Eyes Wide Shut

Initially was at a loss for words with this one. I can't necessarily explain the feelings this film brings out, but I can say they feel real personal and there's just something so off yet so painfully real about (most of) this movie and it is just really undervalued in Kubrick's filmography, I think. Besides being one of my favorite looking movies ever, the midpoint turn is one of the scariest heading down rabbit hole reveals I've really encountered in a film and it just disturbed me for the entire time (you know the point) and after as it continued provocatively building to the disturbing and bizarrely cathartic ending, which haunts me as the final scene in a Kubrick film. It's perfect in it's imperfectness and I get an insane level of both joy and sadness watching this movie.

With the exception of a late-occurring scene of deadening over-explanation wholly unnecessary to the film on every level (and rather unusual for Kubrick), Eyes Wide Shut is utterly sensational, and represents another gleaming jewel in the master filmmaker's already studded crown. Cruise and Kidman surpass all of their previous work, turning in spectacular performances infused with nuances only hinted at prior to this outing. Their real-life union appears to bring every bit of unique tension Kubrick intended, as the movie wholly depends on the verisimilitude of the central couple's relationship. Kubrick's tone fulfills all the promise of the title, consistently delivering an elevated texture of almost uncanny imagination perpetually hovering between fantasy and reality. The director additionally mines many of his familiar thematic concerns, including deceit, paranoia, and blinding frustration. Eyes Wide Shut is certain to be as closely scrutinized as many of Kubrick's other films (particularly because it is his final work), and its thoughtful and challenging treatment of such lightning-rod topics as marital honesty, sexual jealousy, and the perceived risks of disclosing one's fantasies (even to the single person you trust more than any other) is sure to draw some people in while pushing others away.

One film which I have watched on multiple occasions is Eyes Wide Shut. This was Stanley Kubrick's final film. It is one of the most challenging, underrated, misunderstood and complex cinematic works I have ever seen. Ever since it's release it's been given variegated reviews. The flawless visuals, deep themes, slow pace and eerie almost dreamlike atmosphere all captivate the viewer.

The premise itself is the story of a doctor named Bill Harford played by Tom Cruise and his wife Alice played by Nicole Kidman. A wealthy and privileged couple who reside in New York with their young daughter Helena. After Alice unveils a mysterious sexual fantasy she had with another man Bill becomes distressed. A thoughtful Bill embarks on a late night sexual odyssey where he counters temptation, lust and infidelity. Before attending an outlandish orgy held by the rich and powerful of an underground cult. There he witnesses the darker side of sex and how dehumanizing and frigid it can be. After being exposed as an outsider Bill's livelihood and family become endangered causing Bill to resolve the aftermath even though he was given terse instructions not to by the cult. Rousing more thought-provocation, confusion and mystery to flow.

In the end the film remains ambiguous and puzzling yet nevertheless fascinating. There are many themes to study such as jealousy, intrigue, fear, sexuality, fantasy, reality and dreams amongst a host of others such as psychology, sociology, human nature, society and so on. It's also an fascinating message on how sex has transformed into a technology e.g. the obsession with money. Many stress it to be an artistic film as well. Personally I don't think it's Kubrick's best film however it's still in there with his best. A symbolic, important and serious work. The title of the film is metaphorically relevant to the context of the film in that our eyes are literally wide shut to the truth. As the ending is quite ambiguous interpretations are left open in that the viewer can decide whether or not it has either an optimistic or pessimistic outcome. I would maturely recommend it

Eyes Wide Shut is ill-suited for the summer movie corridor. It has no explosions, no running, shouting, or a single gunshot. What it has are long scenes in which characters talk to one another. Slowly and carefully. The problem is that the film is marketed as having white-hot sex scenes and plenty of gratuitous nudity, while it has neither. There is plenty of naked flesh, don't get me wrong, but in exactly the opposite way that the ads make it appear. This is not a movie about being sexy and naked -- it's a movie about how flesh is just another part of being human, so what is all the fuss about? The marketing campaign is misleading, and led to disappointment in the audience that I saw the movie with, who were just looking for some skin.

The tension in the plot and the issues that the film discusses aren't telegraphed to the audience, they're hinted at in the dialog. There is no neat resolution at the end, life simply goes on. You may watch the whole film and think "that wasn't about anything!" Then think about what you've seen and realize it has a great deal to say.

The film is a meditation on sexuality and how it relates to marriage, death, and money. It's a fascinating commentary on modern life, and a rare movie that dares to examine sex as impassionately as any other issue.

The directing and cinematography alone would be worth the price of admission without the social commentary. The sets are an integral part of the movie; they breathe and glow and live. Kubrick was a master director, and he uses long shots and dissolves to great effect. Cruise and Kidman are at their best, and the supporting cast is also strong. It's Kubrick's magic work with the camera that holds the film together.

All in all, definitely worth seeing for the un-uptight. It's possible to watch this film and actually think about it for hours afterward. That's something you won't get with the Wild, Wild West.

Are there secrets that you keep outside your marriage, locked away inside an unseen secret carriage, of the way you might behave, if you were confident and brave, although your partner would most likely not, encourage. As a doctor is presented with an image, of his wife's fidelity that starts him to twitch, leads to several rendezvous, that seek to demonstrate, imbue, of how that scratch that can't be reached, just might be itched. Interpretation of the outcomes might reveal, how you engage with your love, just how you feel, do you know just who they are, do they know how high's your bar, or would the truth, if it came out, make you both squeal.