Harry here with another volley of praises for VANILLA SKY... and one absolutely confused hatred of the film review. I'll forego my usual introductions, and will discuss the differences between the praises and the bad review before that final one... Enjoy.....
Now for the greatest superhero of them all... Guyver!
Yo Harry,
I just got back from seeing which will probably one of the most worthwhile movies to see at the theatres kind of movie. The Beverly Connection held a private screening of a roughcut of "Vanilla Sky" a film based on a previous spanish film 'Open Your Eyes' written and directed by Alejandro Amenabar (director of this years The Others) except this time its directed by Cameron Crowe (Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Jerry McGuire, and Almost Famous).
So what could be said about this movie? It was great, simply great. Its almost hard for me to pinpoint something wrong with this movie, though I wont say its excellent or if you dont see this movie may your eyes bleed and your teeth rot out of your mouth. Its just a wonderful existentialistic romance thriller comedy piece of film making. The premise, directing and acting all make it a very involving expierence.
Technically since this is a roughcut its hard to say what will be left in (hope the survey I filled out helps to keep what I likes) but what was already there was cool especially the soundtrack which for some reason to me, felt like a substitution for the real thing (I heard like 2 Radiohead songs..).
Cast was awesome. Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz (hey, she was in Open Your Eyes too! what a kawinki dink!) Jason Lee, Cameron Diaz and Kurt Russell all gave a exceptional performances. Bravo to them. Especially Jason Lee, KEEP KICKIN' IT REYNOLDS STYLE BABY!
I really think this is gonna be one of those films that people will love or not be impressed with. Personally I think it'll do far better than what the summer films had to offer. Anyways thats my 2 cents. Bai.
Guyver
Next Dale Evans' horse writes in with her brief comments...
Harry:
All right, so I finally get to write in something cool. Was at the Beverly Connection last night, and got an offer to see a film, which "they couldn't tell me what it was til I was in the theatre". Well, of course I did! (Crossing fingers and hoping it was oh, I dunno, something I actually wanted to see rather than, like, a kids movie).
So we get in there, and the woman who announced the film, I could barely hear her, but I did hear the words "Vanilla Sky" and everyone in the theatre was like, yay! Good movie! The movie starts, and its pretty much everything they've said it was-- ..nobody mentioned the sound though (as opposed to the soundtrack) its really great. Loved the Times Square scene.
Whole cast is stellar, even Tom Cruise under all that makeup. All in all, not a waste of time, in fact, was totally worth every second. Crowe is gonna get something for this film, I just don't know what. (One interesting thing though, you can see the WTC during the last scene, so I'm not sure if this cut was done before or after September 11. Should be interesting to see if they keep it in or not).
C ya:
Buttercup
I totally lucked out last night…went to see Zoolander at theBeverly Connection and instead got recruited to see Vanilla Sky. Crowe is one of my faves and did not disappoint --- the movie blew my fuckin mind. I figured it would be funny and nuanced liked McGuire, Say Anything,etc. Instead, it was a hell of a lot darker and intense. Cruise was amazing and he wears this mask half the time that is creepy but effective (he was also there, sitting in the back in a dark hat, very cool).
Anyway, Cameron Diaz is tragic and goes against her “Something About Mary” type and Cruz does her best work since “All About My Mother.” The first half feels very much like a Crowe-type movie (funny with a mix of tragic) but the second half is total departure – a very twisted mind fuck. It was the most surprising, funny and intriguing movie since Being John Malkavich (which I also raved about). Bottomline, this is going to be a big one. And it’s nice to see Crowe put something out so quickly. I thought we were going to have to wait another 4 years after Almost famous.
The Thinking Monkey
Hey, Harry, I struck gold last night and was saved from seeing Don't Say a Word (which I know will be an awful MD movie but I can't get that hot girl who was on the cover of Maxim's voice out of my head -- "I'll never tell" -- the best marketing since Sixth Sense). Instead I was picked to see Crowe's Vanilla Sky.
I'm sure others are writing in to rave but I thought I'd throw my two-cents in too.
Fucking awesome.
I came away confused in a good way and more impressed with Crowe than ever. Different, darker and more daring than anything he's done. Just like McGuire, he uses Tom's stud image to great effect. Couple of weird notes - they shoot Times Square completely empty and its eerie as hell. Also, I wonder if they will keep the NYC skyline shot at the end with the World Trade Center. They left it in at this point and it must be by choice. I'm excited to see the final product and its cool that I can compare it to this version. Although, it hit all the right notes and I doubt they have to change it much.
Cecil the sea sick sea serpent
And now a word from our favorite flying squirrel...
Hey Harry:
Went to go see "Zoolander" last night at the Beverly Connection and didn't get to see it, sadly, because I got to see---Vanilla SKY!
(I'm hoping the majority of the audience has never heard of AICN, so I can be the sole relator of good cool news -- some how, I doubt it)
We were stuck in a leetle, tiny theatre in the downstairs of the B.C. cramped but thank god, otherwise I would have never heard the incredibly quiet lady say "The film you're seeing is Vanilla Sky". We all cheered, it was great. I have a feeling we all expected to see something lame, but did it anyway because it was free. (for once, being a poor ass motherfucker is a good thing).
The film is absolutely great. I've read earlier reviews where people say Crowe fucks with Cruise's character's mind and everyone else's---totally true. I'm still working out the whole story, and needless to say, there's parts where I'm still fuzzy. But a quick rundown:
--That Times Square scene everyone talks about? Wacky. Very Wacky. Don't know how they did it... but wow... if its real I'm impressed.
--Tom Cruise is great, Penelope Cruz actually impressed me, Cameron Diaz took a part exactly opposite from anything I've ever seen her in (except maybe "Shes the One").
--Visually and technically, this is one of the better films I've seen this year... creepy, solid, beautiful... wow! One of those dvd-worthy buys too......
--People are freaks, and laughed at the car crash scene... what the fuck?
So we left the theatre, and I thought I spotted Tom Cruise, but I may be mistaken. Sat in the crowded parking lot with the girlfriend and both of us were just in total awe. We were a little taken aback by the World Trade Center shot at the end, but who knows if that will be there in the final cut (word to Hollywood: None of us fell to pieces at the sight of it, maybe you could, I dunno, freakin leave it in?)
Rocky.
Harry here.... And lastly we have the final review... the one that seems to have seen a completely different film that the reviewers above. How do I explain this? Well the movie is a mind fuck flick. As a result there will be people who react BADLY to that process. They won't like having their heads screwed with. They might very well lash out. Now Bruce Wayne (the reviewer below) mentions that the films he was most looking forward to this fall are LORD OF THE RINGS and HARRY POTTER. He mentions loving JERRY MAGUIRE and ALMOST FAMOUS... However, that type of material is miles away from OPEN YOUR EYES, which this film is based upon. Those others are 'safe' films. Quality films for mainstream audiences... This is something all together different. From the above reviews and comments we get that film goers that 'get' the references and material get it... This movie is a tad dangerous... not all together safe... now... here's Bruce Wayne....
Hey Harry
I just got back from a screening of Vanilla Sky at the Beverly connection tonight in LA. By the way Peter Parker and Mary Jane were there as well. Not sure what movie they saw though. Guess they are still dating. Anyway, I saw that you had some reviews up recently. I didn't read them because I didn't want the movie spoiled for me before I saw it. But now that I'd seen it, I wanted to check them out. I am writing because I think they must have seen a completely different film. Our film was about two hours, so maybe that extra half hour added a lot, because I and all my freinds HATED IT. And it seemed like everyhone esle there did as well.
I'd go into the plot and tell you what it was about, but I have no idea. Tom's in an accident he si disfigured, then he's not, then he is again, or is he? I couldn't tell you.
My friends and I are all HUGE Cameron Crowe fans. Love Jerry Maguire Loved Almost Famous. And was sooo excited for this. And while I didn't expect it to be like his other films, I at least expected it to make sense. It didn't.
I actually have hope reading the other reviews, maybe Paramount was trying to get him to cut the film and he didn't want to, so he made this lame ass cut. I really can't describe how much we all disiked this film. I have no diea what it was about, what he was trying to say, or what the point was. And its such a shame because no one can get a better performance out of Tom Cruise than Cameron Crowe. And Cruise is still very good here. Crowe brings out the lighter, more fun. laid back side in Tom. He never seemed looser than in Jerry Maguire and he has fun moments of that in this.
But the movie is just so pointless. You never know what is real and what is not, There is kind of an explanation at the very end. I won't give it away, but even with that it doesn't add up and is still very confusing. The final moment makes you think maybe POSSIBLE HUGE SPOILERS
the whole thing was a dream. Which is just as lame. Or maybe it wasn't saying that. We don't know.
END SPOILERS
Anyway Kurt Russell like the other reviewer said was very good. Cameron Diaz was fine and isn't give much to do, which is a shame. And Penelope Cruz is certainly better than she has been in her other US films, but still makes you wonder what all the fuss is about. She does have nice chemistry with Tom and they do have some nice scenes together early on. But the movie is just so bad you don't care.
All I kept thinkingw as I would love for Cameron Crowe to come up after the film and seriously explain it all to me.
Tom and Penelope were there sitting in the back row. As was many Paramount brass, studio heads: Sherry Lansing and Jonathan Dolgen among them. Honestly they seemed as confused as the rest of us, the Studio types that is. Dolgen didn't even stay for the talk afterw hich leads me to believe that he knew how much everyone hated it.
I really have to say this was one of the most disapoitning movies I have ever seen. My friends and myself could not have been more excited before the film began. Here we were seeing what we all deemed maybe the third most anticipated movie of the year. It would be #1 if not for Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter. But it just left me wondering what the hell was the point. Maybe there is a good movie in there, but we sure didn't see it. Remember how disapointed and angry people were with Eyes Wide Shut and AI. (I actually mostly liked both those films) But most seemed not to, and I can't imagine what they will think of this, but I can tell you its not going to be good. I am suprised there is not more buzz of the tremendous stink associated with this. I couldn't belive readingt he other positive reviews, which makes me think that perhaps there was more to what they saw than what we did.
I hope maybe it was the length and that this screening was Cameron showing Paramount why the film can't be shorter, but as it is, it is BEYOND CRAP.
I still love Cameron and don't know what went wrong, maybe I should see the Spanish original to see what they were trying to do. Because i have no idea.
I really wanted to like this, and instead just felt dirty and depressed after.
One last note the talk of a Speilberg cameo is true, he hugs Tom Cruuise at one point during a party scene, it is very wucik and you could easily miss it. Anyway chalk up another one in the worst year for movies ever. Her's hoping HP and LOTR can redeem us.
You can call me Bruce Wayne
