A great probe into the psychology of sex

Rating: 8/10 (21 July 1999)

Eyes Wide Shut is not a movie for everybody. You will either be repulsed or intrigued by its icy exploration of the psychology of sex. There is little middle ground. The movie deals with raw sexual emotions that most people experience but do not want to face. For that it should be praised. It's an adult film dealing with an adult topic, and that is rare in this day and age. In many ways I wish it was rated NC-17; it would label it a serious movie.
This movie will be the start for many interesting conversations as movie goers head home. That said, be sure you watch this movie with people you are comfortable talking about sex -- not just locker room talk but real conversations about your sexual desires. This probably isn't a great movie to see with someone you are just starting to date or someone you are just starting to have sex with unless you are ready to deal with some pretty heavy issues.
One negative comment... for such a high-profile movie, the numerous editing errors surprised me. I know Kubrick died before he could refine some of the shot sequences, but the errors were pretty noticeable in many cases.