Behind the Curtain

Rating: 8/10 (19 July 2019)

Many people perceive or may have a hint that there's more to the world than what is seen and understood. Life isn't as black and white as most would like it to be. Grey permeates every corner of existence, blurring reality and concealing the truth from us, making it ever elusive and more complicated than it should be.
Dr. William Hartford is a successful doctor practicing and residing in New York City. A devoted family man, his marriage to an attractive and complex woman runs into a snag in a night of revelation. Deeply troubled and unable to shake off this new found thorn in the relationship he finds himself in a twist of fate that sends him into a downward spiral where he ends up with more than he bargained for. Perhaps Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece, "Eyes Wide Shut" showcases the legendary director's trademarks. The symbolism, the distinguished acting, flawless cinematography and the steady, gradual pacing that leads to the climax. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman are well cast as the troubled and attractive couple who go through the challenges of marriage as their world is shaken to its core by matters beyond their control. But the most compelling and haunting factor of the film is the mystery that lies behind the circumstances of the events and what may have transpired. Secret societies, the Illuminati, sinister and deviant rituals, the elite and the other conspiracy theories that have made this film one of the most discussed and dissected works in cinema history. While somewhat slow-going made more by one too many unnecessary scenes, this final bow by Kubrick is a testament to the power of cinema to entertain and to make one think on the reality of the world one lives in while searching for the truth to find meaning and purpose in our lives.