I loved it so much, Tom Cruise has continuously impressed me with his performances which feels somehow even more desperate here than in "Magnolia" and Penelope Cruz who I was ready to hate because of how much she stands out and how tired I am of movies casting beautiful actresses who can't even voice their lines properly. But in the end, she did win me over especially with how much the movie gives character and texture to her accent and Spanish origin.
This feels like another Black Mirror episode come to life but I would say it is markedly different. If BM had adapted this you can bet they would have gone for a far more cynical and nihilistic twist that would have been gut-wrenching, even when the movie was ending I realized I was still somehow preparing my guts to be wrenched but nope. In the end, Vanilla Sky is part annoying life of a rich guy turned slice-of-life turned psychological thriller which eventually actually cares about living and the many possibilities of it.
It's also one of the most beautifully shot films of the 2000s IMO, everything looks gorgeous. There is a touch of reality that feels tangible so you don't expect anything to go wrong, lulling yourself in the false assumption about the film's identity. It completely looks and plays the part of a serious one-hour true crime drama, then a romantic drama and just keeps evolving until you come to a point where all life either begins or ends
What a lovely film, Cameron Diaz was a beast to watch!
