Eyes Shut in Embarrassment.

Rating: 3/10 (8 November 2005)

'Eyes Wide Shut' was the final film of the legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick's films probably have had greater disagreement among film lovers than any other movie maker in history. Just for that he deserves to be remembered. Those who love his works call him a genius, while those that hate his films call him a charlatan. Regardless of what people may think of him and his movies, it is no doubt that his films continue to fascinate the movie fanatics. 'Eyes Wide Shut' is no exception, although this reviewer will sympathize with those do no like this film.
Most of this movie is very difficult to watch. No doubt, Kubrick's impeccable craft is still there. The lighting, editing, music and a creepy atmosphere stays throughout the film, as it does in many of his other films. What is horribly lacking in the movie is a screenplay, story, and most importantly, a point or moral. The screenplay is downright awful. I swear Tom Cruise repeats everything another character says to him. It is as though Cruise's character is absolutely clueless and has ADD. It is as though the screenwriters could not find anything better to write. The story is a absolute mess. Each scene is drawn out three times longer than it should. There are long pauses in the conversations, even though the characters are talking about the most mundane things. Rumors exits that Kubrick was a control freak. These rumors might be right. He was so obsessed with photography and technique that he destroyed any kind of spontaneity. The plot of 'Eyes Wide Shut'? Tom Cruise walks around "New York City" all night long encountering one bizarre sexual encounter after another. Many of these scenes are embarrassing and painful to watch. None of these encounters seem to bring any kind of point, except things most people already know.
Although this movie has many bad things going for it, other things stood out that saved the film from being one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, and Sydney Pollack do a fantastic job in their acting. Their performances are powerful and convincing, and salvage a badly written story. Stanley Kubrick once again shines in his directing, as the orgy scene and the "billiard room talk" are both hair-raising and brilliant film-making. In the end though, 'Eyes Wide Shut' is pretty much a waste of time. Kubrick died before he finished editing the film, so maybe what we saw wasn't what he really intended. Nonetheless, even if Kubrick had completed the movie before his death, I don't see how the final product could have been any better.