DVD Dr. William Harford threatens his marriage, and gets ensnared in a murder mystery in Kubrick's last film before his death.
Details
Harford's seemingly perfect life begins to unravel after his wife Alice admits to him that she once fantasised about leaving him for a complete stranger. This confession sends him spiralling into a bizarre and increasingly uncomfortable journey through New York's nightlife, where he encounters a string of strange characters, questionable situations and a whole lot of sexual tension.
His late-night wanderings eventually lead him to a mysterious masked gathering populated by the rich and powerful, where things take a darker and more sinister turn. What initially appears to be an exclusive secret society quickly becomes something far more unsettling, with Harford finding himself completely out of his depth and in way over his head. It should be gripping stuff, but somehow it never quite delivers the intrigue it promises.
It may be Kubrick's last film, but it's certainly not his best. It smacks of a film that has nothing to sell it other than sex. In content, it reminds me of the slightly better Sharon Stone vehicle Sliver, with voyeurism and sexual tension wrapped around a thinly veiled murder-mystery 'plot'.
Even those who like this sort of thing will be disappointed, and at over two and a half hours it is painfully overlong. Scenes drag, conversations go nowhere and the supposed tension never really builds into anything worthwhile. I actually found myself getting cinema-goers bum on my sofa! I also found myself getting completely and utterly BORED!
Picture & Sound
The back cover says that the film has 'graceful, tracking shots'... Not in 4:3 it doesn't! What were they thinking here? I'm sure the theatrical release must have been in widescreen, and for such a visual film, releasing it in Pan and Scan only is unforgivable.
Another thing that is unforgivable is the picture quality... Quite simply it is the worst I have EVER seen, grainy beyond belief, with a terrible lack of definition. At one point Cruise walks into his apartment wearing a black overcoat - well I assume it's an overcoat, for all I know it could be a bin liner because it's just a splodge.
Sound is also unbelievably poor... Did Warner suddenly forget about the surround channels? You know, Warner, those funny speakers that sit at the back?! Mind you, Kubrick probably thought they were too "fancy" for his films.
Menu & Extras
Extras are poor too, with dodgy interviews and a couple of television adverts being all you get for your money. The only saving grace is the nicely animated menu system.
Overall
For a film carrying the weight of being Kubrick's final work, this is a massive disappointment. Instead of a gripping psychological thriller or a meaningful exploration of relationships, what we get is a slow, meandering and ultimately hollow experience that never really knows what it wants to be.
There are moments where you can see glimpses of what Kubrick may have been aiming for - an unsettling look at desire, jealousy and obsession - but they are buried under endless scenes that feel like they go on forever without adding anything of real substance. The so-called mystery never quite materialises into anything satisfying, leaving you wondering what the point of it all was.
Between the dreadful transfer, lacklustre sound and minimal extras, this is one DVD that fails on every level. Take the last word of the title and replace a letter to get a more accurate description of this film.
Special features
- Over 30 Minutes of Interview Footage with Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg
- Two Eyes Wide Shut Television Adverts
