More than lives up to expectations...

Rating: 10/10 (5 September 1999)

First off I must say that I was not expecting Eyes Wide Shut to live up to the rather lofty expectations placed upon it, after all how many films truly live up to their hype? Despite the fact that I am a big Kubrick fan I'm one of those people who never goes into a film expecting to see something mindblowing, true I expected Eyes Wide Shut to be a good, well made film but that was as high as I (ever) let my expectations go. Personal rule number one of enjoying films to their fullest: never, ever believe the hype, always make up your own mind. And make up my mind I have...
Eyes Wide Shut is a spellbinding and utterly hypnotic decent into sexual obsession that in my mind is truly deserving of the tag instant classic. Without a doubt one of the best, most intricate and fascinating films that I have seen in some time and definitely one of the front runners (if not the front runner) for best film that I have seen this year. Not only is it superbly crafted and acted but it's also a distinctly Kubrick film, and Kubrick at his best.
The script (by Kubrick and Frederic Raphael) is very good and handles it's subject matter with a sense of honesty and believability that is rarely seen on screen, and then just when you think you have a handle on whats going on it takes an unexpected left turn and just keeps getting deeper and more complex. However the real reason for the films impact has to be put down to Stanley Kubricks terrific direction.
He was one of the true greats of cinema, and his images and the all encompassing atmosphere that he was able to bring to his films is evident in Eyes Wide Shut in spades. I can't imagine any other director being able to make this film this way, or being able to make such a mix of the bizarre and the believable so stunning and engrossing. The often foreboding atmosphere that Kubrick has managed to bring to this film is truly something to behold and if he isn't at least nominated as best director come awards time for his work here then there truly is no justice in this world.
Also of note is the terrific score by Jocelyn Pook which is at times quite minimalist in nature but just oozes atmosphere and dread and underpins the whole film perfectly, while the cinematography by Larry Smith again splendidly captures the mood that Kubrick was aiming for and is perfectly in sync with the world that Kubrick has created.
Also of significant note is the fantastic costume design by Marit Allen, whose work here is worthy of both plaudits and awards. The masks especially are just amazing and heighten the atmosphere of the film to almost breaking point, the intensity brimming just below the surface of the film really does become that intense, with the costume design adding greatly to the overall effect.
Acting is pretty much flawless throughout with Kubrick's well publicized perfection in ordering take after take bearing fruit and proving that all the effort was worth it in the long run. Nicole Kidman is fantastic as indeed many have stated but so is Tom Cruise, his performance here showing a definite maturity about it, and he manages to match Kidman in terms of performance. Both Cruise and Kidman have been perfectly cast here and their work deserves significant kudos as both have managed to walk the fine line of giving very strong performances without overwhelming the film or drawing attention away from the story which is quite an achievement in itself.
The supporting cast (almost) all give terrific performances, with Vinessa Shaw, Sydney Pollack, Todd Field, Julienne Davis, Rade Serbedzija, Fay Masterson and Leelee Sobieski (who despite having almost no dialogue still manages to make a hell on an impression on sheer charisma and screen presence alone) all of special note, while Jackie Sawiris, Leslie Lowe, Louise J. Taylor, Alan Cumming, Mariana Hewett and Thomas Gibson all provide strong support. The only misstep seems to be a slightly overplayed performance from Marie Richardson that just didn't really work as well as it should have. Richardson's performance isn't bad but given the inherent quality of most of the other performances hers stands out simply because it isn't great.
Haunting, highly original, at times surreal and always engrossing this is one of those films that I have no hesitations saying that any true film fan should at least see. It won't suit all tastes, in fact many may be bewildered by it at best, however this is still a unique and all too rare film experience. The fact is that this isn't a commercial film despite starring two A-list actors in the title roles, this is at it's heart an art house film painted on a much larger canvas and due to that fact it's overall appeal to general audiences is hard to gage.
There is a fantastic piece of cinema here and those willing (and able) to go along on the films journey and get engulfed in it's atmosphere will find a film that is more than worthy of it's running time and their money. Yes the running time is lengthy, or at least seems so in the telling but this is one of those truly rare films that I just sunk into completely, losing all sense of time as it just glided by naturally, my attention thoroughly captured by the film itself.
In short this is a must see film for anyone who loves cinema or who longs for something new, intelligent and truly unique. In fact the only people that should probably stay away from this film are those that are offended or embarrassed by sexual themes as the film is very frank and matter of fact about it's subject matter, and at times graphic in it's depiction of sex, jealousy, obsession and fidelity (though not nearly as graphic as had been rumoured).
Eyes Wide Shut is a film of such quality that it can proudly stand along side the many previous classic Kubrick films with it's head held high in the knowledge that it more than measures up to it's heritage. More than that this is not just a great 'Kubrick' film but simply a truly great film full stop. One of the very best and for once a film that not only lives up to the hype but far surpasses it.
An all too rare 10/10. One man's opinion.