Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Friday, July 03, 2009 | 12:20 CEST
Strangely fascinating, sumptuously photographed—the multicolored Christmas lights that can be seen in several scenes look gorgeous—and deliberately paced film with intriguing characters, a multilayered and unpredictable story that is open to interpretation, and a sense of mystery to it. The emotionally charged and excellently acted bedroom scene is memorable, as are the orgy sequence, the sequence that takes place in a costume store, and the long billiard-room scene. Tom Cruise's and Nicole Kidman's impressive performances capture all the subtleties and nuances of their characters; Sydney Pollack, Marie Richardson, and Rade Serbedzija deserve a mention for playing their parts very well. Masterfully directed by Stanley Kubrick, this film, which he also co-wrote and produced, is a fitting end to Kubrick's magnificent career. Based on the novella Dream Story by Arthur Schnitzler (Amazon/Adlibris).
