A film that actually makes you think.

Rating: Null/10 (18 July 1999)

The first half of an hour of Eyes Wide Shut sets the mood for the entire film by engrossing the audience in a spectacular looking and sounding ballroom scene. Following which he continues to maintain the same look and feel of complete awe to his visual storytelling. Kubrick's formal elements only enhance the deep yet simplistic story of Bill Harford's (Cruise) contemplation of whether a couple can love each other both physically and emotionally. The story does not have the typical rising action and climactic plot-line as in many movies; instead it involves a number of sequences that helps Bill make his final decision. Unfortunately the atypical structure will leave many audience members wondering what is happening and where everything leads. The infamous orgy scene leads to a number of possibilities, but, as in real life, not everything is a detective thriller and not everything ties together. Overall, the movie does not let down the person looking for more than just a simple tell-me-the-meaning film, instead it plays way above the lowest-denominator audience and begs the viewer to actually think about the meaning of the story and generate their own opinions.