A memorable final chapter for one of our greatest directors!!!

Rating: 9/10 (7 May 2001)

Though "Eyes Wide Shut" was not easily received by the general public, I consider it an underrated classic. After all, this is the not the type of film that would appeal to mainstream audiences, which is why I don't see why they fought hard to get the R rating. This movie proved more popular among the arthouse crowd, who realize the haunting visions that Kubrick portrayed in this masterful effort.
What makes this movie so great is its unpredictability. That's what distinguishes it from lots of the mainstream garbage that's been shoved down our throats. Kubrick allows the audience to embark on these characters' weirdly fascinating journeys through this murky atmosphere in New York City. This is not a sex film, like people so rudely judged it as. Yes, it is quite rife with nudity, but it's all tastefully done, like something out of a Da Vinci painting. Yes, it has some erotically charged moments, but never for tawdry purposes.
Kubrick helps create this atmosphere via creative lighting, and the score is absolutely brilliant ranging from symphonies that help capture the darkly comic moments to the striking piano chords that accentuate the eerie moments. Kubrick is a master at creating hypnotic visions that suck viewers in and keep them watching with anticipation. Viewing this movie for a second time, I was able to spot some flaws, but they're all superficial and very minor. First of all, Kubrick shot the movie in England. The story is set in New York. He does his best to make it look a lot like New York and sometimes succeeds, but at other times fails. In some scenes, Cruise is walking around at night, and you can see that the streets are clean and polished, and same with the sidewalks. Anybody who's been to New York at night, or lived there, can spot the inaccuracy. Those streets would've been filthy, crawling with rats and you would probably see more gangs and drug dealers in the background, whereas Cruise is often walking all-alone--unless a new supporting character is introduced. Also, some of the very minor characters (Ex.: The Waitress) are obviously hiding their English accents and doing a poor job. I also felt some of the dialogue scenes could've been cut a tad shorter, and would've been more effective with visual aid. For example, in the scene where Nicole Kidman describes the bad dream she just had, it would've been nice if we actually saw a dream sequence with her voice-over.
Then again, the dialogue is one of the film's strong points. About the only films that I feel strongly capture the way REAL people talk are this one and "sex, lies and videotape." In the scene where Cruise and Kidman are getting high, and Kidman reveals her dirty secret, they don't articulate what they're saying and seem to ramble on at points. Because that's what people do when they're high! And just like Soderbergh's masterpiece, the dialogue isn't literal, and you can tell what one of the characters is really trying to express through facial expressions, body language, etc. This is another one of those movies that shows people don't always say what they're really thinking, and it's evident when that occurs.
Through this surreal journey, we're faced with many offbeat characters. This sets the film's different tones of black comedy (the incident in the costume shop), drama (the mysterious hooker) and Hitchcockian suspense (the orgy scene). Best of all, Kubrick leaves an area of mystery in each scene, allowing different interpretations from different minds. You don't always FIND OUT why the conflicts arise in this movie! And that's the beauty. It leaves you thinking and gives your imagination something to do. The whole movie has this haunting, mystical aura that just draws you in from beginning to end. Yes, it's 2 hours and 40 minutes long, but I hardly realized the running time being that I was so wrapped up. Never once does it fall flat, never once is it boring, never once does the intrigue fade out.

Although, I fell in love with this movie the first time around, I think others might need to watch it a second time and looks beyond the surface. As I said before, this is not a sex film! This is a movie about lust, deception, temptation, jealousy and every other emotion that would arise from Cruise's character in this situation. He has just learned about his wife's past sexual affair, and some think that it was a little far-fetched how Cruise reacted in that situation, but I think relationships can be flaming with jealousy--whether they're overreacting or not, it just happens. People lose control of their emotions, and just like Cruise they get plagued by monstrous visions. In his case, he kept seeing her in bed with the guy from the Navy. Why he chooses to embark on this unpredictable sexual journey is not exactly expressed on screen. Once again leaving the audience free to think what his motives might be. It can be jealousy, it can be something else. You never know. Not every situation is entirely realistic, but they weren't meant to be. This was meant to play like a dream/nightmare that Cruise goes through, roaming the streets of NY at night and bumping into suspicious characters left and right, sometimes putting himself in danger. Meanwhile, visions of his wife with another man continue to haunt him.
I'm almost sure that Kubrick fans will appraise this virtual masterpiece. His perfectionism really shows in every scene of this movie. And it pays off great. Steven Spielberg said, "What's great about Kubrick's films is they're never the same. All his movies have something different to offer." So is the case with "Eyes Wide Shut." It's like nothing you've ever seen, even through Kubrick's eyes. His legacy will always be remembered, and so will this as a successful final chapter in a great filmmaker's life.
My score: 9 (out of 10)