beautifully creepy.

Rating: 9/10 (16 July 1999)

I cannot possibly sum up Eyes Wide Shut better than the quote from Time Magazine on the movie's commercial:
"Kubrick's haunting final masterpiece."
Those four words say more than any other words possibly could.
"Kubrick's" - Eyes Wide Shut is absolutely a Stanley Kubrick movie. Every detail is beautiful, from the ear-piercing, rhythmic piano that gets your heart racing, to the beautiful visuals and colors that shift the mood of the story around only the way Kubrick can manage.
"haunting" - The movie is creepy at best. While it may begin almost like a cheap porno, there is a story building. The casual nudity and numerous references to sex is what makes Eyes Wide Shut live. The story is based on these elements rather than being encompassed by them. The real story lies within the title. The idea presented is that of reality vs dreams. Sometimes you can't tell which one is which, often leaving us with our "eyes wide shut." This idea is what gives the movie its "haunting" feeling. When looking at a real situation and thinking it is almost dream like is as creepy as looking at a dream and believing it is real.
"final" - This is the most unfortunate of the four words. Stanley Kubrick has blessed us with many great films, Eyes Wide Shut being his last.
"masterpiece" - Absolutely. This is the only word in any language that can successfully describe Eyes Wide Shut. Everyone gets something out of this movie. However, there is no true way to describe it... it must be seen to truly understand.
So now after all of this, you may be wondering why I only gave it a 9/10 and not a 10? Simple. There is no such thing as a 10. A 10 is a movie that holds the key to life itself or something equally important.
So there you have it. My review of Eyes Wide Shut.