#1
Posted: 2/7/05 at 11:16am
I'd be hard pressed to find more than a handful of people who could sit through "2001: A Space Odyssey" over and over. I am a big Kubrick fan. His thoughtfulness, his need for perfection, and his distinct style of composition, performance, and tone solidifies his place as one of my favorite filmmakers (right up there with Tarantino, Fellini, Spielberg, Hitchcock, Lynch, Wilder, and Luhrmann).
"2001" was a slow, deliberate, and dazzling journey through the darkest regions of space. "Clockwork Orange" was an explosive and disturbing comment on violence and free will. "Dr. Strangelove", "Lolita", "Barry Lyndon", and "Paths of Glory" are all brilliant. However, I believe that Kubrick's greatest achievement is 1999's "Eyes Wide Shut", a ponderous, chilling, and humane look at marriage, the dangers of desire, and (most importantly) people.
Bill (Tom Cruise) and Alice Harford (Nicole Kidman) are a successful couple, living in New York City with their daughter. It is winter, nearly Christmas. After Bill and Alice smoke pot one night, they get into a heated argument about what men and woman want out of each other, whether it be sexual or what have you. Alice suddenly reveals a dark secret that sets Bill out into the city, on a strange quest that may or may not lead to his demise.
Tom Cruise gives one of his most focused and effective performances as Bill. Sydney Pollack, Marie Richardson, and Vinessa Shaw offer strong support. The real star here, though, is Nicole Kidman. Although she has only a fraction of Cruise's screen time, her work extraordinary. She gives Alice and intelligent and erotic charge. Kidman is moving at the most unexpected points, and wholly deserved an Oscar nomination.
As with all Kubrick films, this is a flawless mosaic of words and images. The art direction, lighting design, and screenplay all combine to create an atmospheric work of art that really must be seen to be believed.
"Eyes Wide Shut" ends on a priceless and hopeful note. The final exchange of dialogue is better than anything I could have possibly come up with. When the film ends, and the words "Directed by Stanley Kubrick" flash across the screen, it always saddens me to know that he could have been giving us films like this for years to come.
"2001" was a slow, deliberate, and dazzling journey through the darkest regions of space. "Clockwork Orange" was an explosive and disturbing comment on violence and free will. "Dr. Strangelove", "Lolita", "Barry Lyndon", and "Paths of Glory" are all brilliant. However, I believe that Kubrick's greatest achievement is 1999's "Eyes Wide Shut", a ponderous, chilling, and humane look at marriage, the dangers of desire, and (most importantly) people.
Bill (Tom Cruise) and Alice Harford (Nicole Kidman) are a successful couple, living in New York City with their daughter. It is winter, nearly Christmas. After Bill and Alice smoke pot one night, they get into a heated argument about what men and woman want out of each other, whether it be sexual or what have you. Alice suddenly reveals a dark secret that sets Bill out into the city, on a strange quest that may or may not lead to his demise.
Tom Cruise gives one of his most focused and effective performances as Bill. Sydney Pollack, Marie Richardson, and Vinessa Shaw offer strong support. The real star here, though, is Nicole Kidman. Although she has only a fraction of Cruise's screen time, her work extraordinary. She gives Alice and intelligent and erotic charge. Kidman is moving at the most unexpected points, and wholly deserved an Oscar nomination.
As with all Kubrick films, this is a flawless mosaic of words and images. The art direction, lighting design, and screenplay all combine to create an atmospheric work of art that really must be seen to be believed.
"Eyes Wide Shut" ends on a priceless and hopeful note. The final exchange of dialogue is better than anything I could have possibly come up with. When the film ends, and the words "Directed by Stanley Kubrick" flash across the screen, it always saddens me to know that he could have been giving us films like this for years to come.
Actually, A Clockwork Orange is also one of my all time favorites. Disturbing, but nonetheless hypnotic.
