Eyes Wide Shut

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Summary: Stanley Kubrick - ever the dream weaver
Review: There is a certain nuance which lurks underneath the reels of every Stanley Kubrick film, a revelation about the human condition that is haunting yet ultimately cannot be refuted. The two faces of humanity - the "awake face" and the "dream face" - are what surfaces from the film and into the viewer's mind in Stanley Kubrick's final film. Yet this film is also a journey of the conscience, a journey along the lines of James Joyce or Fyodor Dostoyevsky in which the principal character (in this film's case, Dr. Bill Harford, played with splendid reserve by Tom Cruise) searches through the bowels of the world towards some truth that is reached in any number of forms (the last line of the film is surely the most clear cut example of this kind of revelation). A plot summary for this film would be useless. Eyes Wide Shut is a film that must be experienced, a film which, like a great work of art, must be savored and mulled over for a good two or three viewings. Generally, the story follows the journey of a jealous doctor who, upon hearing his wife's revelation of a fantasized affair, descends into the seedy, smokey, sexual underworld of New York City where he meets a variety of characters, some as aids, others tempters, all damned in one way or another. The cinematography in this film is lush and fluid, melding well with Kubrick's amazing usage of color and setting. The streets of New York (all a film set) are unbelievably realistic, with crumbling shops and sidewalks hinting at the corruption which lurks underneath the "waking world". There should be no confusion in the title of this film; "Eyes wide shut" seems to signifiy a walking dream state and this film, though long but not unbearably long, is exactly that: a dream state through which the viewer must journey. And with Stanley Kubrick as the tour guide, the trip is well worth it.

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Summary: The debates will never end.
Review: I can say that, as far as reviews go, this is one of the most debated films ever. I'm gonna say it right now, both sides are right.

One one hand, this film is important, and it can be studied. It is a psychological film, that not everyone will understand, probably because it's very hard to understand. The film has some haunting images, and it's by Stanley Kubrick...

But this is not one of his better films. Even if Film Scolars look deep into this work, and understand it, the message is simple. The plot is simple, and even though it may seem deep, it's shallow on the surface. The film is slow in order to let the plot sit in, which most people won't like, although it worked for 2001.

I know my review may be confusing, but I'm so confused about this movie that I don't know what to think. I can say this, if you haven't seen it, give it a rent first, because this is a movie not everyone will like.

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Summary: WOW
Review: The interpretations are endless so I won't even go there. I'm just pleased as I look at these EXTREMELY mixed reviews and one thing comes to mind. I would like to quote Oscar Wilde in saying:

"All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril. It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors. Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital. When critics disagree, the artist is in accord with himself."

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Summary: A "Complete Overview" :)
Review: Okay, it's a Kubrick film, so there is a LOT going on on many levels. I'll elaborate a bit below, but the long and short is - this is not a date movie, unless you want to spend the rest of the evening talking about the film, and I guarantee any two people, regardless of gender or other difference, will disagree about many things in the film. Which is good, IMHO. Okay - the skinny: 1. Acting - great in supporting cast, mediocre in the leads (Cruise and Kidman). Tom is trying hard to climb out of Jerry McGuire. Nicole is better, but overacts during her best scene. 2. Production (cinematography, sets, everything but acting and plot) ROCK. You could watch this film with the sound off and it would be great. Revisit Kubrick master-touches from the past and see a few new ones. Kubrick is rejoined by old friends the "magic 70's zoom-cam" and the color Red. 3. Plot - if you're counting on dialog to do the trick, it won't. Like 2001, the dialog does little (okay, it does more here than in 2001, but still not much). Kubrick is Kubrick because everything in the film should talk to the viewer - your interpretations are AS IMPORTANT as what Kubrick is showing you (Kubrick's view, not just mine). Like 2001, the magic happens when the viewer superimposes his or her self on what the film gives. Think about what you are seeing and how you are seeing it. Dialog helps, but don't let it distract you. I saw it with my girlfriend. I like Kubrick, she didn't know him. It took us two days to figure out if we liked it or not. I liked it a lot - I put it in his top 5 for visual style alone. She hated hated hated it, but it took two days to get there. Any film that makes one digest it for so long is worth seeing, and this one is worth owning. Note: photographers and amateur filmmakers, watch this film. Repeat as necessary. Overall, a great film for those who don't mind a little introspection / navel-contemplation or who want something to talk about afterward. A very bad film for "background noise" or a frat party, despite the nudity. A final note - the hoopla about sex/nudity is vapor. There is nudity and sex, but it drives Kubrick's plot. I won't discuss it further, but let's just say the treatment of gender/sex issues in this film are similar to "A Clockwork Orange" in some ways. Those who haven't seen ACO, don't worry about it. Eyes Wide Shut won't warp your brain. At least not from the sex.

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Summary: Best Movie in years
Review: Sorry for those who couldn't get it, but this is the best movie since Fullmetaljacket! I agree with the reviewer named Michael: people don't have the patience to try to understand the subtle and genial things in films like this one.

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Summary: Open and shut
Review: An overrated movie from an overpraised director. Still, it's sad that the man behind Dr. Strangelove finished his life and career on this low note. What is the point of this movie? Is Kubrick exploring the psycho-social ramifications of orgiastic sex? Is it a statement on the subterranean mores of cosmopolitan wives? Is it a warning that a dangerous cabal controls the sexual topography? Is Kubrick enjoying a private joke at the expense of Tom and Nicole's acting abilities? Even the film's ardent admirers can't say. But why should we fault them? Kubrick himself seemed confused. If you are someone who likes to see some examination of virtue (as well as decent acting) in a drama, you will find very little of value in Eyes Wide Shut.

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Summary: A True Masterpiece
Review: Towards the end of this past summer, I developed an interest in the films of Stanley Kubrick. Near the end of August, the film (which quickly vanished from theaters, after the nasty critical reviews) was only playing in one local theater and was about to go out. I begged my older brother to take me to see it (I hadn't obtained my driver's at the time -- I'm 17). He grudgingly agreed, wondering if he "would have to brush his teeth after seeing it". But, he was beaming when we walked out of the theater and later thanked me, because it was one of the best movies he had ever seen.

There can not be enough praise to give this really excellent film. As this was Stanley Kubrick's last film, I'm glad that he decided to go out with a bang. The story is suspenseful and and has enough mystery to mislead you (which is no easy task for today's films). All of the actors in the film, no matter how big or small their part is, always add something to the movie. Nicole Kidman has us hanging on her every word in her confession scenes and Tom Cruise performs above and beyond in an underwritten role.

The camerawork and cinematography are top-notch, probably the best that Kubrick has ever done. They make the movie all the more enjoyable.

I really don't know too many people who liked this movie. But, you know what? This movie isn't mainstream. Like "2001: A Space Odyssey", you have to have the patience and the open mind to enjoy the experience of "Eyes Wide Shut".

Stanley Kubrick should be a mentor to today's filmmakers. And as an aspiring filmmaker myself, I just want to say that Stanley Kubrick is always going to be one of my heroes.

Rating:
Summary: "Eyes Wide Shut" very good
Review: This movie is great. This is played to perfection, the love story between Cruise and Kidman. The music is superb, and acting is outstanding. I give this a 20 out of a scale of 1 to 10. Rated R for scenes of sexuality, brief strong language, and nudity.

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Summary: Sex, Drugs,Death and Middle Class Ennui Masterpiece
Review: Tom Cruise is so watchable and so good looking it is sometimes overlooked that he is a fine actor, perhaps even a great one. After seeing MAGNOLIA and now EYES WIDE SHUT I expect future projects will be awaited with high expectations. Masks are a recurring motif in the late Mr Kubrick's work - in CLOCKWORK ORANGE they were painted on, in the SHINING the most horrific scene was Jack Nicholson stumbling on a man in a grizzly bear mask and costume fellating another man and now in EYES WIDE SHUT the mask on the pillow next to the sleeping Nicole Kidman which has replaced her husband Tom Cruise is the climactic moment in this outstanding film. The catalyst for action in the beginning is a party which both attend - both engage in mild flirting with other guests and in an after party confession Nicole relates about an incident in their past when she was sexually attracted to another young man. She confesses she has subsequently dreamed about him. This sends a now jealous Tom off on a hellish journey into a world of sex, drugs and commerce where everybody and everything is for sale. It's an ugly world of upper middle class hedonistic indulgence. Mr Kubrick's use of long takes, steadicam camera following characters, music full of foreboding, and stunning use of colour and sets make this an experience not just a movie. It has a happy ending, but the world outside still remains a threatening one according to Mr Kubrick. A geat film.

Rating:
Summary: Eyes Wide Shut
Review: One of Kubrick's best. Superb performances by Cruise and Kidman.The story slowly draws you into the minds of the characters, especially Cruise's character who finds himself suddenly overtaken by emotions of jealousy and desire to be followed by fear and finally guilt. Kidman as his wife delivers one of most memorable dialogs with absolute perfection. Note Sydney Pollack who appears in the movie. Sydney is an actor, director and producer of many hit movies, his acting is natural and smooth, a true perfessional for sure. This was Kubrick's last movie and his final masterpiece and he kept it true to the Kubrick tradition of the highest quality of motion picture making in cast, crew, and script.