Eyes Wide Shut

[broadway86]

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.

Posted: 2/7/05 at 11:20am

I somewhat disagree that there are many people who enjoy multiple viewings of 2001 - it may be one of the most watched and analyzed films in cinema history.

And I completely disagree about Eyes Wide Shut. Meandering, unfocussed and undisciplined.

[broadway86]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 11:21am

"I somewhat disagree that there are many people who enjoy multiple viewings of 2001 - it may be one of the most watched and analyzed films in cinema history."

Hmm... didn't think of that.

I disagree that it is unfocused. I can't really think of any scenes that aren't crucial to the advancement of the story. Updated On: 2/7/05 at 11:21 AM

[WOSQ]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 11:42am

2001 was a big hit among acid freaks. The trip (no pun) at the end just enthralled certain members of the audience who frankly were my peers. I didn't do acid but my friends who did LOVED 2001. They could watch it times on end, sometimes when they had seen the film the day before and could see it again on the inside of their eyelids. I'm sure some of my generation have had flashbacks to this very day.

The prized seats when it was shown in Cinerama were way down front where one could see the whole screen peripherally yet at very close range.

Eyes Wide Shut seemed to be made by someone who hadn't left the house in 10 years--which indeed it was. I felt it ultimately had nothing to do with anything and was unfulfilling for me and for most of my friends. The ones who professed to admire it didn't really like the film. They were trying to defend Kubrick's last picture.

Then there are those who loved Eyes Wide Shut. They saw a different movie than I did, but that's what makes good debate.

[CurtainUp2]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 12:22pm

I'm a big Kubrick fan, but Eyes Wide Shut is my least favorite of his films. IMO it's his least relevant and most emotionally removed. It may have had something to do with his years of isolation from the public. The material in the film has a ho-hum quality to it. (For a Kubrick film, anyway) While I find his other films to be provocative and ahead of their time, EYES feels dated and almost timid in it's approach to it's subject matter. That said, even a so-so Kubrick movie is better than most of the crap that's out there. And EYES definitely has it's moments. It's visually stunning, and as in all Kubrick films, there's always something to analyze and ponder. It's just a shame it was his last film. His was a life and career cut far too short.

PS. I've probably sat through 2001 twenty or more times. IMO it's a masterpiece! Talk about a film being ahead of it's time.

Updated On: 2/7/05 at 12:22 PM

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 1:25pm

Strange film. I have mixed feelings, but Alan Cumming was wonderful.

[broadway86]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 2:39pm

Yeah, he had a very nice cameo. Alan Cumming + Stanley Kubrick = ?!

[PJ]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 4:11pm

I've always enjoyed watching Eyes Wide Shut. Other's criticsms are correct in that is unfocused, but I wholeheartedly love the film. Like all of Kubrick's pictures, it is visually stunning. The whole film seems very claustrophic and dreamy. That's probably why I enjoyed it so much.

But nothing beats Clockwork Orange. Which is one of my favorite movies of all time, if not the favorite of all time. I sometimes find myself stuck between Clockwork and Silence of the Lambs as my favorite.

[CurtainUp2]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 5:09pm

PJ... You're two favorite movies of all time are A Clockwork Orange and Silence of the Lambs? How dark! A therapist could have a field day with that! Actually, A Clockwork Orange is also one of my all time favorites. Disturbing, but nonetheless hypnotic.