Directed by:  Alejandro Amenábar 
Written by: Alejandro Amenábar, Mateo Gil
Starring:  Eduardo Noriega, Penélope Cruz, Chete Lera, Najwa Nimri
 

December 5, 2001

         Cameron Crowe’s new film this holiday season staring Tom Cruise is a remake of the Spanish film Abre Los Ojos or Open Your Eyes. Open Your Eyes stars Eduardo Noriega in the Tom Cruise role and Penélope Cruz in the same role she plays in the remake.  I’ve heard that Crowe said he’s changed some things about the remake, including the ending.  This is a good sign.
         Open Your Eyes is one of those films I enjoyed watching because the story was gripping and it was visually stunning.  But then the end came and it fell into the surprise ending cliché I’ve seen all too often in films from Total Recall, The Game and Existenz.  Up until that point though, Alejandro Amenábar’s film is a psychological thriller that seems to be what people expected from Kubrick’s final masterpiece Eyes Wide Shut. 
         César is a suave catering player who always seems to get the girl over his best friend Antonio.  He even has a lovesick woman, Nuria, chasing him.  After meeting up with the beautiful Sofía (Cruz) at a party, Nuria’s jealously turns fatal when she drives off a cliff, with César in the car.  César is then disfigured and locked up for murder.
         Now the story is told through flashbacks and what may or may not be dreams.  It’s fun to try and figure out what’s going on, and of course is the driving force of the film.  César begins to confuse brunette’s, a ploy Amenábar obviously lifted from David Lynch.  It all leads up to a grand finale where César must determine what is real and who to trust.
         The acting is good and the thriller aspect is the best part, but the ending seems to downplay the serious/real tone of the film; it’s almost like a joke.  Amenábar did the same thing this year with the overrated Nicole Kidman film The Others.  He seems to have a gift for copying what others have already done. 
       Open Your Eyes seems oddly familiar of Total Recall, but at first look, you wouldn’t think either had anything in common. The Others seems oddly familiar of The Sixth Sense.  Both of Amenábar’s films were made after those mentioned.  I’m not sure what to think of the upcoming Vanilla Sky.  The question is, can Cameron Crowe keep the deep psychological feelings that permeate the story and change the ending to something a bit more believable?
 

Recommended Alternatives: Eyes Wide Shut, Total Recall, The Game, The Sixth Sense

-Reviewed on Video- 

Check out these previous Fidelio Film Reviews:

Eyes Wide Shut
Vanilla Sky