Abre Los Ojos (1997)

An incredible film, that's miles ahead of the Crowe remake Vanilla Sky, which I actually liked quite a bit. This one though, the editing, the direction, the camera work, and the hitchcockian atmosphere throughout are just head and shoulders above Crowe's version. Alejandro Amenabar even said this was his re-make of Vertigo, which I can see at least in the composition of some of the shots, as well as the nature of some of the female characters. Eduardo Noriega bares a striking resemblance to Tom Cruise in physical appearance. But performance wise he's much better in conveying emotions on opposite sides of the spectrum - both very happy and extremely depressed and/or devastated. Not enough can be said about Penelope Cruz. In my opinion one of the five most beautiful women in the world, as well as one of the most charming actresses. She's perfect for this part, which she nails. Najwa Nimri is also good as Najwa Nimri, a femme fataleish character that reminded me of films noir, which makes sense given the aforementioned Hitchcock mention. I must now see everything Amenabar has made, and my interest in the careers of Noriega and Cruz increased dramatically. I know some of you have seen this, what are your thoughts?