"After Dr Bill Hartford's (Tom Cruise) wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), admits to having sexual fantasies about a man she met, Bill becomes obsessed with having a sexual encounter. He discovers an underground sexual group and attends one of their meetings -- and quickly discovers that he is in over his head."
What an absolute rollercoaster this was. The final film from Stanley Kubrick. While I was fully aware of 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, and The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut was a film that I was not aware of. As a reviewer, I'm generally focused on more modern cinema, and it is taking a while to go back and check out the greats of the film industry.
I wouldn't go as far as to say that Eyes Wide Shut is hypersexualised but in respects usual cinematic content, this is highly sexualised. The entire premise revolves around the protagonist misunderstanding his wife's active sexuality. The belief that Alice (played by Nicole Kidman) is passive in her sex drive--with no sexual wants beyond that of her duty to please the man that she is married to--is the component that causes this delving into the debaucherous erotic exploration once the belief is corrupted.
The following events are where the film's events are up for contention. The protagonist, Dr Bill Harford (played by Tom Cruise), instantly comes across the temptation that his wife initially questioned him about, and from that point on, faces temptation after temptation in quick succession throughout the night. Whether spurred by bitterness and contempt or instead, searching for a similar emotional experience to what was described by his wife, Bill's character goes deep down the rabbit-hole exploring the various roles of sex; its role in power, money, coping with an emotional loss, expressing a kink, or initiating connections.
Where the contention lies, is whether Bill is actually experiencing these events in real life, or not. With the camera often following Bill around many scenes often come across like a video game from a third person view, most characters involved having their features concealed by make-up, masks, and outfits, in otherwise dark and hazy environments. Bill plays the spectator never actually engaging in any of the erotic displays that he views, despite his supposed wants. And it plays into his sub-conscious moral and ethical codes that have been the linchpin of his life up until this night.
At its heart, Eyes Wide Shut looks at communication in relationships, how both being honest about or omitting knowledge of one's needs, wants, or fantasies can lead to contempt and disdain between partners. A fine balancing act that requires both parties to keep an open mind or suffer from collapse, some will choose to not discuss these issues and live life in a form of conscious ignorance; of eyes wide shut.
As far as the acting capabilities of our two main cast members, Nicole Kidman is the standout performance. More minor in her role, her emotional performance far outshines that of Tom Cruise, and purely by the look in her eyes, is able to convey a veritable treasure trove of emotions and feelings. Nicole Kidman has the role that anchors the film, while still managing to act as the plot device that turns the film on its head. Tom Cruise, on the other hand, is a much shallower actor and struggles to convey emotion through his facial expression; a much blander performance overall that sometimes comes across as an empty template that could allow the audience to insert themselves into his role. But much less emotionally evocative.
Eyes Wide Shut is intriguing and presents a visually stimulating concept that leaves enough unexplained to have you questioning every scene. An absolutely stunning performance from Kidman, and an eye-opening look into the consequences of sexual repression.