Abre los ojos - 6

Open Your Eyes, is the original Spanish version of Vanilla Sky. Scene for scene it is almost exactly the same--Penelope Cruz plays the same character in both. I think I liked this one better in that it seems more original and the ending makes more sense than in the Hollywood version. Some of the dream sequences are shown with distortion so that you can actually get the perspective of Cesar, the main character. Sorry to spoil it for those who have seen neither, but the scene in which Cesar kills his lover is a lot more intense and shows his insanity better than Tom Cruise can pull off. The amazing thing about both films, and it's ultimate downfall is that it does not take into account that most people have the ability to doubt their perceptions rather than to doubt reality. If I think I have heard something wrongly, I usually ask the other person to repeat themselves. That seems like a better way to deal with reality than threatening to kill them because what they say doesn't seem to conform with my views of things. Overall, an interesting film that can engage people in conversations about perceptions and reality.