Engrossing

Rating: Null/10 (21 July 1999)

Kubrick's last film cannot attain the majesty of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY or the brilliant satire of DR. STRANGELOVE, but it is still a stunning, amazing work of art. From the first scene it draws you into its mesmerizing and hypnotically paced tale of sex and dreams, by turns comic and horrifying. The ritual sequence in the movie's center -- indeed, the soul of the movie -- is a shocking and engrossing scene that Kubrick perfectly realizes in the visual language of a nightmare. You'll leave the movie dazed and deeply affected by its imagery and its message about the power of sex both for destruction and healing. A wonderful farewell from a brilliant 20th Century artist.