Obsidian-4

This film is not what it's hyped to be. It is certainly not pornography, it is not even particularly sexy. In fact, there's not very much sex in it! If that's what you come to this film looking for, you'll be very disappointed.

If, on the other hand, you're looking for a thoroughly crafted, thoughtful and provocative, beautifully conceived, acted and presented film experience, then you'll hardly do better. Kubrick's films have often gotten indifferent, dismissive and outright negative reviews. Media critics tend to react this way when media events don't live up to the hype they themselves have created. Sadly but not surprisingly, the reviews are so much more predictable than the film itself.

Eyes Wide Shut is a film about sex, and about what sex does to us where we live, which is between the ears. The script is rich, tantalizing, playful and full of suspense. The cinematography, design and art direction are sumptuous. The acting is dead on in every single role, and much credit is due Kubrick and Raphael for the body and fullness written into so many of the minor characters.

I became a full-fledged Kubrick fan more than 30 years ago at my first viewing of 2001. I've been on his bandwagon ever since, waiting ever longer periods in between his offerings. None of his films has ever presented me with precisely what I thought I was waiting for, and Eyes Wide Shut is no exception. Whatever my initial reaction to his films, I've always found that one, two and five years later they've grown on me, and I've discovered more in them than I first beheld. This one will be savored for a long time. It's a beautiful piece of work!

I only wish I could expect that after another long, long wait, Kubrick would do this to me again! BRAVO Stanley, wherever you are!

It's great when filmmakers present us with something a bit different that anything we've seen before, that sidesteps the overused repertoire. This is such a film.

It begins with a pleasant introduction to people we wish well for, then lobs a totally abnormal circumstance into their lives, and allows us along to see what develops. It forces us, far more than most films, to consider, "What would I do?", knowing that there is no adequate answer. And as we watch the increasingly surreal and desperate drama unfold, we glimpse the depth (or lack thereof) of our values, of those around us, and of our society.

The acting by Edwards, Winningham, Williamson and the entire ensemble in fine. The music by Tangerine Dream is a perfect fit. Top kudos to writer/director DeJarnatt for the concept and for bringing it off!

This great epic has some of everything. On the most basic level this means: action, comedy, drama, suspense, sociology, romance, even song.

But, on a deeper level it means that it is just about as human, as fully fleshed out, as representative of a range of experiences of life as a single film could be.

There is much to reflect on here. For what purpose does one live? And for what purpose does one sacrifice one's life? What is it to choose a calling, and what does one give up? How does one man's fate differ from another's, and what choice has he in that?

This is a film that I LOVE! It truly nourishes my spirit to take the 3-1/2 hours every two or three years to experience it once again. A stirring, poignant, exuberant MASTERPIECE!!!

The plot is what stands out here. The title describes it. The character is put in a "No Way Out" situation, and for the last hour the viewer gets to watch him scramble for a way out while the trap slowly closes in. It is very well done. The scenes that stand out for me are the one in which the protagonist discovers the snare he is in, and the final revelation. There are spots in which the pacing lags a bit, and 2 or 3 plot points that stretch credibility. The overall product is very strong. This was a fun one to watch.

I think this film presents a fantastic, top-notch, classic sci-fi premise. The truth about the Matrix and how it unfolds is, to me, the strength of this film. It doesn't fully explain itself and leaves one with a lot of questions, especially about the relationship between the different realities, and why actions in one affect the other as they do. But I don't think that these gaps ruin the integrity of the concept. What DOES spoil this integrity is the needless overloading of one's suspension of disbelief. Was it really necessary, and did it further the story in any way to include an unexplained resurrection? Or to allow the destruction of the ship to go on for so long while it's crew and equipment remain totally undisturbed? These are only two of the many instances where, apparently because someone thinks it ADDS to the suspense and excitement, a gripping situation is over-played to the point where it becomes too much work to keep trying to buy into it. The special effects are incredible. The look of the movie is strong. The cast is up to the job, even stone-faced Keanu. My only other gripe is the usual excess of bullets, and of violence that has no effect. I would think that it was obvious to film-makers now, especially after Private Ryan, that the way to make your movie violence effective is to give each and every "movie bullet" the action and effect of a real bullet. The choreography is nice, but the pounding music, the cascade of cartridge shells, and the piles of bodies becomes both numbing and boring after a very short while. Is there anyone out there who didn't find the scene on the roof, where Neo dodges a total of maybe a dozen bullets, much more exhilarating and interesting than the carnage in the lobby, where enough bullets were fired to arm South Central L.A. for a year??!!

I imagine that I will appreciate this movie more and more as it sits with me, as its images come and go, when I see it again in a year or two, knowing better what to expect.

There is no question that this is a brilliant, rich film which delves far below the simplistic and easy emotions usually triggered by war movies. It is a meditation more than an action film. It deals with the emotional/existential experience of war, as much as with its physical challenges and terrors. It invited me - one who has never experienced war - to imagine what it is, not only to be IN the war, but to be OF it; to be passionatly and fearfully clinging to LIFE, while at the same time willfully serving as a cog in the relentless machine to destroy LIFE, all the while wondering why.

The film wonderfully depicts the dualities of Beauty and Death, Generosity and Evil, Lovingness and Numbness. It depicts, in a way rarely seen, that the gamut of experiences is the same, whatever side of the battle you are on. On top of that, the acting is strong, and the cinematography is luminous!

But I sure wish this film had been shorter. I was just not prepared for the slow pace; the repetitiveness of the voice overs; the long,lingering build ups to emotional states that are revealed and left exposed for seemingly minutes at a time. Had I known what to expect, as I will the next time I see this - and there will be a next time - I would not have been waiting for what was not coming, not anytime soon at least. It's hard to appreciate a solo piano when you're expecting the rhythm section to jump in ANY SECOND NOW!

This film was more than I hoped for. I half expected an exploitation movie, something that would merely push a lot of buttons and go purely for shock effect. Instead, I was treated to work that intelligently explored what can move a person to hate, and what can move that person back to love. The complexity of this family, how their bonds to one another, and their painful experience of the world tugged them in various directions, was very moving. The cast was INCREDIBLE!!! Especially Furlong and Most especially Norton. And the actor who portrayed Derek's laundry room co-worker was a standout in a very key role that was handled deftly and with a lot of humor. But again, the entire cast was right on target, from Avery Brooks, to Elliot Gould, to Beverly D'Angelo, to Fairuza Balk. Extremely well written and well thought out.

I'd never heard of this film when I tuned in to the History channel of all places, hoping for a diversion. I was immediately caught up in this suspenseful and well-acted TRUE STORY of how and why the Nazis obtained advance knowledge of the D-Day invasion, but made no use of it. Some of the most implausible aspects of this fictionalized account - the delicious surprise twist at the end - are TRUE! One of my film guides informed me that "5 Fingers" won the '53 Golden Globe for its excellent screenplay. The highlights of the witty script include the interplay of James Mason, as the suave valet I couldn't help rooting for, and Danielle Darrieux, as the penniless yet glamourously seductive Countess Staviska. The acting of these two is top-notch; the supporting cast is consistently strong, and the Turkish location shooting gives it body. And the direction, by Joseph Mankiewicz is solid. This is a film about which you will ask, as I did: "Why Haven't I Heard of THIS one Before!?!"