Rich movie, but too rich for me

Rating: Null/10 (8 August 1999)

I'll admit I am far from a Kubrick fanatic - I have seen a few of his films, and found them intriguing without being overly excited. I went into Eyes Wide Shut with reasonable expectations from reading numerous adulating reviews. I definitely got something different from what I expected.
It must be stated that this film is arty. There are so many subtleties and nuances that the average viewer will miss that it is almost wasted being shown in a cinema. The overall effect for most will be 'Well, what was the big deal? That was long and boring!', with the lesser percentage of viewers actually coming to terms with the film, realising the importance of each individual piece that made it up.
Some of the scenes were good - the whole confession scene near the beginning was superb (Tom Cruise actually managed to look suitably deadened by it) but much of it was not up to this standard. Tom Cruise was just too brash at times for my liking, considering what he was out dabbling in.

The soundtrack... my goodness, it was heavy and overbearing at best. From cheesy jazz to those oh so ear drum bursting single piano strokes, it may have served its purpose in terms of creating atmosphere, but from a simply aesthetic point of view, it was awful to listen to.
There were many clever tools used to create the effect Kubrick desired. For instance, the cover of the newspaper that Tom Cruise was reading while waiting for his cappuchino in the crowded cafe was brilliant. The movie was filled with those sorts of touches.
The problem is, as I said above, that the majority of viewers won't even digest them. Watching this film reminds me of dissecting Shakespeare - the chore of doing it properly basically removes oneself from fully enjoying it. This is how I felt about the film. I found the analysis so taxing much of the time that I either didn't enjoy it, or I gave up thinking and let it wash over me. Shame for me, I suppose. I acknowledge that it is a clever film, but I am probably not alone in my lack of tolerance to shred every moment of a movie for meaning (interesting social commentary there). I can see this film being the subject of many college media studies debates, however.
So, the path for the average viewer is difficult - think about it and get a varicose vein in your forehead from the effort, or just watch and not understand the significance. Either way, it's difficult to place this film on a pedestal.