Vanilla Sky is a 2001 thriller directed by Cameron Crowe and stars Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, and Cameron Diaz to name a few. The movie would become a financial hit as well as a critical hit as it went on to get an Oscar nomination while winning other film awards. Tom Cruise puts on a very convincing performance as David Aames and if you do not pay close attention to Vanilla Sky then you run the risk of losing track of what is going on. Vanilla Sky is named after a painting that hung in Aames’ parents bedroom and comes to represent the tone of the movie as well as the way the movie twists and turns. Vanilla Sky is the kind of movie that just when you think you have the whole thing figured out you have to wait until the very end of the movie to see what the end results will be. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered within the movie and as they start to reveal themselves the movie starts to take dark twists and turns that takes the audience on the ride of their lives. Vanilla Sky has been called a masterpiece and it even brings up the question of how long can a dog survive encased in ice? To understand that you will have to see the movie.

David Aames is a wealthy young man who many people considered to be a spoiled brat. His father was the wealthy publisher of a New York City magazine and one day both of his parents were killed in a car crash leaving David the business. David shows no feelings of appreciation and continues to play the role of the spoiled rich kid who now runs his father’s business and his business partners all want him out as they feel he is ruining the business. David lives his personal life like a spoiled child as well as he takes advantage of the friendship of Julie, played by Cameron Diaz, and uses her for sex while allowing her to believe that there may be more to their relationship. One night at a party David sees Sofia, played by Penelope Cruz, and realizes that for the first time he may actually be falling in love. As he begins to spend intimate time with Sofia, Julie becomes aware of the relationship and confronts David in a jealous lover’s rage. The situation escalates until David is disfigured in a car crash and his life starts to take many twists and turns. Eventually his face is repaired by a doctor but what about the rest of his life? Where is Sofia? Who does he wind up with in the end? Has he learned anything from all of this? Will he live his life the same? What is the deal with the frozen dog? There are a lot of questions that get answered quickly in Vanilla Sky so pay attention or you will miss something important.

A Tom Cruise movie can get you a lot of favors. In filming Vanilla Sky Cameron Crowe was allowed to shut down the entire Times Square in New York City for a Sunday to film. Actor Kurt Russell took his role without even reading the script. Crowe even decided to leave shots of the World Trade Center in the movie after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and at the insistence of the movie’s producers. There is a feeling of urgency to this movie that is real and not fabricated. It is well written, directed expertly, and the acting is spot on. Try Vanilla Sky, you will not be sorry.