Kubrick's final film... and possibly his least impressive

Rating: 8/10 (30 December 2004)

After having seen just about every single of Kubrick's films(The only films that are left are Spartacus, Lolita and his short films) and a documentary about him(Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures), I was looking forward to seeing his last film, despite it's reputation. Now that I've seen it, I'm not sure what to think... I don't know for sure if I agree with the common opinion that this is his least impressive film(even less impressive than The Shining). Don't get me wrong, it is a good film, but it just seems... I don't know, unfinished, rushed... like Kubrick didn't spend as much time filming as he should have. Maybe it's the actors, I don't know. It just seems... uneven, somehow. The plot is very good, and has a pretty good pace... but there are places where you're bored, and the film seemed to end too suddenly, I think(despite the film being quite long). The acting is, not unlike The Shining, less impressive than most of Kubrick's other films. Cruise is not an actor with a lot of range, that's for sure. Kidman is mostly believable, but, like Cruise, she seems more like an actor playing a part than the actual character, which distances us from their characters and thereby from the film itself. Not good. The characters are well-written, credible and interesting. The story is interesting, evolves at a very good pace and provides food for thought. I liked how the film presented infidelity and sex in general as acts lust and desire rather than affiliating them with love or emotion. I've heard many complain that the film was lacking sex scenes. This is a Kubrick film; just because the subject matter is directly intertwined with sex, doesn't mean that he's going to do the typical, simple Hollywood thing and just pack the movie with sex scenes. A talentless director could(and probably would) have done that. Anyone can make sex look appealing to the general public. It's much, much harder to make it seem unappealing and in fact almost disgusting... but Kubrick succeeds. He reminds us that sex is just a bodily function, something between two people that doesn't actually require emotions. It's physical by nature. The soundtrack is quite good too... there is a classical piece that can bring you to the edge of your seat just listening to it, and Kubrick pairs it up with great visuals. Maybe I should let you know that, while this I think this is one of his lesser films, it is still definitely a Kubrick piece. No doubt about it. Perfectly framed shots, slow pans and zooms, great music... and the ending, albeit being a bit sudden and leaving the viewer somewhat unsatisfied, still has the Kubrick touch and, whilst appearing to resolve the film, it also hints at something more sinister and unsettling. A good, maybe even great, film by the master of innovative storytelling, Stanley Kubrick. I recommend it to any fan of Kubrick. Anyone who isn't a fan, or at the very least isn't used to his style of film, should consider watching some of his other films first, as this is one of his heavier and less impressive ones(at least in my opinion). 8/10