When
his wife reveals to a young Manhattan doctor fantasies of infidelity
with a strange Navy man from years ago, it kicks the doctor off into
an odyssey of sexual fantasies of his own, culminating in a visit to
an old pianist friend who opens the door for him to enter a strange
cultist orgy which is controlled by people so powerful, they might be
willing to kill to keep their rituals a secret, and are a bit
unpleased that the uninvited doctor has crashed their
party.
Sadly,
Kubrick's first film in over 12 years is also his last. Luckily he
ends his career on a positive note, as EYES WIDE SHUT is a
fascinating and absorbing look into the conflist of a man who opens
up to his sexual fantasies until they almost consume him. Lots of
symbolism by one of the masters of cinema, with particular themes
relating wanton casual sex and death. Cruise is very good in this
third collaboration with his wife, Nicole Kidman (who isn't as good),
while Pollack chips in a quality supporting performance. The film
runs at a long 2 hours, 40 minutes, and while the first half hour is
a bit slow, it soon becomes more and more riveting as the drama
progresses. EYES WIDE SHUT is at times overdrawn, at others
overlong, but there's more than enough moments of erudity to make
this a sexual suspenser to remember.
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