pen your eyes … Open your eyes …” New Yorker David Aames (Tom Cruise), who runs three magazines for a worldwide publishing house (which he inherited), drives a fancy car, lives in a luxury apartment, and has a gorgeous girlfriend, Julie Gianni (Cameron Diaz). And he makes time to play racquetball with his best friend Brian Shelby (Jason Lee) before important board meetings (comprised of elderly executives who despise the young leader). But that doesn’t stop him from having eerie dreams about being the last man on earth, or from being in some kind of serious trouble, interrogated by cryptic government man McCabe (Kurt Russell) in a holding cell – while Aames wears a plain latex facial prosthetic that obscures his face. “You’ve been charged with murder.”

Clearly told out of order to slowly reveal a bizarre mystery, “Vanilla Sky” is immediately overly stylized. It’s an attempt to appear hip and modern, but it tends to get in the way of the storytelling. Nevertheless, the plot thickens when Julie becomes jealous over birthday party guest Sofia Serrano (Penelope Cruz), whom David falls for at first sight. Thus begins an absorbing, lighthearted, cute, yet straightforward Hollywood romance, narrated by Aames as he explains it to McCabe. Despite the geniality, an undeniable ominousness lurks beneath that veneer; something horrifying might just be right around the corner. “Let’s continue. Time is not our friend.”

Little clues about a potential sci-fi infusion surface, alongside an escalating relationship drama with Julie, reminiscent of an updated take on “Fatal Attraction.” The lines between fantasy and reality somewhat blur as Aames can’t determine which sequences are daydreams or not. His narration is also inconsistent, though it’s increasingly more evident that his nightmares are the truth. His idealistic playboy lifestyle might have disintegrated spectacularly. Interestingly, less than halfway through the picture, details become clearer; it’s less of a mystery and more of a clearcut love story, plagued by the compelling notion of what happens when someone’s attractiveness, tied so closely to their success and identity, suddenly vanishes. “Experiment! Use me!”

Though it’s based on an earlier Spanish film (that also starred Penelope Cruz), there are amusing similarities to “Mr. Sardonicus” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” examining how facial characteristics are inextricably linked to the sense of self, and how one’s perception of oneself rests so strikingly on appearances, as well as how one’s behaviors shape their outward image, like a cartoon villain with exaggerated characteristics to define exterior and interior ugliness. But despite the intermittently fascinating study of what makes a monster, there’s a slowness surrounding “Vanilla Sky,” threatening to undermine any suspense. This is definitely a romantic drama over a thriller, even if the thrills are the most memorable aspects. “Is this a dream?”

“Everything’s a nightmare.” Further surprises remain, but they’re tied to conspicuously cinematic twists, which are entirely expected with this moderately overlong runtime. Psychological shocks and an unreliable narrator (showing scenes that may not be accurate) keep things engaging, even with brief lulls and a purposely frustrating timeline, presenting continual unease and uncertainty. Ultimate revelations are withheld until the very end (borrowing from a few classic sci-fi movies, and with a hint of emotion), but the delays are often exhausting rather than nerve-wracking; a lack of truths isn’t always good for pacing or entertainment value, especially when the finale is inordinately protracted. “There’s an explanation for all of this.”

– Mike Massie