After watching the American version of this movie (Vanilla Sky) for the first time in probably over two decades, and being far more disturbed by this more recent viewing than I remember being the first time that I had seen it, it seemed like a good idea to go ahead and see the original movie. It was available on my Amazon, which was good. And I was fascinated to see the original, and to see both the similarities as well as the differences.
Of course, before I review this movie, I have to give the usual warnings about the inevitable spoilers. This was a difficult movie to talk about without giving away some of what happens, because the descriptions sometimes are misleading. After all, a recent description (I think it was on Amazon Prime) of Vanilla Sky, the American adaption of this particular movie, described it as a man who meets a woman who seems finally to be the one. While that is definitely an aspect of the movie, to be sure, it actually is a small aspect of a much larger story. Because while that plays an important part of the movie, it also is far from even coming close to describing what you can actually expect from either of these two movies. And so if you read that, or a similar description, and in case you are reading this without having seen either movie, than bear in mind that the movie is much different than what that description might lead you to expect from it. So yes, this particular warning about spoilers felt to me more necessary than usual.
Here we go:
*****Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers*****
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By now, of course, you have been warned that there will be spoilers from here on out. So read on if you have already seen either movie, or if, for whatever the reason, you do not mind spoilers.
Now, after having finally seen it, it kind of took me by surprise just how similar the two movies were. Large chunks of it seem almost identical, at least in terms of storyline, and even lines. Hell, Penelope Cruz basically plays the same role in both movies. So, there are obviously going to be at least some similarities. A lot of similarities, in fact. This is basically the original Spanish version, and Vanilla Sky was just the bigger budget, Americanized version of it for English-speaking audiences.
That said, there are differences. Penelope Cruz is great in both versions. Eduardo Noriega, who plays Cesar, is a bit more down to earth than the often over-the-top Tom Cruise, even though I actually liked Cruise in Vanilla Sky. But this movie feels a bit smaller in scale, which makes it feel more real, and thus, darker. The disfigurement is explained in greater detail, and thus more believable, and thus dreadful. It lends this movie a darker, grimmer feel, even though Vanilla Sky is hardly a cheery movie. But this one feels a bit darker in some ways. Sofia's rejection of Cesar feels more final, somehow. The corporation feels a bit more suspect than it does in the American remake. The mask looks less glamorous, but far more real. Cesar's isolation, self-imposed or otherwise, feels more complete.
Yet one aspect of Vanilla Sky that I actually preferred, despite the face not being nearly as bad as it was in this movie, was that his injuries to the rest of the body felt more realistic. Not only is his face disfigured, but simple things that he took for granted, like walking, were now visibly more uncomfortable and challenging. In this movie, for some reason, it seems that Cesar managed to avoid any other serious injuries, other than to his face. He still seems to be physically okay and even strong otherwise, with only his face serving as a reminder of the horrific accident that he had survived, and which changed his life. In that aspect, the American movie felt more realistic. He was clearly never the same, and not just because of his disfigured face.
This is a very good movie, and quite thought-provoking.
Also, of course, it is likely most famous nowadays as the obvious inspiration for Vanilla Sky, which became much bigger. The two movies are very similar, even virtually identical in some ways. Yet, the two movies are different enough that they each have their own feel. This one feels distinctly less Hollywood, and more grounded. The conversations are not as polished, the lines not as rehearsed. But that makes this feel a bit more real and grounded. In certain respects, it is even grimmer than Vanilla Sky. The guy's face is worse, the accident less spectacular yet also a bit more realistic. And there are some eerie scenes. It is easy to see why someone saw this movie and felt that it was good enough to be remade and brought to a wider audience.
Highly recommended.
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