Reality, phantasy, and desires become mixed together in this rich tapestry

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 1999)

When a couple have been married for nine years, as the ones portrayed by Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Stanley Kubrick's final film, one supposes that they know all the intimate details of each others lives. But such is not the case in this engrossing study of a marriage.
Kubrick weaves a tapestry that is rich in symbolism, set on the margins of reality, and lushly filmed in a New York City which looks slightly alien, erotic and mysterious. In fact, the events of the script leave a wide margin of doubt as to where reality ends and one's dream fantasy life begins.
With a deliberate, slow pace, the audience and the players are constantly teased, led down false paths, confused, all in an effort to strip away the layers and layers of protection that we all construct in our relationships and in our lives, literally the very masks with which we present ourselves to the outside world, and even in our most intimate liaisons.
Reminding me of earlier works by Swedish director Ingmar Bergman, including "Persona" and "Wild Strawberries", the psychological novels and social commentaries of Henry James and Edith Warton, the film has Kubrick's unique imprint composed of endless details, lushly lighted sets that look like Rembrandt or Vermeer paintings, and dark street scenes evoking menace and mystery, and not unlike scenes from "Blade Runner" or even the cult classic "Around Midnight".
The women that fascinate Cruise's character in the film are all variations of his cinematic and real-life wife, Nicole Kidman, in eroticism, hair color and other body features. In one screening, it is very difficult to recall all the nuances and revelations of meaning. Like some other Kubrick masterpieces, including "A Clockwork Orange", "2001", and "Full Metal Jacket" each viewing should unlock new layers of truths. I give Eyes Wide Shut very high marks for serious cinema fare, though many might enjoy it just for its stunning look and beautiful actors.