Expectations precede opinions

Rating: Null/10 (12 July 2004)

Why do we choose to go to a given movie? We expect it to conform to our notion of what we find entertaining. On what do we base this expectation? Marketing, or recommendations of someone we know who saw it.
Marketing depicted EWS as 'steamy'. It wasn't, so specially. Kubrick's fault? The audience's? Hmm, 'whom' does that leave?
Seldom if ever does Kubrick hand us a film that answers all the questions it raises. "2001" sure didn't, but I didn't go expecting answers, I went expecting a space adventure and was grandly rewarded. "Clockwork" sure didn't, but I went expecting something similar to 2001 and was grandly disappointed. EWS doesn't either, and 1/3 of the way through it, watching late on HBO out of curiosity, I was thinking "I bet they sold a lot of popcorn" and "another 2 hours???". But neither could I turn it off... or even step out-of-view toward the microwave.
EWS is epically crafted and riveting. But don't watch it expecting the plot line to fall in your lap neatly packaged... or anything else to happen "in your lap". It's an art film, not porn and not "Austin Powers". Adjust your expectations accordingly, schedule yourself so that you can see the first hour uninterrupted, and see if YOU can turn it off. If you can, next time rent Austin Powers. Simple as that.