Open Your Eyes

While Vanilla Sky was a solid film, this still ranks as the better version. It's quite a contrast in styles. While Vanilla sky tried being over the top, Abre Los Ojos proved to be more subtle and controlled. Penelope Cruz, even though she was playing the same role, she was far more articulate and natural in her native tongue. Maybe we should stop remaking great foreign films, and appreciate them for what they are as opposed to what we want them to be.

César has been left rich by his restaurant owning parents. When he meets the beautiful Sofia at a party he uses her as a way to escape his jealous ex Nuria. After a night of talking with Sofia, César is picked up by Nuria who crashes her car deliberately killing her and horribly disfiguring him. With surgery limited as to what it can achieve César despairs at his loss (his looks, not Nuria) and tries to pick up with Sofia. However when surgery returns his looks he thinks everything is solved – but his dreams become more vivid blurring his sense of reality. He tells his fragmented story to a physiatrist in a mental institution/prison where he waits trail for murder.

Suddenly this little beauty is being sought out – even if Vanilla Sky is mixed, at least it put the original on the bigger stage. The story is magnificently set out – it builds slowly and you never know the full story – even the ending requires you to catch up really quickly. Not knowing what's going on at some points may frustrate some audiences, but it just drives this film on. It is a little far fetched at points but it's handled so well that you don't mind. The story is laced with emotion and passion – the ending is moving for so many reasons that I won't spoil.

Director Amenádar delivers a visually great film – he uses the dream sequences well and regularly contrasts the beauty and the twisted face of César. He delivers a story that is stylish and clever, using his cast to spin out a human drama before launching into the realm of science fiction.

Noriega is great as the conceited César – his character and his fate can both be taken as comments on vanity and the importance of image – and he is more than able to handle all the sides to his character. Cruz is good here too – she is quite attractive and plays well in a smallish role. The most underrated performance is given by the physiatrist – his role becomes bigger at the end and he handles the complexities thrust upon his character well.

Overall this is a superb film that mixes a clever plot, good acting, a great script and stylish direction. It may lose some of it's impact once you know the full story and it should be enjoyed as freshly as possible – but it will stand repeat viewings to get the full picture.

I went into this movie with no reservations and was pleasantly astonished by it. I advise anyone else to do the same; it is not like the Matrix, it is not like Hitchcock, it simply exists in its own right.

The film attempts to be at least two movies in one. Unlike numerous attempts in the industry, it succeeds elegantly. I was drawn into the first part, the character portrait of the wealthy, shallow young man who undergoes a startling change... and then found myself swept up in a keenly sympathetic, psychological suspense film. Part of the success of the story is that it is centered primarily around several young, uncomplicated characters. In Hollywood, such characters in suspense films are usually knifed up within the first few pages of script.

I don't look for anything positive in the upcoming American remake, incidentally. This is a film with depth and yet simplicity, truth and fantasy. It is a pure pleasure to watch, and it simply can not be improved upon without becoming gaudy and confusing.

How I wish I had seen this film before seeing Vanilla Sky. There is so much subtlety, so many interesting ideas in this that have been butchered or simply lost in translation in the Hollywood version. The ending of Vanilla Sky pretty much explains everything... Abre Los Ojos leaves most of it up to interpretation and the viewers' imagination. Upon my recent second viewing, I realized how many hints there are towards the twist in the film, and how many ideas and subjects for good discussion that are in the film. The direction in Vanilla Sky seemed fine before, but in comparison, it's really daft and unimaginative. The majority of the good stuff in VS is stolen directly from ALO. A lot of it is changed to fit Hollywood's standards(and we all know how... high... they are), and the authenticity of the great idea is almost lost through this. This is the third Alejandro Amenabar movie I've seen(the other two are Thesis and The Others), and definitely my favorite so far. Not many films can catch and keep your interest even when you've already seen a (bastardized and cheaper) version of it already. I couldn't take my eyes off it. Like Amenábar's other films, this is slow and deliberate(whereas Crowe's version, in comparison, seems somewhat rushed, trying to get to the end as fast as possible, despite being a full half hour longer), and it really works to the films benefit. The music is wonderful, and it fits perfectly in every scene. The mood and atmosphere of the film is great. The effects are excellent... by comparison, those of Vanilla Sky are overly flashy and obvious. Here, they're beautiful and very subtle, like the rest of the film. The cinematography is very good, and far superior to that of VS. I realize that this seems more like a comparison between the two films than a review, but I can't seem to find the words to express just how great this is. See it for yourself. And in the name of all that is good and just, see it before you even consider watching Vanilla Sky. I recommend this to fans of intelligent films and/or Alejandro Amenábar. This is quite probably the best film he has made so far(though I haven't seen Mar Adentro yet). 9/10

Sadly due to the lack of availability of 'Open Your Eyes' in Australia (until now) I saw Cameron Crowe's 'Vanilla Sky' first. Too bad. 'Open Your Eyes' is the original and best version, and would have impressed me even more if the surprises in the plot hadn't been ruined for me by the remake. So I strongly urge you to watch this movie first for maximum impact. It's a real killer, and especially recommended if you are a fan of mind-blowing movies such as Frankenheimer's underrated 'Seconds', Cronenberg's brilliant 'Videodrome' and 'eXistenZ'), or have read a Philip K.Dick novel or two.

Eduardo Noriega (star of Amenabar's previous movie, the taut, suspenseful 'Tesis', also worth a look) is much more believable than Tom Cruise as the increasingly baffled protagonist caught in a never-ending nightmare, and Penelope Cruz's performance here is subtler and more appealing than her reprise of Sofia in Crowe's overblown and self-indulgent remake. Alejandro Amenabar has made three excellent imaginative thrillers in a row, and looks like being one of the most potentially exciting directors currently working. 'Open Your Eyes' comes with my highest recommendation. This one is essential viewing.