Not great, but watchable

Rating: 7/10 (11 September 2010)

The use of symbolism in this visually-rich film lent a much-needed dimension to the script, including the dreamlike atmosphere as well as all the symbols of the Illuminati, Priory of Sion, Satanic cults and secret societies.
But... the problem is that symbolism alone is not enough to make a film "great", even one made by the legendary Kubrick. The cinematography was gorgeous, but I found the plot flimsy and patchy.
This film could have been truly great if Kubrick either spent more time on the relationship aspect of it, really developing the main characters, or just skipped the relationship talk and made it a full-on suspense thriller. But it aimed for both, and sadly neither was strong enough to make you take the story seriously...
Kidman is flawless & enchanting in appearance, however her character is poorly written & inconsistent, often over-acting to make up for the lack of depth. Cruise started out surprisingly strong & enjoyably subtle, but, like the story itself, got wobbly as things unfolded and was all over the place. His famous (or infamous) mega-watt grin was *way* overused, so that it became more annoying & transparently manipulative than charming (I know, surprise surprise!) Still, the film was compelling enough to make you want to keep watching. I just wished we could have seen the final cut which Kubrick submitted to WB before his death, but which was never made.
~NN