Vanilla Sky (Beware - Spoilers likely in thread)

[moose]

:warn: WARNING: Vanilla Sky has many twists and turns. Some of them are bound to appear in this thread. If you havent seen the movie, and plan to, I'd avoid the thread until you do.:warn:

I just saw "Vanilla Sky," and I really liked it. I think I should probably see it again to fully appreciate it, but I liked it a lot on the first viewing.

I seem to recall a lot of people NOT liking it, so I was wondering what you all thought.

[rcartman28]

I personally haven't seen the movie, but my fiancee went to the movie with her mom and a friend and said the movie was so bad that she will never let her mom pick any more movies to go to....

:makepuke:

I don't think you could pay me enough to go see it......

[SmedIndy]

I heard the original version was much better, but Hollywood bungled it, as they often do...

[moose]

Originally posted by SmedIndy
I heard the original version was much better, but Hollywood bungled it, as they often do...
well, i havent seen the original, but isnt it axiomatic that Hollywood Shall Bungle Books and Remakes?

[SmedIndy]

The original also stars Penelope Cruz.

Talk about deja vu all over again....

[Gosfgiants]

It's interesting that this movie came out the same year as Memento. While I found Vanilla Sky entertaining I felt it tried to hard in some spots. It did not the same sort of off balance feeling that Memento was able to hold from begining to end. It definetly would recommend people see Memento before Vanilla Sky.

[Duque]

Well, to be honest, I thought it was...erratic, unorganized, overly long, and the plot twist at the ending wasn't worth sitting through the rest of the movie.

I am a big fan of movies with clever endings, but they really have to be done well in order to be effective, like Usual Suspects, or Memento, or Fight Club. Vanilla's Sky's ending just wasn't one that made you go "ohh, now it all makes sense."

Not to mention the miscasting - about the only performance I thought was really good was Cameron Diaz.

That said, I didn't dislike the movie. I just wasn't a big fan.

[Craig S.]

Originally posted by Duque
Well, to be honest, I thought it was...erratic, unorganized, overly long, and the plot twist at the ending wasn't worth sitting through the rest of the movie.

I think that sums up pretty well how I feel about it, too. It was frustrating, because I thought it could have been so much better than it was.

[Pilgrim]

It's an interesting movie...on the whole, I felt, a failure, and at times a frustrating one, but very different.

I haven't seen the original, but I did read an article somewhere that said that the American version is a SLAVISH copy -- down to certain camera angles, specific lines of dialogue (which were originally in Spanish, obviously), choices of music, etc.

I'm a big fan of Cameron Crowe, but this was (I believe) the first film that he directed that he didn't write, and I think it shows. It's well directed but poorly written, erratic and, as some have pointed out, the ending is poor. I won't give away the big reveal -- but suffice it to say that the film feels it is necessary to spend 20 minutes explaining itself with "new" information, "Scooby-Doo" style.

A stronger hand in the editing room would have been a big help.

[WiredTiger]

I just saw it last night. I thought it was a good not great movie. Tom Cruise actually gave a pretty good performance. I thought Cameron Diaz was a good fit for that part and I like seeing Jason lee in movies.

The twist was something most people would have never figured out. You had some idea that weird things were going on but not to that degree.

This is the first movie I have seen Penelope Cruz in and I was underwhelmed. I am sure that she probably was better in her native language but she didn't really give a good performance and it made it slightly hard to believe that Tom Cruise was gaga over her.

I really liked the scene at the begininng of the movie where Time Square was just empty. Very creepy but very cool.

Side Note: Memento was better but I then again I thought Memento should have won best picture last year.

[Craig S.]

Originally posted by WiredTiger
The twist was something most people would have never figured out. You had some idea that weird things were going on but not to that degree.

Side Note: Memento was better but I then again I thought Memento should have won best picture last year.

Yes, Memento was certainly a far better film than most of the nominees last year, with the exception of Lord of the Rings, the film for which I was rooting. The fact that such an original and great film was passed over for even a nomination speaks volumes about the Oscars. It's really all studio marketing and a popularity contest.

As for plot twists, I just saw The Others with Nicole Kidman, and I thought it was a well-done film with an interesting twist. And of course, Nicole Kidman has more acting ability than 10 Penelope Cruzes would ever have.

[gyb13]

getting back to topic.....

i haven't seen vanilla sky, just the original (abra los ojos). It was decent, but nothing special.

[WiredTiger]

Originally posted by gyb13
getting back to topic.....

i haven't seen vanilla sky, just the original (abra los ojos). It was decent, but nothing special.
You will have to watch the American version and tell me if Penelope Cruz can act better in Spanish than she can in English.

Side Note: I split the discussion on Gosford Park and Memento to a different thread

[moose]

Originally posted by WiredTiger
Side Note: I split the discussion on Gosford Park and Memento to a different thread
look at that moderator go! :D

[WiredTiger]

Originally posted by moose

look at that moderator go! :D
I figured I better start earning my title! ;)

[gyb13]

Originally posted by WiredTiger
You will have to watch the American version and tell me if Penelope Cruz can act better in Spanish than she can in English.
if i catch it on tv, i'll let you know my opinion....though considering it wasn't a great movie (and i already know what happens), i dunno if i'd sit through it.....ok, who am i kidding? :D of course i'd watch it....so i'll let you know