While Stanley Kubrick has not dabbled in every film genre, he has covered most. Nearly all of them are raved as being some of the best and most innovative films ever made. "Eyes Wide Shut" was in development hell for thirty years and took well over a year to shoot, but was worth the wait. Sure it could have been better, but Mr. Kubrick's talents as a director make this better and more interesting than it could have been.
Bill (Tom Cruise) is a well-respected physician in the Big Apple with his loving wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman) and a beautiful daughter. Kidman gives her first great performance as Cruise's seemingly loving wife. They were married in real life at the time, making their chemistry top-notch. Cruise gives one of his best performances in what was really his year. The year was 1999 and Cruise starred in Stanley Kubrick's last film and Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia." He was excellent in both. I think people forget just how talented he is and don't remember his juicy acting chops.
During a supremely fancy party, Bill encounters an old friend from medical school named Nicholas who is now and concert pianist. Nick recommends Bill check out his next gig to which Bill absolutely agrees.
The next night, Bill and Alice are making love and getting high. But Alice is spoiling for a fight where she admits to fantasizing about having sex with another man. Bill is devastated because he would never even think about cheating on his wife.
That night, Bill gets called to duty but stays out since he can't get the sensual images out of his head. He is about to make it with a hooker but is unable to. He then goes to see Nick perform where he is immediately drawn in to go to Nick's next gig that night: he will be playing piano at a masquerade orgy outside the city. Bill doesn't know what to expect and is shocked to see what it entails.
So far the film is great. Great look, great acting, great filming, and mysterious. But everything after Bill's night time odyssey does not measure up to what happened before. There's another hour of one forgettable thing happening after another.
One other weak thing is the message seems unclear. This certainly wants to tell us something, but what? It definitely deals with marriage and infidelity, but what exactly? Kubrick loved making ambiguous films, but this is a normal drama. Why baffle viewers? If the second half was not as long and more insight was dealt on trying to say what the movie tries to convey, everything would have been better.
If another director made this, it likely would not had been as good. Kubrick makes the film look great and the camera's fluidity in it movement are all admirable. Also, any major director's final film that is truly good is usually always remembered. Kubrick happened to incorporate controversial elements which helps be remembered, but trust me when I say this would have been as remembered if it did not receive so much controversy.
Does this reach the heights of "Spartacus" or "The Shining"? No and far from it. That is why people usually describe this as a "worthy" final chapter, not a "perfect" finale. At least Stanley Kubrick went out in a blaze and not in a blunder.
3/4.
Bill (Tom Cruise) is a well-respected physician in the Big Apple with his loving wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman) and a beautiful daughter. Kidman gives her first great performance as Cruise's seemingly loving wife. They were married in real life at the time, making their chemistry top-notch. Cruise gives one of his best performances in what was really his year. The year was 1999 and Cruise starred in Stanley Kubrick's last film and Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia." He was excellent in both. I think people forget just how talented he is and don't remember his juicy acting chops.
During a supremely fancy party, Bill encounters an old friend from medical school named Nicholas who is now and concert pianist. Nick recommends Bill check out his next gig to which Bill absolutely agrees.
The next night, Bill and Alice are making love and getting high. But Alice is spoiling for a fight where she admits to fantasizing about having sex with another man. Bill is devastated because he would never even think about cheating on his wife.
That night, Bill gets called to duty but stays out since he can't get the sensual images out of his head. He is about to make it with a hooker but is unable to. He then goes to see Nick perform where he is immediately drawn in to go to Nick's next gig that night: he will be playing piano at a masquerade orgy outside the city. Bill doesn't know what to expect and is shocked to see what it entails.
So far the film is great. Great look, great acting, great filming, and mysterious. But everything after Bill's night time odyssey does not measure up to what happened before. There's another hour of one forgettable thing happening after another.
One other weak thing is the message seems unclear. This certainly wants to tell us something, but what? It definitely deals with marriage and infidelity, but what exactly? Kubrick loved making ambiguous films, but this is a normal drama. Why baffle viewers? If the second half was not as long and more insight was dealt on trying to say what the movie tries to convey, everything would have been better.
If another director made this, it likely would not had been as good. Kubrick makes the film look great and the camera's fluidity in it movement are all admirable. Also, any major director's final film that is truly good is usually always remembered. Kubrick happened to incorporate controversial elements which helps be remembered, but trust me when I say this would have been as remembered if it did not receive so much controversy.
Does this reach the heights of "Spartacus" or "The Shining"? No and far from it. That is why people usually describe this as a "worthy" final chapter, not a "perfect" finale. At least Stanley Kubrick went out in a blaze and not in a blunder.
3/4.