Eyes Wide Shut

[frederic_g54]

Eyes Wide Shut, well the first (and only) time I saw it was when I was around 13.
Back then, I thought it was good, not great (I knew squat about Kubrick or films).

Saw it again today, both compelling and invigorating. One of its most exciting aspects
was indeed Cruise's performance, truly impecable, Kubrick worked his magic.

Now the other actors were less than stellar IMO, Pollack was absolutely useless, Kidman was ok I guess.
I would've called this film a masterpiece if its acting had reached the level of The Shining, A Clockwork Orange,...

As for other aspects, the Masked Ball sequence is now a personal favorite,
together with the first 5 minutes of the Jupiter Mission (2001: A Space Oddyssey),

Films like these makes me realise how much I miss "The Man"

I wish he'd made more films



think I'll see it again tomorrow

P.S. how do you explain ones hate towards this film (especially Kubrick fans) ?

[MmzHrrdb]

I hated the piano in that movie.

[MmzHrrdb]

Kubrick's second best film in my opinion. Yes, even better than "2001: A Space Odyssey" and that's pretty remarkable. As I wrote in my mini-review I think, it achieves a sort of harmony of sound and image that hasn't been seen to nearly the same effect in a Kubrick movie since "A Clockwork Orange", not since "Suspiria" actually. Everything about it is hauntingly, mesmerisingly and darkly beautiful and I've recently decided the orgy sequence is my all-time favourite movie scene. I remember being put off a bit by the ending and I only gave it a 96 grade upon first viewing, but it really grew on me the second time round and now I'm in love with everything about it (it's still about twenty-something on my list of Top 50 films, but the first thirty or so I love equally). I don't really get how anyone could hate it because, besides from the ending and Kidman's character in general, I thought it was a peaceful and totally unpretentious work of art.

And also....The Cruise - before he became a nutcase

[Stewball]

The most misunderstood film ever.

[ShogunRua]

I thought it was garbage. Masturbatory nonsense. The result of a senile director buying into his own hype way too much.

I think Kubrick is overrated as hell, but I never got the cult following for this film especially. It's not particularly deep, unexpected, nor original. The morale, "sex is bad and can spiral out of control", seemed banal when I first watched it at 14, let alone rewatching it at the age of 20. Even the acting itself is very average.

[MmzHrrdb]

I thought it was garbage. Masturbatory nonsense. The result of a senile director buying into his own hype way too much.

I think Kubrick is overrated as hell, but I never got the cult following for this film especially. It's not particularly deep, unexpected, or original. The morale, "sex is bad and can spiral out of control", seemed banal when I first watched it at 14, let alone rewatching it at the age of 20. Even the acting itself is very average.

I can definitely see where you're coming from, this is exactly how I felt about the movie when I was half-way through watching it for the first time; the "Fuck." ending also seemed like a real cop-out story-wise and only reiterated my feelings on the film. Even now when I watch it, fragments of that belief still echo in my mind and even though Stanley didn't get to have the final cut of the film before he died I don't think that it is that overly metaphorically "deep" of a film.

As cinema, though, I think it works astonishingly - moreso than the near-entirety of Kubrick's filmography. It may very well be an example of style over substance, but (ignoring the fact that I personally believe "style" is "genuine substance") I think the "style" aspect here is so prominent that it just becomes an absolutely mesmerising cinematic experience, one that surpasses anything that could ever have been achieved with more emotional resonance in place of masked balls and people fucking.

[MmzHrrdb]

I thought it was garbage. Masturbatory nonsense. The result of a senile director buying into his own hype way too much.

I think Kubrick is overrated as hell, but I never got the cult following for this film especially. It's not particularly deep, unexpected, nor original. The morale, "sex is bad and can spiral out of control", seemed banal when I first watched it at 14, let alone rewatching it at the age of 20. Even the acting itself is very average.

I think this is a gross oversimplification. The film seems to me to be a rather complicated examination of not just sexual fidelity, but emotional as well. Kubrick seems to be saying something about the impossibility to fathom the depths of another person's heart and mind.

I'll agree with you that the acting isn't exactly top-notch, though.

[MmzHrrdb]

The Stan man has made wayyyy better movies. This movie is not that good, it kinda sucks. Don't really see the need for a topic. If anything we should talk about the Shining. That movie is the balls.

[frederic_g54]

He's made better films, but this is usually the one that has as many lovers as haters, just wanted to find out why (without insulting the Man (clearing throat) )

Edit: The Shining is indeed "the balls"

[MmzHrrdb]

Once Transporter 2 is brought up in a conversation everyone loses by default.