Twelve Days of Questionable Xmas #10 – Eyes Wide Shut
Stanley Kubrick is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. It’s not even really up for debate at this point. His final film, Eyes Wide Shut, was not his most loved. Critics and fans were split on this flick, and understandably so. Expectations were so high that it could not help but be divisive. Kubrick plus the drama that was Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman mixed with a healthy dose on nudity made for a weird sell when the film was released. The fact that the story was not very straightforward didn’t help either. I know there are tons of people who don’t “get” this film, which has lead to it attaining a certain hipster quality. For those not in the know, and honestly I can’t see how you missed it, here’s the deal. Tom and Nicole go to a party. Some stuff happens. Later that night Nicole tells Tom about a fantasy she had about another man. In the middle of this conversation, Tom gets a call (he’s a doctor) to visit a patient who has died. All of the “weird” stuff that happens from that point on, the party and the masks and what have you, are Tom’s internal reaction to being told that his wife thought about having sex with another man. That’s it. It’s the weird, “oh yeah? well I’ll show you” thing we all do. Plain and simple. Hell, the trailer gives that much away with the voice over. The fact that almost every scene is literally covered in holiday decorations juxtapozes with all of the crazy anger Tom is feeling quite nicely. Certainly not the most joyful of Xmas flicks, but one well worth your time.