OPEN YOUR EYES vs. VANILLA SKY

[Antonio]

I just watched OPEN YOUR EYES (ABRE LOS OJOS), and it reaffirms my belief that Alejandro Amenabar is one of the best new directors in the last five years.

It was even better than Cameron Crowe's remake, VANILLA SKY, and here's why: Penelope Cruz, who played the same role in both films, was much better in the original (speaking in her native tongue), and her chemistry with leading man Eduardo Noriega was much hotter than her lukewarm relationship with pretend real-life paramour Cruise; Noriega makes for a more innocent hero than the asexual Cruise; Amenabar's direction is tighter and faster-paced than Crowe's leisurely paced film; and the score (by Mariano Mann and the director himself) is one terrific piece of music. I want the soundtrack!

Although I consider Dr. Curtis McCabe (Kurt Russell in his best role/performance in years!) an excellent psychiatrist/father figure, the film VANILLA SKY pales in comparison to its predecessor OPEN YOUR EYES/ABRE LOS OJOS. I watched it again last night on video, and liked it even less than I did during the December theatrical release. Cruise and Cruz generate as much heat as a toilet seat on a January morning, and the plodding storyline was as painful as a wisdom tooth extraction. Cameron Diaz was great, though, and her interesting, tormented Julie Gianni character deserved more of a back story.

I would also recast Noriega in any of Tom Cruise's roles (save MAGNOLIA), especially INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE...let's see what a real actor can do with the role of LeStat!

And I'm not just bashing Cruise because of his harsh treatment of Nicole...he is the most immature 40-year-old "man" I have ever seen (on the big screen and in real-life interviews). The fake laugh is as excruciating as Julia's horse laugh! Now there's a match made in heaven/hell (take your pick)...Tom and Julia!

If any of you can locate OPEN YOUR EYES in your local video stores, by all means rent it!


[This message has been edited by Antonio (edited 06-16-2002).]

[Andrew Tom]

I agree, the only reason to see Vanilla Sky is Kurt Russell and the R.E.M. songs on the soundtrack.

I almost cried when I saw Vanilla Sky and what it did to my favorite scenes from Open Your Eyes.

OYB:9/10
VS:4/10

[CheekyShepherd]

Although I am a fan of Tom Cruise, I must agree with Antonio's review of Vanilla Sky.

Open Your Eyes, like most foreign language originals-cum-hollywood remakes, is much better.

[QUENTIN]

I lean towards Vanilla Sky, which was my best film of 2001. Abre Los Ojos was a great movie and gets an 8/10, but I thought Crowe (whom I love) did a better job with the visuals and music, and I preferred some of the acting in VS (especially Diaz replacing the okay at best Spanish actress in the Gianni role). Also I have a soft spot for Jason Lee, and preferred Cameron's opening scene which was more dramatic. Vanilla Sky also touched me more emotionally (though Cruz looked SO much better on the rooftop in Abre). Overall, both are great films, but I have a strong affinity for Cameron Crowe films.

Vanilla Sky: 9/10
Abre Los Ojos: 8/10

[TheMoviegoer]

Vanilla Sky is better for a lot of reasons.
Tom was more convincing then the original actor, the painting (and painted sky) were only in Vanilla Sky, the silly mime scene was cut from the Abre Los Ojos, the way the shrink was dispatched in Vanilla Sky was more interesting, the 'surgical procedure' and mask seemed more realistic in Vanilla Sky, Penelope looked better in Vanilla Sky, the NYC scenes were cool in Vanilla Sky. etc.

Still, all credit for both films go Amenabar, as the original screenwriter.

If you like Amenabar, check out his early film Thesis, which also stars the leading actor from Abre Los Ojos.

[Zed]

Thesis is a great film.

The Amenabar versión is far better....

[Deckard]

No Competition- OPEN YOUR EYES is twice the film VANILLA SKY turned out to be.

[Hannibal21]

ABRE LOS OJOS (OPEN YOUR EYES) - 9/10

VANILLA SKY - 3/10 (need a second viewing)

[Cosimo]

Abres Los Ojos is a far superior film

[JCPhoenix]

Abre Los Ojos -7 or 8/10
Vanilla Sky -8/10

BTW, i did see Abre Los Ojos first.

[The Delfonics]

VS - 10/10
ALO - 8/10

VS is much much much superior, shame on all who oppose

[notchreturns]

Abre Los Ojos is a better film than Vanilla Sky. Much more mysterious, tense, and the acting for the two leads, is more believable and well-done. Penelope Cruz is one hell of an actress (...and really beautiful...) when she sticks to her native tounge.

I still liked Vanilla Sky a lot, the music, direction, Kurt Russel/Jason Lee and such, but it really does pale in comparion.

Abre Los Ojos (9/10)
Vanilla Sky (8/10)

[MickeyKnox]

Abre Los Ojos-(9/10)
Vanilla Sky-(8.5/10)

[Deckard]

Open Your Eyes 9/10

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

If your going to remake a brilliant thriller why would you remove all sense of ambiguity and mystery??

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.

[Buck Turgidson]

I really thought that I had contributed to this thread...

I definitely remember it, because I agreed with Antonio's idea about Noriega replacing Cruise (and made reference to it in the other thread yesterday...)

Well, everyone knows by now that I prefer Open Your Eyes.

[philw1980]

Can't help but feel the cool answer would be to say I preferred Open your eyes but have to say it's Vanilla Sky for me. I did like them both and there were a couple of things I preferred in Open your eyes, these being Penelope Cruz speaking in her native tongue as a few others said here. I also thought that Open your eyes didn't seem to go on too long. Vanilla sky did seemed to go on a bit unnecessarily. It could be slightly cut down.

For Vanilla Sky although I'm not a big fan of Cruise I actually prefer him in that role. It suits him. The kind of narcissistic overgrown teenager. Who's kind of a victim and an abuser at the same time. Part of me hated him and kind of felt sorry for him at the same time. All the money but his Dad not really caring about him. In Open your eyes the lead role almost just seemed like quite a reasonable guy who just happens to be rich and handsome. I never got that same feeling about him.
2. Cameron Diaz plays the role of the psycho Julia Giani really well. I missed her in the original.
3. The backdrop of New York just seems far more powerful and one of the final scenes showing the New York skyline prior to 2001. One of the last films to do that. Also in the first scene there seems nowhere more powerful to do that than Times Square.
4. Preferred the soundtrack in Vanilla Sky.
5. Jason Lee. The ideal person to play the friend. The perfect actor to joke 'Oh My God there's a seem opening'. No one other than Jason Lee can pull that off.

Vanilla Sky would probably be in my top 10 favourite films.