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Eyes Wide Shut
1999
Stanley Kubrick's final film is a mature, highly intelligent, thrilling masterpiece of sexual obsession and marital (in)fidelity. Tom Cruise stars as Bill Harford, a doctor who becomes obsessed with a sexual fantasy that his wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), confesses to him. Although the fantasy (involving a naval officer) occurred .. Read more
| Starring | Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Madison Eginton, Jackie Sawris |
|---|---|
| Director | Stanley Kubrick |
| Genres | Thriller |
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Eyes Wide Shut
Stanley Kubrick's final film is a mature, highly intelligent, thrilling masterpiece of sexual obsession and marital (in)fidelity. Tom Cruise stars as Bill Harford, a doctor who becomes obsessed with a sexual fantasy that his wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), confesses to him. Although the fantasy (involving a naval officer) occurred only in Alice's mind, Bill can't get it out of his own head; his obsession leads him through a series of potential sexual encounters, each one surrounded by the specter of death. His whole world threatens to unravel as he falls deeper and deeper into a web of mystery, lies, and deceit.
Kubrick's film breathes with vivid blues, reds, and blacks, the threat of illicit sex and death lurking around every corner. Cruise and Kidman, who are married in real life, are utterly convincing as a happy couple suddenly forced to reexamine their faith in each other. Sidney Pollack, Todd Field, Julienne Davis, Marie Richardson, and Vinessa Shaw sparkle in minor roles. Based on the novella TRAUMNOVELLE by Arthur Schnitzler, EYES WIDE SHUT is a brilliant examination of the psychological nature of sex and marriage, of faith and faithlessness, of obsession and desire. Kubrick said that his last film (he died shortly before the film opened) was 'my best film ever'; while that is debatable, there is no doubting that the film is a splendid finale to a glorious career.
| Starring | Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Madison Eginton, Jackie Sawris, Sydney Pollack |
|---|---|
| Director | Stanley Kubrick |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 39 mins Blu-ray: 2 hrs 39 mins HD DVD: 2 hrs 39 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Thriller |
| Language | English |
| Released | DVD: 10 Sep 2001 Blu-ray: 03 Mar 2008 HD DVD: 24 Mar 2008 Production year: 1999 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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Full of trademark themes and characteristic compositions, Stanley Kubrick's final film is also his most fascinatingly flawed. With its style often resembling 1970s European art house movies, it lacks the morbidity to pass as a Buñuelian satire, and is too stately and serious to succeed as a commercial enterprise. Tom Cruise — as the doctor recklessly seeking a means of avenging his wife's fantasised infidelity — is far too controlled for his character's fraught nocturnal adventures to be plausible. Nicole Kidman, as his wife, is less visible, but simmers with potential erotic danger. Despite expectations, this is a disappointingly conservative conclusion to a career spent pushing back cinematic boundaries. Perhaps, after so long without directing a movie, Kubrick cared too much.
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An atmospheric account of sexual jealousy, temptation and fidelity, meticulously made and with an oddly dreamlike quality about it; but, while being faithful to its slim source, it is also overlong and much too portentous.
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Most helpful member's review
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43 out of 53 people found this review helpful
Perhaps Kubrick's masterpiece?
Those who loathe Eyes Wide Shut are also those who hate reading novels. "Dude, like too many words..."
Marketing executives at Warner Bros. are to blame for this film's poor reception, though it's a masterpiece. EWS was billed as Hollywood sexiest movie, ever! Cruise, Kidman. Sex, extra marital sex, group sex. Kidman is naked a minute into the film! Reminded me of the same anorak-pervs who flocked to 'Sex, lies and videotape' only to discover...
Rather EWS is beautiful, dangerous, funny... I could fill a forest in Peru and still run out of space for superlatives.
Pick a theme - fidelity. There's the password, but notice that in most scenes there's a gold band. From Cruise's wedding ring to gold bands around lamp shades, vases and circular gold picture frames.
And the orgy, allusions to secret societies and Satanic ritual. At Ziegler's party Alice dances with Sandor Szavost. (The founder of the Satanic church was Szandor.) Was Szavost at the orgy? And Alice as well? Is that how Bill's mask appears? And what symbolism in the colour red? And why Shostakovich?
These questions will never be properly answered, as we'll never know what made that woman grin when Da Vinci painted her.
The comparison isn't spurious. There are those who see the painting in the Louvre and wonder "that's the fuss about the painting that's so small anyway".
Much the same as "what's the fuss of some film that's too long, not even sexy". -
Most recent members' review
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2 out of 3 people found this review helpful
A pleasant surprise
I'd heard such dire things about this film that even the promise of a nude Nicole Kidman made me lukewarm.
Well, I finaly got around to watching it and all I can say is perhaps my low expectations led to me getting a nice surprise.
I found it thought-provoking, sexy, intriguing and actually dramatic, surprising and thrilling.
Not Kubrick's best, of course, but still very watchable. -
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Eyes Wide Shut - HD DVD Version
Stanley Kubrick's final film is a mature, highly intelligent, thrilling masterpiece of sexual obsession and marital (in)fidelity. Tom Cruise stars as Bill Harford, a doctor who becomes obsessed with a sexual fantasy that his wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), confesses to him. Although the fantasy (...
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- Eyes Wide Shut - BLU-RAY Version
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Stanley Kubrick's final film is a mature, highly intelligent, thrilling masterpiece of sexual obsession and marital (in)fidelity. Tom Cruise stars as Bill Harford, a doctor who becomes obsessed with ... -
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Stanley Kubrick's final film is a mature, highly intelligent, thrilling masterpiece of sexual obsession and marital (in)fidelity. Tom Cruise stars as Bill Harford, a doctor who becomes obsessed with ... -