Way too long, but it's a fitting swansong for Kubrick

Rating: 7/10 (10 July 2016)

Kubrick's final film turns out to be both disappointing and spellbinding, but thankfully the spellbinding part far outweighs the disappointing bit. Despite the massive hype, many critics were unkind to this film, labelling it wishy-washy and insubstantial. While I agree that it is definitely flawed, there are some excellent scenes in the film which rival those of any creepy horror film.
While the film starts off poorly, it does get better, let me assure you. Kubrick almost deliberately seems to be trying to push the viewer away, challenging him by drawing out unimportant scenes and pushing them into our faces. I do agree that the film is far, far too long, the two hour and a half length is just over the top, and I'm sure that it could have been cut down half an hour to a greater effect. Also, the widely publicised 'erotic' content is not actually there; although the film is based around sex, there is very little actual sex on show, and Cruise doesn't even sleep with anybody, apart from his wife. There is lots of nudity on full view, but no more than you'd see on TV, so it's not really very shocking.
The film has an interesting cast, with Tom Cruise being an agreeable focus point from the film; it's not hard to imagine that he can be irresistible to every person he meets, male or female. Nicole Kidman actually appears only at the beginning and the end of the film to provide some antagonistic argument, and also to shed her clothes (no surprise there). The rest of the cast all put in believable, immaculate performances, but the real star here is Stanley Kubrick. Having made only a handful of films in his career, this epic was to be his swansong, and the magic that made 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and THE SHINING such good films is still here, you just have to dig to see it.
The best moments in the film are when Cruise visits the orgy. The sight of the robed, masked figures is genuinely spooky and unsettling, especially when they discover Cruise to be an outsider and begin to threaten him. These scenes are pure horror and very effective, as is another moment where Cruise is followed down the street by a faceless man. In fact, I liked the whole of Cruise's journey through the night and his discovery of the consequences the next day, just not the Cruise/Kidman bits which surrounded it. The film is bolstered by an eerily effective soundtrack, one piece of music being played on piano sticking in the mind. While it is overused, it's still quite chilling. EYES WIDE SHUT may be no masterpiece and it may take some sitting through, but there are some great bits to enjoy and altogether it serves as a fitting swansong to Kubrick. Recommended.