Read User Reviews and Submit your own for Eyes Wide Shut

0

imthenoobNov 8, 2020

Eyes Wide Shut is very much a divisive movie that, at least IMO, ends up being an uninteresting bore that can't really decide upon what drama it really wants to be. The acting is borderline laughable, as is the dialogue, and it really lacksEyes Wide Shut is very much a divisive movie that, at least IMO, ends up being an uninteresting bore that can't really decide upon what drama it really wants to be. The acting is borderline laughable, as is the dialogue, and it really lacks the stunning camera work and look that Stanley is known for. I very much regret checking this movie out.… Expand

17 of 22 users found this helpful175

All this user's reviews

0

NazguleroJan 16, 2012

Stanley Kubrick, a famous director, turns into a dirty old man before he dies. This movie is probably about his own fantasies. It is just sickening. What is the point of this movie ? It is not even interesting. Every man has fantasies aboutStanley Kubrick, a famous director, turns into a dirty old man before he dies. This movie is probably about his own fantasies. It is just sickening. What is the point of this movie ? It is not even interesting. Every man has fantasies about sexual experiences with other women, and on a daily basis. What else is new ?… Expand

20 of 47 users found this helpful2027

All this user's reviews

10

quadartDec 8, 2018

Legendary film possibly the best film ever made. up there with greats such as saving private ryan and showgirls. the way this movie emirses you is incredible. the underground orgy seen is very entertaining and the music puts you in suspence.Legendary film possibly the best film ever made. up there with greats such as saving private ryan and showgirls. the way this movie emirses you is incredible. the underground orgy seen is very entertaining and the music puts you in suspence. these are the reasons this is the greatest movie ever.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

All this user's reviews

8

SydmwswyMay 12, 2022

This is one of Kubrick's best films too : and indeed one of the best films to follow the example of Dr. Caligari. Kubrick removes the abnormal parts of the shining, smoothes the rhythm, which is successful, but a lot of chickens in the filmThis is one of Kubrick's best films too : and indeed one of the best films to follow the example of Dr. Caligari. Kubrick removes the abnormal parts of the shining, smoothes the rhythm, which is successful, but a lot of chickens in the film gives the same shining result that Kubrick could certainly have left it behind in his next film.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

All this user's reviews

10

ManolisS.Oct 1, 2006

One of the best films ever! The most addictive film, the closing of a genius watch it again and again.

2 of 2 users found this helpful

10

AlanM.Oct 21, 2006

A genuinely superb film, that goes over the heads of most of those who do not like it.

2 of 2 users found this helpful

9

SpangleJan 24, 2015

A film that left me in shock multiple times during my viewing, Eyes Wide Shut is a special little film and a great way to end the career of one of the best directors of all-time, Stanley Kubrick. As brilliant as all of his preceding work,A film that left me in shock multiple times during my viewing, Eyes Wide Shut is a special little film and a great way to end the career of one of the best directors of all-time, Stanley Kubrick. As brilliant as all of his preceding work, Eyes Wide Shut is a dreamlike film that relies on his really intense and unsettling atmosphere for thrills to great effect. I truly have little idea about what went on, other than the obvious basics and some ways beyond that, but this one is truly a unique experience. Tom Cruise is great, as is Sydney Pollack. Nicole Kidman is not as good as the rest of the cast, but she is not bad either. Packed to the brims with little subtleties and little symbols, this one strikes me as one that I need to watch again down the line, but based on just one viewing, I can already say that I really, really like this film. Intense, brilliant, thrilling, and undeniably erotic, Eyes Wide Shut is a film that truly messes with your head and enjoys doing so.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

All this user's reviews

8

MovieGuysAug 23, 2016

Reportedly Kubrick's favorite film of his own as well as being his last feature film, Eyes Wide Shut is definitely an excellent movie. The non-linear story is very deep and can be easily missed if taken at face value.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

All this user's reviews

9

PaulWJan 19, 2014

This movie is a bold expose of the Satanic secret societies of the uber-wealthy in the United States. To find out the story behind this movie, start researching; bohemian grove, bilderberg group, house of rothschild, Skull & Bones,This movie is a bold expose of the Satanic secret societies of the uber-wealthy in the United States. To find out the story behind this movie, start researching; bohemian grove, bilderberg group, house of rothschild, Skull & Bones, freemasons.
To give you an example of how exclusive these Satanic societies are, just remember that in the movie, Harford was an M.D. and even he was nowhere near the level of these others. Poolroom scene: Victor: "I couldn't even BEGIN to figure out how you had ever even HEARD of us.., let alone have the password..."
The scenes depicted and described by Kubick are very real. The "security measures" and protocols are much more strict than suggested when one female member is apparently killed in compensation for Harford's intrusion, but the scene made for good theatre. Of course, an "outsider", like Nick, would never have been allowed anywhere near one of these groups, but again, it was a clever theatrical portal into the activities of the group.
After Harford walks through the halls and rooms of the mansion, he is commanded to "...never tell anyone what he has seen". This suggests something very illegal and very taboo. Here, we are talking about the pedophilic Satanic underground of the Zionist-controlled, globalist, multi-national corporation heads: Pool room scene: Victor: "If you knew their names, and I'm not going to give you their names, you wouldn't sleep very well at night..." These activities also involve breeding, slavery, human trafficking and human sacrifice.
Kubric was probably well-aware that he was stepping on some toes by writing, producing and directing this film. Those types of groups alluded to in the film were probably quite aware of the project before its completing, as well, because much of the entertainment industry is owned by large, multi-national corporations. The scene(s) at the costume-fitters shop (with the under-age female being prostituted) were a deft allusion to what Hanford saw on his walking tour of the mansion.
A bold and important film, and one that Kubrick may have lost his life over: he died of a "heart attack" after showing the final-cut movie once: To the main actors at a private exhibition.
Personally, I think Cruise's (and Kidman's) acting was perfect. Hanford's integrity, moderation and logic was a cool counterpoint to the thick and ominous intrigue that increasingly threatened him and his world.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

All this user's reviews

10

IntroduceApr 7, 2016

Stanley is a genius.
Eye's wide shut is a centerpiece for many, script wise and cinematography wise.
In order to extract all the gold from this meditation, one has to be patient, one must be a true lover of cinema. Of all his films thisStanley is a genius.
Eye's wide shut is a centerpiece for many, script wise and cinematography wise.
In order to extract all the gold from this meditation, one has to be patient, one must be a true lover of
cinema. Of all his films this carries the most depth and to date no other soul has tackled this topic quite like Stanley. Only the ripening of a good mind can yield such a boundless harvest of Revelation.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

All this user's reviews

10

asmanrajMar 19, 2016

This movie is an unforgettable classic. Another reason to trust movie critics over the general public. This movie is captivating from beginning to end and is one of the best thrillers of all time.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

All this user's reviews

10

Gehenn666Oct 28, 2015

How can someone dislike this movie? Seriously i wanna know.
Kubrick did an amazing job directing this masterpiece, Every aspect of it is fascinating thanks to the amazing direction,acting and music.You owe yourself the favour of watching it,How can someone dislike this movie? Seriously i wanna know.
Kubrick did an amazing job directing this masterpiece, Every aspect of it is fascinating thanks to the amazing direction,acting and music.You owe yourself the favour of watching it, you won't regret it… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

All this user's reviews

10

peatspinMar 19, 2020

For a final offering it's a great look at the use of color to set moods, he blends red, blue, and their combo: purple to tell the story of passion, coldness, and the land between: i.e. our dreams. As well as using a recurring rainbow motif toFor a final offering it's a great look at the use of color to set moods, he blends red, blue, and their combo: purple to tell the story of passion, coldness, and the land between: i.e. our dreams. As well as using a recurring rainbow motif to tell of all the possibilities that Bill thinks are out there. The ambiguous ending leaves us, like dreams, to contemplate not only what happened, but what we want to believe happened. All the different life circumstances that drive our passions are on display here, wonderful film.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

All this user's reviews

10

JoshW.Sep 19, 2005

It took several viewings for this one to grow on me. But with each viewing it presents itself in a new and exciting way. Very few, even in Kubrick's stuff, can so subtly play out and reveal new levels of depth like this film. At the It took several viewings for this one to grow on me. But with each viewing it presents itself in a new and exciting way. Very few, even in Kubrick's stuff, can so subtly play out and reveal new levels of depth like this film. At the very least, I would ask those who hated it, or even found it to be nothing more than a moderate success to trust in Kubrick's skill. Keep watching it and you'll see that even at the end, he was at the top of his game, if not even a little better.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful

10

MorningtonOct 23, 2010

Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut is a deeply profound film that blankets reality with eroticism like a dark glaucoma of the mind and is the closing of perhaps a perfect filmography of an old master always trying to change the form.

7 of 8 users found this helpful71

All this user's reviews

10

RodrigoBGCSep 26, 2011

Ever wonder what the real drama? what a drama movie? Eyes Wide Shut is the perfect example of drama, fear, obsession, passion, etc. Perhaps as the movie progresses you are wondering, what does this have to do? but this is one of those filmsEver wonder what the real drama? what a drama movie? Eyes Wide Shut is the perfect example of drama, fear, obsession, passion, etc. Perhaps as the movie progresses you are wondering, what does this have to do? but this is one of those films that eventually will show that every action has a reaction… Expand

5 of 6 users found this helpful51

All this user's reviews

10

wisertimeNov 25, 2013

I love this movie. The more you watch it the more you see/learn and reveal. You have to study about it and re-watch it. At face value, most people may not "get it" or recognize the subtleties or symbology and dialogue. It's a master workI love this movie. The more you watch it the more you see/learn and reveal. You have to study about it and re-watch it. At face value, most people may not "get it" or recognize the subtleties or symbology and dialogue. It's a master work and Kubrick is an amazing director. When his movies are on, you just know it's "Kubrick". This is one of those dozen or so movies, I can't take my eyes off if I flip channels and find it playing (Kubrick's other movies are on that list too: 2001, The shining, etc). There are so many messages in the movie and subplots, you just have to study it, watch it, pause video to read the signs throughout the movie and discover all the other hidden messages within that Kubrick painstakingly put in there for the viewer to see.
I "liked" it in the theater...more for the fantasy, imagery, music and cinematography, but the more I learn about it, the more I love it. Same things can be said for "The Shining" and others. I hated "A clockwork Orange", but have since come to enjoy it after further viewings. None are movies you can fully take at face value.… Expand

5 of 6 users found this helpful51

All this user's reviews

8

MrElveyDec 29, 2012

Pretty awesome if you examine it closely. But sucks if you just take it at face value. Like Shakespeare in that way.

I just watched it again, and read Introducing Sociology A Review of Eyes Wide Shut by Tim Kreider It's such a greatPretty awesome if you examine it closely. But sucks if you just take it at face value. Like Shakespeare in that way.

I just watched it again, and read Introducing Sociology
A Review of Eyes Wide Shut
by Tim Kreider It's such a great review of the movie's reviews (and it's free and online, though originally from "Film Quarterly".) I just had to come here and, I see, finally (over 2 years after joining) post my first review in order to mention it - it's such a great read-perhaps better than the movie itself.

It's pretty awesome to see how a thorough analysis makes such a mockery of the run-of-the-mill reviewer's reviews - those from the New York times and Washington Post.

The movie is chock full of masterful iconography. While I missed little of the visual symbology, such as the use of spaciousness, and evil symbology, I didn't pick up on most of the linguistic symbols, from witty names like that of the profligate "Doctor Bill" and ruling class "Victor" to the commercial signage.

The greatest strength of the film is the social criticism angle - like 'Pig Hunt', which I played a tiny part in producing. It lays bare an exquisite panorama of crassness and wretchedness, like pig adorned in diamonds and pearls.

Somehow, the acting was believable and I was drawn into the movie, even as the characters came across as the flattened sterotypes that Kubrick clearly wanted.… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

All this user's reviews

10

JLONov 22, 2010

El director de solo obras maestras se saliÃ³ con la suya de nuevo. Su Ãºltima obra lo encontrÃ³ tan genial, hosco y detallista como siempre. Las actuaciones tambiÃ©n fueron obra suya. Salud KubricK!

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

All this user's reviews

0

SeyeerGameFeb 25, 2022

одним словом - порнуха в ролевой секции, какое-то абсолютно странное кино и очень не похожее на стиль стэнли кубрика

4 of 7 users found this helpful43

All this user's reviews

10

ZiphiasFeb 20, 2021

So far, this is my second favourite film from Kubrick. Criminally underrated and so inviting.

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

All this user's reviews

8

DavidH.Dec 20, 2006

Yes, it has its faults, yes Cruise and Kidman aren't very good, yes it's implausible that Bill could simply have been allowed into the morgue with no ID check. But I'll be damned if the film doesn't work as an intriguing Yes, it has its faults, yes Cruise and Kidman aren't very good, yes it's implausible that Bill could simply have been allowed into the morgue with no ID check. But I'll be damned if the film doesn't work as an intriguing mystery. Provocative, symbolically valid and altogether unique. Is it maybe a tacit indictment of the real-life personae of the leading couple? Whatever Kubrick's intentions, this is possibly one of his best films.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful

9

asthobaskoroMay 6, 2012

Eyes Wide Shut is impressive cinematic work. Maybe it's not Kubrick's masterpiece but the its two lead has a charm, especially the conversation between them on the bed. **** Probably but everything is there.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

All this user's reviews

9

AquaMorphJan 26, 2016

This film is genuinely unnerving with an engrossing atmosphere that is unforgettable. There is a good deal of depth to this film that you have to sift through which makes this surreal masterpiece so interesting to watch. The score was theThis film is genuinely unnerving with an engrossing atmosphere that is unforgettable. There is a good deal of depth to this film that you have to sift through which makes this surreal masterpiece so interesting to watch. The score was the perfect for the movie and added to the entire feel of the movie. With a watch if you like complex films that you have to think about to find meaning.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

All this user's reviews

10

idanlego1001Nov 25, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. this movie is a movie that is
it's also good movie also good it is tom cruise doesn't run ):… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

All this user's reviews

10

dairiaAug 31, 2019

ive always wanted to be in a cult but obviously not one where you are intimate with someone but more sorority cult bit like dead poets society. I love the sublime experience of the film
He is in a world which his own fantasies have createdive always wanted to be in a cult but obviously not one where you are intimate with someone but more sorority cult bit like dead poets society. I love the sublime experience of the film
He is in a world which his own fantasies have created although he never succumbs to temptation.
The film is not about sex, or even about infidelity, it’s about wealth, power, corruption at its core, and class distinction
A great epitaph for a great director, Stanley Kubrick, who passed away shortly after Eyes Wide Shut was finished. Critics panned what they couldn't understand - a movie, subtly and ingeniously directed, reflecting the lifestyle of the rich and famous, and the influence of paganism in contemporary society, through the worship of Satan. The nudity in the movie emphasises the immorality and depravity that exists among the rich and famous.
Personally, I wouldn’t class this as an erotic movie, it has adult content and lots of nudity but it’s more about controlling desires, sexuality and trust rather than eroticism. Starting off in a warm fuzzy this creates a dreamy, affluent and seemingly carefree world where the background colours reflect the current plot mode, green for jealousy etc, as the story unfolds. Well written and directed with amazing camera work [albeit in a TV format], this never really reaches a ‘run’ tending to stroll along at an even pace which is all part of its charm, although many may complain that it is slow and plodding.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

All this user's reviews

4

SummersausageJan 6, 2013

Kubrick finally went to the place that he has always bordered on. A pit of nonsense due too a plot that doesn't begin or end and nudity to a point where I just thought, Okay it is not possible to have that much naked in one room. Creepy andKubrick finally went to the place that he has always bordered on. A pit of nonsense due too a plot that doesn't begin or end and nudity to a point where I just thought, Okay it is not possible to have that much naked in one room. Creepy and cool build up to a wreck of a inapplicable ending.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

All this user's reviews

8

amheretojudgeJan 16, 2018

you're not even looking at it..

Eyes Wide Shut

Stanley offers doubts, raises questions and upbeats the entity in this overlong (needs a bit editing) yet a stunning craft in which Tom brings his A game.

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

All this user's reviews

10

ryancarroll88Aug 27, 2010

"Eyes Wide Shut" is one of those movies that reaffirms the study of film - it's a masterpiece that gets better with every viewing; if you didn't like it the first time, watch it again and you're bound to find something new.

11 of 39 users found this helpful1128

All this user's reviews

5

J-ShapAug 25, 2011

Eyes Wide Shut is an amazing tapestry of ideas. But, alas, as a film, it fails. The problem is not solely due to the awkward performances by Cruise and Kidman, but actually due to Kubrick's own direction. While a master of mis-en-scene,Eyes Wide Shut is an amazing tapestry of ideas. But, alas, as a film, it fails. The problem is not solely due to the awkward performances by Cruise and Kidman, but actually due to Kubrick's own direction. While a master of mis-en-scene, atmosphere, and visuals, Kubrick has always been an emotionally distant director. This is probably due to Kubrick's own personality, but his misanthropic tendencies work in films like Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, and Paths of Glory, due to his understanding of craft and touch for cold feeling that isolates the viewer when it is supposed to. He is emotionally distant in a good way, like a Radiohead song. But while Kubrick's tactics of isolation worked in films with cold feelings and misanthropy, it fails in Eyes Wide Shut. The film is supposed to be about the inner-workings of the human brain, and specifically, the part that can bring out intense emotions. The problem is Kubrick seems so disinterested in his own characters, as well as Cruise and Kidman, that to connect emotionally, which a character study needs, fails. It is a vast pool of ideas, but nothing to string them together.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

3

SeamusS.Jan 5, 2006

I am not one to insist that films be entertaining or uplifiting or profound or complex or subtle or passionate or... I am one however to insist that films be interesting. Eyes Wide Shut was a bore. Kubrik Shmubrik!

1 of 5 users found this helpful

10

PanchogulJun 11, 2020

La última obra de Kubrick, estrenada de forma póstuma ya que este último falleció tiempo antes de su llegada a las salas de cine. En términos financieros es la más exitosa de toda su filmografia, en lo personal encuentro que es de susLa última obra de Kubrick, estrenada de forma póstuma ya que este último falleció tiempo antes de su llegada a las salas de cine. En términos financieros es la más exitosa de toda su filmografia, en lo personal encuentro que es de sus trabajos más complejos, el cual yo jamás he logrado comprender del todo, pero aún así es fascinante.… Expand

1 of 26 users found this helpful125

All this user's reviews

8

sergtonaApr 9, 2011

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This film was very blame in its firsts years, someone says that its the most simple project of Kubrick. Es, anyway, a wonderful movie, very similar of the films that the director did in his first works. In my opinion, the two and something hours that this movie longs, are pretty short, because it ends of a very cut way, but also very mystical, and we don't know if what the doctor have seen was just a dream or it was really what happened. Charming sensual… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

7

SnowDayJul 11, 2015

This is a very difficult film for me to review. It's sort of like finally getting to ride the best roller coaster in the world after standing in line for six days.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

7

peymanNov 27, 2011

Kubrick's final twist film. but The last film Kubrick, not of the best films... however i like many startling visuals and great use of music ...but I just wish this story had been given more capable hands to mold it. Kubrick, Kidman, andKubrick's final twist film. but The last film Kubrick, not of the best films... however i like many startling visuals and great use of music ...but I just wish this story had been given more capable hands to mold it. Kubrick, Kidman, and Cruise have nearly ruined what could have been a much better movie… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

7

Compi24Sep 6, 2015

A dizzying and demented send-off, Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" poses a host of troubling questions and takes disturbing strides in almost answering them.

0 of 25 users found this helpful025

All this user's reviews

7

ZawMineJun 26, 2015

Wow! That was hell of a trip. I know it's an R rated movie but I didn't see that coming. So disturbing. sensual and intense. The performance is great. Overall, Eyes Wide Shut is a special drama romance movie.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

8

RobertBroganSep 30, 2015

Eyes Wide Shut has a good story for a psychological thriller. Overall, it is a good film (better than most films) but a low four stars, not at the level of the Shining or 2001. The film lacked in style and vibe, especially when I am remindedEyes Wide Shut has a good story for a psychological thriller. Overall, it is a good film (better than most films) but a low four stars, not at the level of the Shining or 2001. The film lacked in style and vibe, especially when I am reminded of American Beauty. Eyes Wide Shut may have been great if it were shorter and had an eerie, melancholy, wandering/lost vibe and camera style to match. But, again, it is a good story for a thriller, so give it a view if you in the mood.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

9

timoneMar 5, 2019

Eyes Wide Shut is one of the last Stanley Kubrick films he ever made since he was alive, which is interesting because he is one of the greatest masterful directors that everyone can count on. His work is immense where his directing style andEyes Wide Shut is one of the last Stanley Kubrick films he ever made since he was alive, which is interesting because he is one of the greatest masterful directors that everyone can count on. His work is immense where his directing style and cinematography can entertain viewers who have seen the beautiful filmmaking and what he was going for. As far as I love Stanley Kubrick as a director, this is one of the raunchiest. Much like how A Clockwork Orange shocked people in the theatre worldwide and how controversial is was, this movie went on a whole new level when there is amount of sex in this, I will tell you how. Tom Cruise is Dr. William Harford is on his sexually natured adventures when he is shocked when his wife, Alice played by Nicole Kidman, reveals that she had contemplated having an affair a year earlier. So he went out on his night-long adventures including the only place and the only scene which I will never forget. He who witnessed a weird bizarre masked quasireligious orgiastic ritual at a country mansion, a discovery which would later threaten his life. And that is the long scene which I'll never forget and it will be embarrassing. Take a wild guess? "Masked orgies". This movie is something that people don't really understand but if they actually did, newcomers who are interested like me may know what to expect and thinking about what was going on at what Bill went through. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman are both good in this and they played good characters at what they're going through on their sexual relationship. They both got married and they starred at Days of Thunder and Far and Away and now they're divorced. The only thing I almost forgot to mention is that the film is slow-paced because the way it was slow-paced, the more the scenes are long to go on for, cause the film does sometimes have some long shots and they do those scenes really well. Much like that I've seen A Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket and I love the hell out of them and Eyes Wide Shut is a very underrated drama film filled with erotic scenes, slow-paced scenes, thrills and mystery. Stanley Kubrick did a tremendous job making this film and it will be fondly remembered by anyone who is a fan of his work. And may the greatest director of all time rest in peace for he had experienced of making his last film which is impressively great, Eyes Wide Shut.… Expand

0 of 19 users found this helpful019

All this user's reviews

9

ReelViews94Mar 23, 2016

“Eyes Wide Shut” may have trouble living up to all the extreme and diverse expectations viewers may have for it, as almost any picture would under the circumstances. But after all the curiosity and attendant hype wash away, what one is left“Eyes Wide Shut” may have trouble living up to all the extreme and diverse expectations viewers may have for it, as almost any picture would under the circumstances. But after all the curiosity and attendant hype wash away, what one is left with is a riveting, thematically probing, richly atmospheric and just occasionally troublesome work, a deeply inquisitive consideration of the extent of trust and mutual knowledge possible between a man and a woman. Meticulous, deliberate and precise picture casts a particular sort of spell, one that will likely captivate older and thoughtful audiences more than it will mainstream Tom Cruise die-hards and those with short attention spans.

Less acerbic and, in its own tentative way, more optimistic about the human condition than any of the director’s previous films, this intimately focused updating by Kubrick and Frederic Raphael of Arthur Schnitzler’s beautifully observed 1926 novella “Dream Story” remains remarkably faithful to its source while also trading in familiar Kubrick concerns such as paranoia, deception, the literal and figurative masks people wear, and the difficulty for even intelligent human beings to transcend the base and self-destructive impulses that drive the species. Aside from its succession of delectable individual scenes, pic’s outstanding feature is its subtle and unstressed expression of a dreamlike state, a stylistic fusion of the gritty and the fanciful that allows for “reality” and the imaginary to merge to such an extent that it is of no concern which is which, if indeed they are distinct.

Kubrick first considered adapting Schnitzler’s Freudian, Vienna-set tale in the late ’60s, and in its sense of intellectual adventurousness and daring, as well as for its vaguely disembodied, out-of-real-space-and-time feel, pic seems rather more like a part of that era than of today’s cinema. Longtime Kubrick fans will therefore no doubt pick up on many nuances and meanings that could easily elude the masses of contempo viewers who are too young to have seen a Kubrick picture first-run in a theater.

Even though “Eyes Wide Shut,” like its source story, is seen from the male p.o.v. and largely concerns the obsessions, fears and limitations of its protagonist, pic is unique in the late director’s oeuvre in that it’s the women who far outshine the men. Kidman is sensational and luminous as she inhabits her character, who reps a convincing argument for the view that women are far more cognizant and expressive of their emotions than are men. When absent from the story during her husband’s wanderings, numerous other actresses willingly take up the slack in a succession of brief but indelible turns, most notably the intense Richardson as the bereaved neurotic daughter, the insinuating Shaw as the inviting prostie and Fay Masterson as the latter’s upfront roommate.

Where this leaves Cruise is the film’s most debatable issue. At face value, the star gives a limited, emotionally constrained, eyebrow-crinkling and grimacing performance, nor is he entirely convincing as an established favorite doctor to Gotham’s elite. No doubt the same complaints that were voiced about the ineffectuality of Ryan O’Neal in “Barry Lyndon” will be heard here about Cruise. On the other hand, it can be argued that the actor, who has none of the big thesping demands placed upon him that the women do, despite being onscreen nearly continuously, generously hands the picture over to his several outstanding female partners by allowing them to shine. While the role could have used an actor whose casual authority cloaked inner turmoil and desire, Kubrick found a way to use Cruise shrewdly, and thesp in no way impedes the picture from the full expression of its intentions and meanings.

As for the titillation factor, some of the dialogue is far more explicit than what’s on view. Kidman has much more action with her dream officer in her husband’s mind via black-and-white fantasy footage than she ever does with her mate. Orgy sequence features plenty of stunning nude women striding around as well as pretty standard soft-core simulations.

And so the career of a great filmmaker comes to a close with a work that, while not his most startling or innovative or subversive, nonetheless sees him striking out in exciting and sometimes new directions with his stylistic confidence and boldness intact. Given that the endings to his previous films have been variously absurdist, despairing, apocalyptic, mystical, corrosive, murderous and nihilistic, perhaps the fact that the conclusion here is at least guardedly hopeful suggests that, at the end, Kubrick believed in some sort of human progress after all.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

All this user's reviews

8

eva3si0nMay 13, 2022

Eyes Wide Shut is the last film of the great Stanley Kubrick and perhaps the most controversial in his filmography. First, this is a film about marital fidelity, and it has many hints of Freud's psychology. Secondly, Eyes Wide Shut has a weakEyes Wide Shut is the last film of the great Stanley Kubrick and perhaps the most controversial in his filmography. First, this is a film about marital fidelity, and it has many hints of Freud's psychology. Secondly, Eyes Wide Shut has a weak storyline against the background of the director's other films. The excellent acting duo of Kidman and Cruz perfectly convey the life of an ordinary family with their problem. The film will seem irrelevant to many, and some will only be remembered for the orgy scene, but Kubrick clearly wanted to say more… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

8

Steven1981Mar 21, 2020

Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut is a sort of drama/mystery and erotic movie... Usually I'd give films like Eyes Wide Shut a bad rating and to many this film may feel boring but it's the good acting by Tom Cruise and the story that keeps thisStanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut is a sort of drama/mystery and erotic movie... Usually I'd give films like Eyes Wide Shut a bad rating and to many this film may feel boring but it's the good acting by Tom Cruise and the story that keeps this bored pace of a movie ticking along nicely.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

All this user's reviews

8

Zac03Aug 8, 2021

A film that left me in shock multiple times during my viewing, Eyes Wide Shut is a special film and a great way to end the career of one of the best directors of all-time, Stanley Kubrick. As brilliant as all of his preceding work, Eyes WideA film that left me in shock multiple times during my viewing, Eyes Wide Shut is a special film and a great way to end the career of one of the best directors of all-time, Stanley Kubrick. As brilliant as all of his preceding work, Eyes Wide Shut is a dreamlike film that relies on intense and unsettling atmosphere for thrills to great effect. I truly have little idea about what went on, other than the obvious basics and some ways beyond that, but this one is truly a unique experience. Tom Cruise is great, as is Sydney Pollack. Nicole Kidman is not as good as the rest of the cast, but she is not bad either. Packed to the brims with subtleties and symbols, this one strikes me as one that I need to watch again down the line, but based on just one viewing, I can already say that I like this film. Intense, brilliant, thrilling, and undeniably erotic, Eyes Wide Shut is a film that truly messes with your head and enjoys doing so.… Expand

0 of 6 users found this helpful06

All this user's reviews

5

keanexMar 21, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ultimately this movie is about a married couple who find themselves fantasizing about others, one in dreams, and one who attempts to act them out after learning of the dreams. As a whole I get the point, but the dialog is painful to endure at times, moving at a snail's pace, and the story didn't really do much for me.… Expand