Tom Cruise throws his money around in a big non-event

Rating: 4/10 (15 September 2015)

Tom Cruise is so rich that he can give hookers $150 for nothing, and men who pimp out their daughters, $200 tips on fancy dress costume rentals.
Um, I think that was the plot - or maybe I missed something? For what feels like a very, very long time, Tom Cruise meanders around New York, angry about his wife saying she once thought about cheating on him, after she felt offended by him telling her that the only reason he didn't have a threesome with two super hot models is because it would have hurt her.
The advertisements at the time made this film out to be about some kind of cabal/swingers club, but the part with the masks is more like a side-note throwaway. A shame, since a decent thriller could have come from those events being the main plot. No, the film is actually about Tom Cruise strolling around, thinking about cheating on his wife... or has he already?
That will probably be the talking point amongst film buffs: the dying man's daughter confessed to being in love with him and he did seem to be very cosy with the residence and the maid... but, like I said, it's a point for fans to discuss, and being a Stanley Kubrik film, there are bound to be plenty.
The reason Kubrik has these fans is simple: the directing is top-notch. The opening one-shot scene is brilliant in its nonchalance and Tom Cruise really does shine as an actor - not just that average, albeit good-looking bloke from Risky Business who, somehow, became cinema's equivalent to Elvis.
Unfortunately, the same praise cannot be given to Kidman. Yes, awful dialogue can be partly to blame (though, in some parts the dialogue is very natural), but she just came across as stupid and annoying, and really not the kind of woman I could imagine Tom Cruise's Dr. Hartford ever having married.
The final verdict: an okay film in terms of idle entertainment, but don't waste your time looking for hidden depth.
Oh, and if you ever meet Tom Cruise, don't ask for his autograph - ask for a couple of hundred dollars.