Eyes Wide Open

Rating: 5/10 (12 September 1999)

Twice seen, with eyes wide open, I observe both mastery and
non-mastery in this film. I find myself wanting to believe this
is the work of a great film-maker and not just the outpouring of
frustration by an aged and dying man. Based on my experience of
his many previous works, I have to believe that Stanley Kubrick
did, indeed, create precisely what he wanted to create, which is
in itself disturbing. I can still hear the haunting piano music
in the background, which I sometimes found annoying and
sometimes found the perfect punctuation for the one-dimensional
character in the foreground. At times I felt absorbed; at other
times, bored. Some aspects I considered complex; others overly
simplistic and shallow. I found Sydney Pollock's performance to
be the most powerful, though his time onscreen was limited;
Nicole Kidman's, usually outstanding and sometimes weird; Tom
Cruise's, an indication that he was in over his head, both as a
character and as an actor.
Dear Hollywood: I am oh-so-bored with loveless sex. And I am
perplexed that we see women fully naked but not men. And,
please, show me some characters I'd like to get to know, perhaps
even some I'd like to see again. Love, Jeanie.