Cesar is a wealthy man with not a care in the world; heir to a family fortune in the restaurant business, Cesar's youth prompts him to act foolishly, spending his money on lavish excesses and girls, whom he incessantly baits with the prospects of his abundant wealth and good looks.  His latest fling, Nuria, is simply more of the same; another day, another girl, another party.

It isn't until Cesar's best friend, Pelayo, attends Cesar's birthday party, however, arm-in-arm with his guest, the beautiful Sofia, that things begin to look up for the man with everything.  Intrigued, Cesar works to pick at Sofia's brain throughout the evening, enlisting her help to ward off the inquiring Nuria, and, stealing her away from his best friend.  When the night ends back at Sofia's house, Cesar has a brief glimpse of a chance at what could be love.  Elated, he heads home to begin his new day; new life.

But Nuria brings a fatal end to all of it, however, when she picks Cesar up the next morning and careens her car over a bridge, killing herself and leaving Cesar fatally wounded.  His face now destroyed, Cesar must learn to cope with the guilt of Nuria's suicide, and the newfound reality of being the disfigured outcast among society. His desperate attempts to

With a sudden switch in perspective, one sees Cesar back in a mental institution, hiding behind a mask, cowering before his shrink who is trying to crack the mystery behind Cesar and his alleged murder of Sofia.  With a psychological turn that suddenly develops two plot lines in tandem, Cesar fights his doctor's attempts to help him uncover the past and unlock the mystery behind his incarceration.  But once Cesar realizes what happens, will he be able to deal with the truth of the awful path that led him to where he now is, and where the others have already long gone?

The original story of isolation, fear, and exile, "Abre los Ojos" is poignantly original.  The story is haunting, captivating, and above all, moving.  Though it doesn't come backed with the capital and special effects of its later adaptation, "Vanilla Sky," it is the timelesslness of the storyline that makes this film so spectacular.  Whereas "Vanilla Sky" had more social, romantic, American pop-culture overtones, "Abre los ojos" pairs down the focus to hone in on the pyschological introspective of one man's struggle to interact and live in a society where he is the outcast; think of it as "The Elephant Man" meets "Vanilla Sky." 

If you have already seen the American adaptation, you will have to prepare yourself to be open-minded and willing to understand the perspective shift in the foreign version.  This movie is intently focused on a single character development; a new-age bildungsroman, if you will.  Though much of the plot summary is congruent with the adaptation, the approach to production, dialogue, etc. are much, much different in "Abre los ojos."  

America should be honored that it had such a great predecessor to follow with the making of "Vanilla Sky."  This story is truly an original; its so hauntingly realistic, while entirely fantastical all at the same time.  Some of the best scenes are that of Cesar and Pelayo's interaction, and, Cesar and his shrink.  It is in these scenes that one sees the true psychological torture and struggle that the protagonist undergoes to gain back the life of his dreams; a life that, though once a dream, remains a dream, that is, until he can  finally "open his eyes."

Main Characters:

Cesar, played by Eduardo Noriega, is the man haunted by a dream, a past, and a girl he can't let go of.

Sofia, played by Penelope Cruz, is the amorous ingenue beauty who steals Cesar's heart.

Pelayo, played by Fele Martinez, is Cesar's loyal best friend, who tries to help Cesar cope with the ups and downs of his tragic life.

Nuria, played by Najwa Nimri, is the seductive mistress, both victim and villain; the blackwidow.