Vanilla Sky

Name: Vanilla Sky
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery, Thriller, Romance
Released: December 14, 2001
Duration: 136 min
Rating: 45
Cast: Penélope Cruz, Tom Cruise

2001

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 33 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 435 Ratings

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8.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 435 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Paramount Pictures | Release Date: December 14, 2001 | R

Starring: Penélope Cruz, Tom Cruise

Summary: Snowboarding through life, David Aames (Cruise) appears to lead a charmed life. In one night David meets a girl of his dreams and loses her by making a small mistake. Thrust unexpectedly onto a roller-coaster ride of romance, comedy, suspicion, love, sex and dreams, David finds himself on a mind-bending search for his soul and discovers theSnowboarding through life, David Aames (Cruise) appears to lead a charmed life. In one night David meets a girl of his dreams and loses her by making a small mistake. Thrust unexpectedly onto a roller-coaster ride of romance, comedy, suspicion, love, sex and dreams, David finds himself on a mind-bending search for his soul and discovers the precious, ephemeral nature of true love. (Paramount Pictures)… Expand

Director: Cameron Crowe

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Mystery, Thriller, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 136 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

William Arnold

A mostly fascinating, often frustrating, boldly uncommercial Hollywood version of a boldly uncommercial art film. It's very atypical of the previous work of both director and star, and it's as personal a film, I suspect, as Cruise will ever make. Read full review

Roger Ebert

This is the kind of movie you don't want to analyze until you've seen it two times. Now that I've seen it twice, I think I understand it, or maybe not. Certainly it's entertaining as it rolls along. Read full review

Mike Clark

What works in a quirky foreign film can look silly with expansive Hollywood treatment. Crowe is smart enough to know this, so it's baffling he chose Vanilla over richer cinematic tastes. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

Though Vanilla Sky is smoothly and professionally done, even audiences who haven't seen the original will sense there is something off in the translation. Read full review

Desson Thomson

For all the filmmakers' efforts, this project is something of an artistic albatross. It's a conundrum that doesn't get answered until a sort of help-the-audience Cliffs Notes final scene, in which we learn Everything. But by then, more than a few of us may be wondering, was it all really worth the trouble? Read full review

Jay Carr

May not emerge as the biggest disaster of the holiday movie season, if only because we haven't yet seen all the other year-end films. But it is a huge high-energy misfire, bringing Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, and Cameron Crowe to earth with a thud.

Stephen Hunter

Overblown and idiotic, this new "erotic thriller" is neither erotic nor thrilling; it's long, boring and self-indulgent. Read full review

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User Reviews

Perineum

Jan 14, 2020

Vanilla Sky is a profound mindbender. The movie is engaging with creative visuals and a convoluted screenplay that will surprise & delight you.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Dugdaw

May 24, 2019

A poignant classic. Perhaps not as intelligent as it wants to be but certainly far cleverer than it is given credit for. Without a doubt it is simultaneously my favourite film - and the one I am most tentative about admitting I enjoy. Tom Cruise before Scientology ripped the soul out of his movies.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

MorriBey

Aug 8, 2011

I disagree with many 'reviewers' and feel that this version is a much more polished movie than the original spanish movie. The soundtrack is amazing and the suspense is real. An amazing achievement by Crowe.

11 of 12 users found this helpful111

kjatafoxhound

Aug 7, 2017

With great actors and unforgettable moments. A pesar de los comentarios de la prensa, creo que sus virtudes superan a los defectos que pueda tener como creación. Yo vi tanto la versión española como esta, y prefiero esta siempre. La cutrez de Almenábar y el vestuario, y un a mi gusto nadaWith great actors and unforgettable moments. A pesar de los comentarios de la prensa, creo que sus virtudes superan a los defectos que pueda tener como creación. Yo vi tanto la versión española como esta, y prefiero esta siempre. La cutrez de Almenábar y el vestuario, y un a mi gusto nada creíble Noriega la lastraban demasiado. Vanilla Sky no estaba para galardones de la academia, pero deja mucho en la memoria del espectador.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

ballpark_frank

Nov 25, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have no idea what the plot is...which characters or scenes are actually happening and which are an 'altered reality'...no idea of whether (SPOILER ALERT...) the Cruise character is alive, dead or in some suspended state...in general, no idea of what's happening at all. Still, for some reason, I really like this movie.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

StaticSpine

Sep 23, 2013

There is some psychological pressure along the movie, but the story do not seem natural and honestly it is a bit boring in the middle and the ending from my point of view is the thing called deus ex machina, it does not look logical. Overall a decent movie.

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

ToddJ.

Sep 2, 2002

The worst movie I've seen this year. tell Tom Cruise I want my 3.99 back.

0 of 2 users found this helpful

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30	#30 Most Discussed Movie of 2001
14	#14 Most Shared Movie of 2001