Keep them shut, you won't miss much

Rating: 2/10 (25 July 1999)

The anticipation surrounding the movie had me on the edge of my seat before the movie even started.
I was on the edge of my seat a good deal throughout the movie, only to have to sit back many, many times as the scenes dragged on and on and on and on. With no pay off time and time again, I began to wonder what the good Dr.'s problem was.
Woody Allen spices his films about sex and relationships with humour; Kubrick seems to have one sexually deviant scene after the other - none of which fits with the other, none of which fits the Dr.'s personality.
Tom Cruise was Tom Cruise in the movie in many ways - all the classic Cruise moves (running hand through hair, plunking his face into his hands that rest on his knees). Nicole Kidman was unnecessarily nude many times --- basically, the lead actors were pleasant to look at.
I've been told since watching this film that Cruise's character was the the one dreaming, while Kidman's was the one who actually went through her part - the opposite of the portrayal. That helps make some sense of the movie, although I saw no clues to this effect.
Overall, lots of sexual tension, nudity, and energy, with no payoff.