Kubrick's Stirring Final Masterpiece (of Garbage)

Rating: 1/10 (11 September 1999)

To be completely honest, I love to read all of the reviews people give films like this. Pseudo-intellectual film school students pulling meaning and subtext from hollow, meaningless films. It's quite amusing, actually. You see, if it wasn't for the fact that this film was a Kubrick film, it would be completely knocked by the film going public and critics alike. No one could possibly like a film like this, because it's bad. Bad in every respect of the word, not a single frame in this film is anything but dreadful.
Why, you might ask, is it rated so well... Easy, I respond. Many people who want to feel as if they're intelligent try append meaning to the meaningless, and pull some form of artistic integrity out of a film like this. So, if you liked this film, you're one of two things. 1. A thirteen year old boy (for the nudity, of course). 2. A pseudo-intellectual, self-praising poser. Now, stop and think which group you fit into...
Now, Kubrick has never been a genius, not close. His films are boring garbage, plain and simple. The only thing Kubrick did in his career is '2001' and that's only due to the fact that '2001' was so far ahead of it's time. The rest of the Kubrick catalog is littered with hollow rubbish.

This film, in particular, is by far the worst. It looks bad, it looks like a bad blow up from a 16mm print. The sets are pitiful, the lighting is horrid... nothing in the film is good. Even the acting is sub-par, which is surprising. I'm not a Cruise or Kidman fan at all, but I would have to say that, with the exception of 'Eyes Wide Shut', they've been able to churn out some descent performances.
The script, even though re-written many, many times is inane. Whatever possibilities this film had were lost. Maybe if someone other than Kubrick would've been helming this project it could've came off as something good, but the way it turned out is rediculous.
Here's my advice... Save your money, see something else. You'll be happy that you did.