A disturbing yet brilliant look at jealousy and sexual obsession and a tribute to the greatest genius of our time.

Rating: 9/10 (27 September 1999)

Eyes Wide Shut is a true tribute to the best director of this century. After bringing us such brilliance as Paths of Glory, 2001: A Space Oddyssey, Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket and The Shining, Kubrick goes all out to make his most intriguing film yet. The "tale of jealousy and sexual obsession" is the most fascinating piece of film I've seen since A Clockwork Orange. Kubrick spends the first moments of the film portraying the perfect lives of rich doctor Tom Cruise and his unemployed wife Nicole Kidman. Every single scene in the movie has some way of exploring our sexuality from the well orchestrated orgy scene to the apparently pointless scene where a group of boys call Cruise a faggot. After he finds out that his wife came close to having an affair, he goes for a walk through the street at night where he comes across some incidents which would change him forever. Cruise is terrific from his psychotic deep stares into space from the darkly lit back seat of his taxi to his usual overacting which actually gives this cold, disturbing, humourless tale a human side. Kidman is equally brilliant as her seductive eyes stare out of the screen defining herself and her husband as some of the finest actors of their generation. Every incident sparks with a Christamas tree and in some way explores sex. It may be the scene in which the gay hotel receptionist flirts with Cruise or the disturbing moment where we find out the costume store owner pimps his daughter, but each scene is as disturbing, intriguing and amazingly lit as the last. Cruise's journey is portrayed in a trance-like nightmare, especially the notorius (uncut in Ireland) orgy scene which is magnificent in every sense. The cult is disturbing, frightening and dangerous (a masked woman tells Cruise to "go now while he still can") but also plays a large part in the movie as Cruise discovers just what goes on inside. The music is haunting and perfect whether it is the chilling solo pianist or the dizzying "shining-esque" trance. A scary and disturbing exploration into the sexual obsessions of humans. Watch out for the Kubrick cameo (he's sitting at a table in a restaurant). Truly a magnificent modern masterpiece which is a tribute to who is definetely the greatest genius of cinema ever.