so do I. His wife Nancy Wilson and him create an amazing soundtrack that combines some of the best of the past with current gems. Any film that uses Radiohead is fine with me.

 
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