what happens when a man underestimates female sexuality

Rating: Null/10 (4 March 2004)

The events of this Kubrick film are set in place by a hilarious scene in which Kidman's character picks a fight with her naive husband (Cruise), who believes that women don't have the same sexual desires and fantasies as men. What follows is his exploration into a dream like world of orgies and prostitutes in what is ultimately an elegy to erotic sexuality within marriage. Typically Kubrick; every frame is like a painting, beautiful to watch with its colours and symmetry. This is probably the most elegant erotic thriller you'll ever see. Don't listen to the people who say its slow and boring; Kubrick's films don't operate like most Hollywood fare, they gently break away from the accepted genre form and provoke the viewer to think about what they have seen and what they dream about.