Kubrick's last is a GREAT movie and its tone reminded me of another underrated film-maker

Rating: Null/10 (12 August 1999)

First of all, I want to say that this film has been targeted at the wrong audience, the type that probably goes to see most Hollywood mainstream stupid fare. That is why most people have said so many times it is boring and pointless. Second, Kubrick made a film with Warner Bros. but ultimately this is a conscious art film that the company rarely, if ever, gets to finance. Certainly is the prestige of Kubrick that makes for a film like this to be as widely distributed as any other Hollywood film.
Having made that point, it seems very clear to me that Kubrick made a film not caring for the size of its viewing audience. When you think about his other ones, he hasn't cared either. But Eyes Wide Shut feels very experimental and definitely his sense of adventure works. It is a very disturbing portrait of male sexual psychopathology that Kubrick hadn't tapped before as deeply as this (very much more than in Barry Lyndon). As time passes by, Eyes Wide Shut will certainly stand as his weirdest movie. This movie was very satisfying in all levels: the choice of music (some excellent somber compositions by Ligeti) and the uses of certain cinematographic colors and lighting to enhance the uneasy atmosphere.
Kubrick deliberately directs the actors to give a very constrained and methodical style which reminded me very much the way David Cronenberg directs the characters of his movies. By the way, this movie brought memories of the excellent Crash from the EWS tone to audience's reactions in the theater, which confirms my theory that this movie should have been made to showcase on art film festivals. It doesn't matter if people hate this movie 'cause past Kubrick films hadn't been well received at the time of its release. Sure, now all people say 2001 and Clockwork Orange are classics but that's just 'cause they've heard others say so, not because they truly appreciate these movies. Back in 1969 and 1971 the films went under heavy attack (check some film history to see for youlself), but still they have stood the test of time. And so will Eyes Wide Shut.