Frustrating and honest

Rating: 6/10 (28 July 1999)

This intense, often frustrating film details the pain, jealousy, and rationalizations of marriage. This is not to say that it won't appeal to single people, but the movie will most likely resonate most powerfully with anyone who has been in the middle of a marital crisis, or even divorced.
Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman (of course, a real-life married couple) play a couple, flirtatious with strangers, casually flexing their independence, all the while clinging to their marital bond rather for granted. It's not until a marijuana-induced confession by Kidman's character of a sexual fantasy that the couple's crisis is unveiled, and Cruise's character takes to the streets of NYC looking for answers or relief (by way of any number of sexual situations).
Neither character is given the saint treatment, and the ugly truth that marriage neither means undying devotion or even a promise not to think of sex with another is revealed.
In the end, the characters come to grips with their actions, and attempt coming to grips with each other. I suppose it's an optimistic ending, wherein they agree to stick with each other for as long as they can, and Kubrick has definitely never been so "domestic" on film.

Of course, the film looks beautiful, and the music can be really effective at setting the mood. The film is not an overly creepy movie, and I doubt many people are going to be tearing down theaters about the sex. Truth be told, most people, unless drawn to Kubrick's technical mastery, will have little need to see the film more than once. It offers a powerful message of the strengths, pains, and trials of marriage -- how you see the movie will depend on your point of view.