Kubrick's Last Picture Show Bombs

Rating: 3/10 (18 July 1999)

Dr. Bill Harford's (Tom Cruise) prurient interests are aroused despite having a wife, a child, and it's Christmas time. Throughout this movie we are entertained and offended by watching Nicole Kidman on the loo, full female frontal nudity (this should arouse the ire of any ardent feminist for it's noticeable dearth of full male frontal nudity), simulated sex with your partner and in groups, a mysterious cabal of rich, oversexed, perverts who gather at a local manse which is entered only if you belong and know the password and their need to keep absolute secrecy. Among this movies grinding and groaning is sown various sub-plots concerning the roles of lesser actors and the mysterious ways one or two disappear or end up dead and you spend some time later with your movie-mate trying to figure out who did what to whom and wonder why do you care in the first place and drop the whole matter. The almost 3 hour length of the film wore out a couple who took leave and others were making the lavatory and water fountain routine. Poe's Masque of the Red Death short story entertained me more than this full scale film. I give it 3 ***.