Eyes Wide Shut

"No dream is ever just a dream."

1999
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Writer: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack

As part of my ongoing mission to watch all of Kubrick's films, number six on the list was the legendary director's final work, Eyes Wide Shut. After the former five had been northing short of superb (A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, The Shining, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey), my hopes were reasonably high despite the mixed critical response.

With these works firmly in my mind, I liked Eyes Wide Shut more than expected as I am aware and highly favourable of Kubrick's style. Though the infamous party scene was extremely, well, weird, it wasn't shocking for a Stanley Kubrick fan. A newcomer to the director's style, though, could easily be a little put off by the film's daring premise. The stunning visuals and ingenious use of music were telling of the director and thanks to the eery single piano notes, I found some scenes, such as when Bill is being followed, to be very tense.

The film's pacing was perhaps a little off and I was surprised that Nicole Kidman did not have more screen time. It was the scenes between her and Bill that I found to be the most interesting and created the backbone of the story, so should have taken up more of the film's plot. That said, Tom Cruise, an actor of whom I am not usually particularly fond, was much more intriguing in the role that I had imagined.

It was indeed my least favourite Kubrick film that I'd seen so far and it was a shame that Kubrick did not finish his career with a masterpiece, but it is still an engrossing and daring picture.

7/10