Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Eyes Wide Shut: Directed by Stanley Kubrick. With Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Madison Eginton, Jackie Sawiris. A New York City doctor embarks on a harrowing, night-long odyssey of sexual and moral discovery after his wife reveals a painful secret to him.

“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, donu0026#39;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 — itu0026#39;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.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe tension in the plot and the issues that the film discusses arenu0026#39;t telegraphed to the audience, theyu0026#39;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 u0026quot;that wasnu0026#39;t about anything!u0026quot; Then think about what youu0026#39;ve seen and realize it has a great deal to say.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film is a meditation on sexuality and how it relates to marriage, death, and money. Itu0026#39;s a fascinating commentary on modern life, and a rare movie that dares to examine sex as impassionately as any other issue.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe 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. Itu0026#39;s Kubricku0026#39;s magic work with the camera that holds the film together.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAll in all, definitely worth seeing for the un-uptight. Itu0026#39;s possible to watch this film and actually think about it for hours afterward. Thatu0026#39;s something you wonu0026#39;t get with the Wild, Wild West.”