Review of Eyes Wide Shut (1999) by Johnny T — 10 Nov 2011

Eyes Wide Shut still towers above most of the movies out there, immersing the viewer in a web of emotional complexity, at once raw and personal and, at times, theatrically overcooked. spellbinder: provocatively conceived, gorgeously shot and masterfully executed. A precisely modulated and mostly mesmerizing 2 3/4-hour suspense movie, in part because it's one of the most bravely disturbing screen works ever attempted about thoughts withheld by even the most devoted marriage partners and the ramifications of voicing them. A riveting, thematically probing, richly atmospheric and just occasionally troublesome work, a deeply inquisitive consideration of the extent of trust and mutual knowledge possible between a man and a woman. Above all a masterpiece of sustained tone, a tightrope act that pays off in rich and unexpected ways. A movie with the power and quality of dreams, where reality merges into symbolism and oddly juxtaposed elements crystallize into a single, electrifying whole...

VERDICT: "Better Than Anything" - My highest rating (Extremely Positive reaction). Usually I give this rating to a movie that I believe is absolutely outstanding and has little to no flaws in it. Audiences, who haven't seen this film, must see it right now!