ABRE LOS OJOS (Open Your Eyes)

[Hannibal21]

Starring: Eduardo Noriega (Cesar), Penelope Cruz (Sofia), Chete Lera (Antonio), Fele Martinez (Pelayo), Najwa Nimri (Nuria)

For those of you who have or have not seen VANILLA SKY. Did you see this one? I saw it last night and it has to be said that it blows VANILLA SKY out of the water.

Everything about it was incredible, the cinematography, the script, and the acting. Special mention to Penelope Cruz, I have gone from disliking her to liking her a little bit but after this film I like her even more. She was phenomenal in this film (her best performance I've seen) even if she sucked in most of her english speaking films. And I never thought I'd say this but back then, in 1997, she was smokin' HOT! (very beautiful tits as well ;) ) Now she's just weird looking but I have to admit that she isn't a bad actress at all.

So, what did you guys think of this movie?

My rating: 9/10

[SimplePlanGurl8]

I have never seen it but have heard about it frequently. Penelope Cruz to me always was a talentless birdy looking lady imo lol. I loved Vanilla Sky so I will totally check this out!

[The Delfonics]

Abre los ojos was a great film however the american remake Vanilla Sky was amazing. I hate how so many people bash VS just because its a remake and it has.... OMG!! TOM CRUISE! I thought it was a much more upbeat version with some great music and great images. Vanilla Sky brought up much more emotion and it had better dialouge. So many lines in Vanilla Sky are priceless. However both are on my top 20.

#2 Vanilla Sky - (10/10)
#18 Abre Los Ojos - (8/10)

[Buck Turgidson]

I think everyone should know by now that I love this film and find it infinitely preferable to Crowe's rancid remake. I've liked it for several years, since seeing it on IFC. Much more atmospheric, better acted and more original (obviously).

Like Antonio says, I'd like to see Noriega (brilliant in everything I've ever seen him in, especially this and The Devil's Backbone), get some of Cruise's roles. See how a man might do them.

[MarkItZero]

Much better than the remake imo.

It had me whisperin Abre Los Ojos for a couple of weeks afterwards.

For some reason, I thought that the original made more sense. I thought it pulled the storylines together much better than Vanilla Sky. Its been awhile since I saw either film, so I am not sure that I could elaborate without rewatching both.

I also thought that the acting was much better in the original.

Penelope Cruz was and still is hot :p

[Hannibal21]

Originally posted by MarkItZero
Penelope Cruz was and still is hot :p

Meh, now she looks extremely weird. But back then, she looked SO beautiful (happy Buck? ;) ). If she went back to her foreign language films I would like her even better, and she NEEDS to get rid of Tom Cruise.

[VicVega]

Originally posted by The Delfonics
Abre los ojos was a great film however the american remake Vanilla Sky was amazing. I hate how so many people bash VS just because its a remake and it has.... OMG!! TOM CRUISE! I thought it was a much more upbeat version with some great music and great images. Vanilla Sky brought up much more emotion and it had better dialouge. So many lines in Vanilla Sky are priceless. However both are on my top 20.

#2 Vanilla Sky - (10/10)
#18 Abre Los Ojos - (8/10)

My thoughts EXACTYLY!

[the night watchman]

I'm with Del, too. I thought "Abre los ojos" was a really good movie, but, frankly, I thought "Vanilla Sky" was better. I'd give both a solid 8/10, though.

[JCPhoenix]

I also agree with delfonics...I saw Abre los ojos (7/10) first before i saw vanilla sky, but i preferred Vanilla Sky (8/10)

[Zipperboy]

Dude, they were like the same movie. The american one is directed almost exactly the same concerning camera angles. It was the same script for both, so I can't see how one had better lines. I like Noriega more than Cruise, but I think Jason Lee was better than his counterpart. Cameron Diaz is in my opinion a better actress than her counterpart. Penelope played the same role, which is fucked up. Anyway, I loved and have both movies, but if you've seen one, it's not really worth spending money on the other.

[JCPhoenix]

Originally posted by Zipperboy
Dude, they were like the same movie. The american one is directed almost exactly the same concerning camera angles. It was the same script for both, so I can't see how one had better lines. I like Noriega more than Cruise, but I think Jason Lee was better than his counterpart. Cameron Diaz is in my opinion a better actress than her counterpart. Penelope played the same role, which is fucked up. Anyway, I loved and have both movies, but if you've seen one, it's not really worth spending money on the other.

i wouldn't agree totally with that...i am definitely glad i saw vanilla sky as well as abre los ojos, and not just one. i agree that the plot and everything remains the same, but the two movies are different in cinematography and overall tone: ...vanilla sky uses brilliant dazzling colors and as a result the entire movie isn't really a "thriller" so much as a fucked up journey...abre los ojos uses a dark atmosphere, and is a lot more of a "psychological thriller"...(tho i liked the way vanilla sky did it more)

i'd spend my money on both (which i have) because quite simply it's pretty interesting to see how the movies are very similar in lines, etc (some from vanilla sky ripped right out of abre los ojos) but yet create entirely different moods which alter the way you watch each altogether...

[Buck Turgidson]

Originally posted by Hannibal21
Meh, now she looks extremely weird. But back then, she looked SO beautiful (happy Buck? ;) ). If she went back to her foreign language films I would like her even better, and she NEEDS to get rid of Tom Cruise.

There is a photo of her in the style section of People this week. She's wearing a satiny dress w/ a leather jacket over it (it works better than you'd think), and her hair is up. She looks GORGEOUS.

But, yes, Han, I am very proud of you. First Natalie and now some room for Miss Cruz. :cool:

And I agree wholeheartedly: she needs to dump Tom Thumb, posthaste.

[Deckard]

Short and sweet. Loved Open Your Eyes, was bored stupid by the bright happy Vanilla Sky (6/10)

All sense of style and mystery was removed from the US version. No ambiguity and a by the numbers script that treated the audience like morons. Nothing to chew over or ponder at the end.

Worst of all the great dark style and cinematography of the original was replaced by your typical bright, shiny and worst of all colourful palet in vanilla Sky.

Tom Cruise serves as the nail in the coffin bringing nothing to the film except blandness..

So OPEN YOUR EYES and see the truth.

[Jasonite]

I think it is superior to Vanilla Sky--love it.


J

[Damned Martian]

Originally posted by Deckard
Short and sweet. Loved Open Your Eyes, was bored stupid by the bright happy Vanilla Sky (6/10)

All sense of style and mystery was removed from the US version. No ambiguity and a by the numbers script that treated the audience like morons. Nothing to chew over or ponder at the end.

Worst of all the great dark style and cinematography of the original was replaced by your typical bright, shiny and worst of all colourful palet in vanilla Sky.

Tom Cruise serves as the nail in the coffin bringing nothing to the film except blandness..

So OPEN YOUR EYES and see the truth. My thoughts exactly.

I want to add a scene that fucked me a lot when i saw VS: (spoilers, but if you haven't seen it, why are you reading this thread?) when Tom discovers that he had hired L.I., in the scene with Tilda Swinton... the music that starts then... just AWFUL! The Beach Boys and "Good Vibrations" when you discover that you have hired a dream after your own suicide?? When you discover that you're dead and all this is faked?? JEEZ!:eek:



Anyway, Hannibal, if you want to see some good performances of Penelope, I highly recommend you Sin Noticias De Dios (No News From God), La Niña De Tus Ojos (The Girl of Your Dreams, she won a deserved Goya for this one) and Belle Epoque (The Age of Beauty, winner of the Foreign Movie Oscar in 1992), and all her Almodovar films (i guess, cause i haven't seen them... don't like Almodovar...:o )

[dingostyle]

Zipperboy is right, they are the same fucking movie. I saw Vanilla Sky first, and liked it a lot. Then I started to hear everyone bash it and say that Open Your Eyes is better, so I rented it. The only difference between the two is that in Open Your Eyes, Penelope Cruz was a mime instead of a dancer and had a better topless shot than in Vanilla Sky, that's it. A lot of the shots were the same and pretty much all of the dialogue was the same. The makeup on Tom's face was way better though. The dude from Open Your Eyes looked like he had clay thrown at his face. And Cameron Diaz did play a better psycho-bitch. MAH!

[rupert pupkin]

vanilla sky had its own qualities

but this was darker and more intense

[Hannibal21]

Originally posted by damned martian
Anyway, Hannibal, if you want to see some good performances of Penelope, I highly recommend you Sin Noticias De Dios (No News From God), La Niña De Tus Ojos (The Girl of Your Dreams, she won a deserved Goya for this one) and Belle Epoque (The Age of Beauty, winner of the Foreign Movie Oscar in 1992), and all her Almodovar films (i guess, cause i haven't seen them... don't like Almodovar...:o )

Thanks! I've already seen Sin Noticias De Dios, the film was weird for me but she was excellent in it. And ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER was the Almodovar movie I've seen of Penelope Cruz and she was quite good, the rest I haven't seen but I'll try to get to them sometime this summer.

[Hannibal21]

Originally posted by Buck Turgidson
There is a photo of her in the style section of People this week. She's wearing a satiny dress w/ a leather jacket over it (it works better than you'd think), and her hair is up. She looks GORGEOUS.

But, yes, Han, I am very proud of you. First Natalie and now some room for Miss Cruz. :cool:

And I agree wholeheartedly: she needs to dump Tom Thumb, posthaste.

Testify, Buck.

[Heavenley]

I just saw this one last week, and loved it. Great film with good performances. I'm not a big fan of subtitled movies but this one was very good and intriguing, totally screws with your mind. I loved both this one and Vanilla Sky.

I would totally recommend these to every one.

[The Delfonics]

Originally posted by Deckard
Short and sweet. Loved Open Your Eyes, was bored stupid by the bright happy Vanilla Sky (6/10)

All sense of style and mystery was removed from the US version. No ambiguity and a by the numbers script that treated the audience like morons. Nothing to chew over or ponder at the end.

Worst of all the great dark style and cinematography of the original was replaced by your typical bright, shiny and worst of all colourful palet in vanilla Sky.

Tom Cruise serves as the nail in the coffin bringing nothing to the film except blandness..

So OPEN YOUR EYES and see the truth.

I couldnt disagree more. (though I love both movies), The brighter vanilla sky added more emotion and made it seem even more odd than Abre. The ending in Abre was very rushed unlike the one in Vanilla Sky which makes you really think about dreams, memories and how much your mind can mess with you, making you think the little things that dont matter... well matter.

Ok the dialouge is very different. Ya there are some things ripped out but alot of the jokes are brand new in VS. The elevator scene, and just alot of smaller things in VS made it a more powerful movie. So many lines in VS have philisophical meanings that are very subtle. Although Abre had this, it just didnt seem as intense. Like most Spanish speakers say, sometimes you cant trasnlate your Spanish thought into English and you cant transalte your English thoughts into Spanish

[Buck Turgidson]

Originally posted by damned martian
Anyway, Hannibal, if you want to see some good performances of Penelope, I highly recommend ... Belle Epoque (The Age of Beauty, winner of the Foreign Movie Oscar in 1992)
YES!!

This was the moment when she and Maribel Verdu entered my consciousness. Maribel has been kicking ass in Spanish films as long as Penelope has. I was very happy to see her break through in America a bit last year.

Belle Epoque is a beautiful, wistful, amusing and erotic film that sticks with you long after you see it.

[Damned Martian]

Originally posted by Buck Turgidson
YES!!

This was the moment when she and Maribel Verdu entered my consciousness. Maribel has been kicking ass in Spanish films as long as Penelope has. I was very happy to see her break through in America a bit last year.

Belle Epoque is a beautiful, wistful, amusing and erotic film that sticks with you long after you see it. :D Glad you loved it, Buck. It's one of the best spanish films of the 90's!

[moviefan80113]

thanks