The movie that brought Alejandro Amenábar to the world’s attention also offered the chance to see Penélope Cruz in her natural, Spanish habitat before her Hollywood career. Unfortunately, it’s the uncharismatic Eduardo Noriega who is at the center of the story about an attractive bachelor whose face is destroyed when he gets tangled up with two gorgeous women. The story develops through memories and dreams, but the director can’t seem to get the pace right. The twist in the ending almost excuses the faults in this tale of where fantasy ends and reality begins.
1997-Spain-France-Italy. 119 min. Color. Directed by Alejandro Amenábar. Screenplay: Alejandro Amenábar, Matteo Gil. Cast: PenĂ©lope Cruz (SofĂa Cueto), Eduardo Noriega (CĂ©sar), Chete Lera (Antonio), Fele MartĂnez, Najwa Nimri.
Trivia: Original title: Abre los ojos. Remade in the U.S. as Vanilla Sky (2001).
