Friday, October 19, 2012

Eyes Wide Shut

Photographed By Ellinor Forje 

Lately, I've been in an existentialist space with both Stanley Kubrick and Tom Cruise. Kubrick because I recently watched "Room 237" (2012). And I almost put myself through "The Shining" again today. It screws with your head pretty bad. Folks, I just couldn't do it.

My re - kindled liaison with Cruise started a few weeks before I travelled to Italy after I'd watched "Collateral" which I hadn't seen before. It came out in 2004, and I'm finally watching it in 2012. Why I ought to be ashamed of myself. It's that good.

Having said that, when I went searching for the perfect Venetian mask in Venice, images of  Cruise at the masquerade ball in "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999) kept popping up in mind. Then I stumbled on the masks you see in the photo and remember thinking, "Vanilla Sky". In essence, Cruise and I had our own little private thing going on, on the Rialto. Er...right.

But back to the movie/s. Much has already been written about "Eyes Wide Shut", there really isn't anything adequate that I can add or subtract from the existing conversation.  As per usual, Kubrick brings his "A" game to what would be his last film. It's all there. It's that good.

"Eyes Wide Shut, depicts the life of Dr. Bill Hartford (Tom Cruise) and his spouse Alice played by Nicole Kidman, in the upper crust of Manhattan society. After attending a lavish Christmas party at one of  Harford's patients, Victor Ziegler (Sydney Pollack), the couple get into a zealous argument on gender issues and fidelity, which is further fueled by a rencontre that Hartford has with one of his old (drop -out) medical school class mates. This in turn leads Cruise's character to enlist on a night-long adventure (of x-rated nature) sans his family.

I think a conclusion drawn by Reviews On The Side, best sums up the film. Just exchange "plot" for "entire movie". "The thriller plot's raison d'ĂȘtre (you can never use too many French phrases in a movie review, n'est pas?) is finally revealed when you're there with Tom at Sydney's place, trying to figure out if what Tom experienced was merely a game or if it was real."

Well, it's Kubrick, so...

5 comments:

  1. I was reminded that Nicole Kidman had some beautiful clothes in this movie. I have to watch it again!

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  2. I never watched 'Collateral' too, might need to watch it...


    http://thelittlebigobsession.blogspot.com

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  3. I found Room 237 to be a bit repetitive although the theories were interesting. But Eyes Wide Shut is a terrific movie.

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  4. Great picture! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Like to read your text!
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    ReplyDelete