Eyes Wide Shut (no 8)

(USA 1999 159m) DVD1/2

Fidelio

p/d  Stanley Kubrick  w  Frederic Raphael, Stanley Kubrick  novel  “Traumnovelle” by Arthur Schnitzler  ph  Larry Smith  ed  Nigel Galt  m  Jocelyn Pokk (including “Jazz Suite” by Dimitri Shostakovich)  art  Les Tomkins, Roy Walker  cos  Marit Allen

Tom Cruise (Dr Bill Harford), Nicole Kidman (Alice Harford), Marie Richardson (Marion), Sydney Pollack (Victor Ziegler), Rade Scherbedgia (Milich), Leelee Sobieski (Milich’s daughter), Todd Field (Nick Nightingale), Alan Cumming (desk clerk), Vinessa Shaw (Domino, the hooker), Faye Masterson (Sally), Sky Dumont (Sandor Szavost),

Stanley Kubrick’s final film must surely qualify as one of the most misunderstood of recent times.  Much of the blame for that, of course, must be laid at the late master’s own feet due to the laborious shoot, beginning in late 1996, going through cast replacements and all sorts of delays before the final release, and then Kubrick’s untimely death in post-production.  This in addition to a frankly awful marketing campaign helped the film to its modest critical reception and decidedly cold box-office performance. 

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