A heart-stopping finale to the career of a heart-stopping artist

Rating: 10/10 (31 January 2011)

As if we didn't already know Kubrick was the greatest filmmaker of all time, he proved it yet again with this, his final film, an epic and dark masterpiece. I won't give a plot summary, as so many people have and the plot itself is fairly simple to follow. Cruise is amazing at the height of his career (his Oscar-nominated performance in Magnolia followed) and Kidman is captivating in her monologue early in the film, the revelation which sets in motion the strange and eerie events of the film. Kubrick's talent is once again visible, employing classical music as well as an unsettling piano tune which plays during the second half (by Gyorgy Ligeti) to sink us in, as well as a mysterious plot which pulls us without warning into a dark world of sexual discovery. Cruise plays his frustrated doctor character with ease and skill, one of the best performances by an actor in a leading role in 1999. If you're a fan of Kubrick (or even if you aren't), this is a must-see.