Perhaps the greatest film of all time

Rating: Null/10 (4 May 2002)

RATING: 10
A film so carefully crafted and visually breathtaking that, regardless of content, the viewer is immediately drawn to it. Stanley Kubrick created the film of his career with this magnificent science fiction opus, which explores such themes as extraterrestrial life, man versus technology, religion, and, above all, humanity's place in the universe.
Perhaps the most fascinating quality in "2001", next to its highly thought-provoking nature, is the overall atmosphere and mood. The film has such a commanding, godlike presence that one forgets that they are viewing a movie, rather than observing an actual monolith of sorts.
Kubrick's direction here is truly glorious. As with all of his films, he refuses to follow a cinematic formula or to deliver instant gratification to his audience. He allows "2001" to take its time and unfold in a slow, sometimes even tedious manner in order to fully immerse his audience into the film. The use of music in the film (Johann Strauss's "The Blue Danube" beautifully juxtaposed with images of slow moving spaceships) will leave a truly indelible impact on practically anyone who sees the film.
This is a film that will never cease to be relevant. It's very subject matter is something few would dare to examine in a film, much less in such an audacious manner. This is a perfect film in every aspect. Even the acting, which so many have complained about, is appropriately restrained and realistic. "2001" went where no film ever dared to go, which is one of the many reasons of why I consider this to be the apex of cinema.