Eyes Wide Shut has a good story for a psychological thriller, and the overall feeling of the film is very distinct. Eyes Wide Shut is an eloquent film, coming out of the mind of a very intelligent filmmaker, one who is making just the kind of film he wants to make, and conveying a lot of what he thinks and feels. The result is great food for thought, served up through the many motifs (staged vs. actual, masks and clothing vs. nakedness, etc.) juxtaposed throughout the film. This is the kind of film one has to watch several times to pick up on what the director is really saying, and get why things specifically are the way they are. This means that the style and vibe may not wholly be what one might have expected or wanted, and do not give as direct and strong a feeling, especially when compared with Fight Club or American Beauty (both films coming from the same year). Still, Eyes Wide Shut is a very memorable film, with a few powerful scenes that stay with you. Tom Cruise does a better job with his character than one may be inclined to give credit for, and if you look close, you can see subtle touches and insights into the psychology of this man who wanders out into the night after losing an argument with his wife. Nicole Kidman plays the wife, the main source of genuineness and set against the stock pageantry in the world of the film. The sound mix, especially for the voice acting, is notable, the characters' speech goes right through the inner ear and into the psyche. Eyes Wide Shut is a layered film, it works fine for casual viewing, as a kind of spectacle, and it has plenty of depth as a drama, especially for anyone ready to question what is the world that they are in, what it is really about, and whether or not they are being as serious as they need to be about it.

4.25 / 5.0