A Legendary Film from a Legendary Director

Rating: 8/10 (18 October 2007)

I have heard from people I know that "Eyes Wide Shut" is either a great film or a bad movie. Having seen it myself, I would say that this is one of Kubrick's best. The film deals with the topics of sex, trust, secrets, and temptation.
Tom Cruise plays a doctor, married with a seven-year-old daughter in New York City. He takes his wonderful life for granted, until his wife admits to have almost cheated on him. Stunned by this piece of news, he is drawn into a dark world of temptation, whether it is with a prostitute, or with his patients' daughter. Finally, he is drawn to this mysterious mansion where an orgy of masked people satisfy their lust.
In the discussion of art and filming, this movie is a masterpiece. The atmosphere is so mysterious, so dark, and very strange. There are some scenes that sent shivers down my spine. One thing I liked in particular was the conversations Tom Cruise's character had with characters such as the hotel clerk, the Russian store owner, and his old friend.
One disappointment was Nicole Kidman. I just did not like her in this film, for a number of reasons. Her acting did not impress me as much as Tom's did. I was glad that much of the scenes were focused on Tom Cruise's character rather than Nicole's. She is probably the biggest reason that I would rate the film 9 out of 10 rather than 10 out of 10.
However, it is a very good film overall. Stanley Kubrick died believing that he had made the best movie of his life with "Eyes Wide Shut". I'd say he was not too far from the truth. This film is brilliant, and it is a pity that it was not as appreciated as it should be.