Produced by the British television network Channel 4, this documentary takes a look at the life and work of acclaimed filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, with special emphasis on the production of what proved to be his final film, Eyes Wide Shut. Family, friends, and collaborators of the great director offer a glimpse into his working methods and personality (as well as the estate where the reclusive Kubrick spent most of his time), among them actors Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, fellow directors Steven Spielberg and Sydney Pollack, studio executive Terry Semel, Kubrick's wife Christiane, and his daughters Anya and Katharina. Here, Kubrick is portrayed as an eccentric but stable man whose reclusive nature allowed him to go out in public when he chose without being recognized, who had a close and loving relationship with his family, and who could be difficult and challenging to work with. Another of Kubrick's daughters, Vivian Kubrick, who made a documentary on the production of her father's film The Shining (one of the few relatively close looks at Kubrick at work), did not participate in this film.
by Mark Deming
synopsis
