A very mature approach to sexual relationships.

Rating: 9/10 (1 August 1999)

The day before we saw Eyes Wide Shut, my sister-in-law, who is 19 and not dating anyone, told me how disappointed with it she was. After seeing it for myself, I wasn't surprised. People who are in long-standing sexual relationships are going to be the ones who appreciate Kubrick's mature, honest approach to the possible dark side of every relationship. Relationships can sometimes seem like a tightrope walk between loving someone and hurting them. It doesn't take much to move from one to the other.
One of the details that I appreciated about Eyes Wide Shut is the way in which it allowed the main characters to be wealthy and still arguably normal. Wealthy people in films are too often portrayed as either spoiled and bratty or psycho and drunks. The activities that Tom Cruise's character ends up involved in are pretty out there, but the way in which he became involved and his and Nicole Kidman's reactions all seem normal and healthy.