Vanilla Sky
Rating: * * *
Director: Cameron Crowe
Running time: 135 minutes
Language: English
Now showing
Tom Cruise is one of those actors who's often managed to get by on looks alone -- any acting is strictly bonus. His looks were perfect for the 1980s, the decade in which his star rose: Those angular brows signaling intent over a decidedly opaque gaze; that supernova smile that projected confidence and a calculated veneer of likability. This was the slick, slightly suspect sales-pitch charm of the yuppie, and it made Cruise rich through films like "Top Gun" and "Cocktail."
It's no surprise, then, that his best roles have traded on this aura of superficial charm. Recall his ruthless sex consultant in "Magnolia," or his go-getter sports agent in "Jerry Maguire".