Classic Kubrick

Rating: 8/10 (17 July 1999)

'Eyes Wide Shut' focuses Stanley Kubrick's incisive vision on the psychology of desire in the 1990s. The film displays classic Kubrick styling - from the drama which he imbues to everydayness, and heightens with the resonance of a simple cutting soundtrack, to a glimpse at mysterious and grandiose ritual behaviour - that leaves one not completely certain about what is real or a fabrication of the mind.
Like Philip Kaufman's 1990 film 'Henry and June', 'Eyes Wide Shut' illustrates how 'alternative' sexuality is a natural outgrowth of commonplace desire and fantasy. It focuses on the characters' explorations of their sexuality without becoming distracted by sex itself (which in all honesty is much more tame than ratings lead us to belive, and certainly will be no shock to European audiences).
Nicole Kidman's performance is honest and subtle with a beauty which does not collapse into mere elegance. The sets spare no expense in contributing to an overall sensory richness perfectly suited to the cinema, or the opera.