An Ambitious Failure

Rating: 6/10 (18 July 1999)

If Stanley Kubrick had not died the week after completing 'Eyes Wide Shut', this addition to his remarkable roster of films would have suffered the fate of Martin Scorsese's 'After Hours'- to be first defended, then dismissed as an unsuccessful experiment by a director of genius. The film begins by seducing the viewer with its visual beauty and sweeping pace. From here, it descends a path from provocative to annoying to ludicrous, and finally, to tedious, after which, the film stumps on for another 3/4 hour. One should follow its screening with a trip to the video store to check out any other Kubrick film that may be in stock.