Bizarre, Frustrating, Cinematic, Great!

Rating: 10/10 (25 May 2013)

A few days ago, I decided that as a film buff it was completely unacceptable that I had never seen a Kubrick film. So as of late I've been watching the heck out of every film he made, and loving every minute of it. My latest venture was Kubrick's classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
I have to say, as a film, I really enjoyed 2001. The SFX are spectacular, a true marvel of their time, effects that stand the test of time better than almost anything in the industry. The cinematography is beautiful and Kubrick's direction is spot on for the most part. The score is great, everything from The Blue Danube to the iconic 2001 theme is spot on and well utilized throughout the film.
To address the elephant in the room, 2001, at many points, is a boring film. Pacing is slow, landscape and developing shots are long and drawn out, and the lack of dialogue throughout most of the movie simply contributes to a sometimes-boring experience. In particular, the opening shots for TMA-1 seem to stretch on forever. Make no mistake, this is not your mediocre, explosion-every-five-seconds action flick, and in many ways, this is a good thing.
The other knock I have against this movie is its lack of emotion. Kubrick's films can often lack emotional expression, and I think that tendency is manifested in 2001. Actors, either by their own decision or Kubrick's direction, rarely display any shows of emotion, although I found that at most points this suited the movie as a whole.
My last point has to do with 2001's ending, the most bizarre, confusing, and beautiful part of the film. Personally, I had to go look up an interview with Kubrick explaining it to fully understand its meaning, it is that strange. Yet, it is my favourite part of the movie, as it brings something profound and breathtaking to an otherwise slowly paced movie.It's a little bizarre, but once you figure it out, it ties up the movie perfectly.
8 out of 10, but given the slow pace, I doubt most viewers will enjoy it :(.