A Complete Review of Stanley Kubrick's work

It was actually directed by Gregory Monro.

It turned out to be one of these rare documentaries during which the director doesn’t give any comment at all but I actually did appreciate this approach. Above all, it was really awesome to have (at least, to hear) Kubrick himself discussing his own movies. The other people who had worked with Kubrick were also quite interesting but, to be honest, nothing they said was really new to me. Unfortunately, I’m afraid there was just too much ground to cover, especially with only 70 mins and maybe it would have worked better if they did double the running time. I mean, Michel Ciment managed to write a whole book following this interview with the master so there was probably more material available. Anyway, they basically rushed through most of his career, jumping randomly from one masterpiece to another. However, for some reasons, even though they keep hammering the fact that he did direct only 13 movies, in fact, they didn’t even mention 2 of his movies, ‘Killer’s Kiss’ and above all ‘The Killing’ which was actually pretty awesome. And, yet, somehow, they still spent some time on his awful directorial debut, ‘Fear and Desire’, a movie Kubrick himself despised and even considered as amateurish at best. Still, Kubrick was awesome as a filmmaker but even he didn’t seem to be a nice and warm guy, he did seem to be a genius in general and he told some rather fascinating stuff during this documentary.

Cast : Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack, Todd Field, Vinessa Shaw, Rade Serbedzija, Leelee Sobieski, Alan Cumming

What was it about?
A New York City doctor, who is married to an art curator, pushes himself on a harrowing and dangerous night-long odyssey of sexual and moral discovery after his wife admits that she once almost cheated on him.

My two cents:
This was the last movie directed by Stanley Kubrick and, eventually, not everyone was sold when it was release. Indeed, many people thought it was in fact one of his least successful features but I personally think it was actually another great movie from the best director that ever lived. It is such a shame that it took him 12 years to finally make another movie and it is even worse that nothing more will come out from this genius. Anyway, I remember it very well, when it came out, there was a huge buzz about the damned thing and I had the honor, the privilege and the pleasure to behold this masterpiece in the movie theater. As usual, you had the incredible Kubrick directing, completely flawless with his usual obsessive attention to the details. On the other hand, you had this fascinating story which was almost a captivating Hollywood thriller. I say "almost" because at the end, there was no big chase, rooftop final battle or a big twist explaining everything that happened before. There was actually no real answer and I think that's the reason why many people got frustrated by the damned thing, this fact that they are so used to that everything is supposed to be solved at the end.

My rating: 09/10

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Cast : Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey

What was it about?
A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow Marine recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting set in 1968 in Hue, Vietnam.

My two cents:
Honestly, I always had some rather mixed feelings about this one. First of all, I have to make myself clear : it is a really good movie but I don't think it is flawless though. Obviously, as usual with Kubrick, the directing was absolutely amazing and the acting was completely off the charts. However, the combining of the 2 parts (the training and the actual war) just didn't really work for me. I mean, the first part was just amazing, on the same level of some of the best work provided by this great master but the second part was decent but honestly rather underwhelming, especially after the emotional roller-coaster provided by the boot camp. Basically, it is a random succession of war scenes with no real plot (there are even two scenes involving Vietnamese prostitutes) but, in just an hour, you don’t really get the time to involve yourself in the conflict and, compared to ‘Platoon’ which spends its whole running time in Vietnam, this part was never really spellbinding in my opinion. Still, it remains a really good flick.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall

What was it about?
A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.

My two cents:
It is basically another huge classic which I also find quite awesome but, to be honest, it doesn't really belong to my favorites. I think it is probably the most accessible movie directed by Kubrick and, once again, the directing was just awesome. On top of that, Jack Nicholson gave one of his best performances and the whole thing was indeed just spellbinding to watch. And, yet, somehow, it was still missing something to become truly amazing, at least, that’s my opinion. The main issue is that this movie is and remains a Stephen King story and, to be honest, I have never been a real fan of his work. Still, I have always been amazed about how Kubrick has managed to lift up the material to such heights but I'm not so sure it it is such a masterpiece and I will definitely re-watch it some day to make up my mind.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Ryan O'Neal

What was it about?
An Irish rogue wins the heart of a rich widow and assumes her dead husband's position in 18th Century aristocracy.

My two cents:
Amongst all the tremendous masterpieces directed by the great Stanley Kubrick, I have noticed that it seems to be slightly overlooked which is just too bad. Indeed, it is actually a fascinating picture and I would go as far as saying that it is probably the best costume drama I have ever seen. First of all, it is really a gorgeous movie. Seriously, virtually every scene, every single shot was some kind of painting (check the screenshot above) and I had very rarely seen anything like this before. Furthermore, I thought that this tale was also quite spellbinding to behold. I have to admit that I usually have a hard time to care for this genre because it usually deals with the so-called difficult love life of the aristocrats. However, in this story, they took a really different approach and most of the characters, especially the main character, were actually unlikable but, as a result, they became much more interesting to follow.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Malcolm McDowell

What was it about?
In future Britain, charismatic delinquent Alex DeLarge is jailed and volunteers for an experimental aversion therapy developed by the government in an effort to solve society's crime problem... but not all goes to plan.

My two cents:
It was the first movie directed by the great master I saw and I can remember when I saw it for the first time. I was something like 15 years old and completely blown away by the whole thing. I mean, I had seen some good movies but nothing like this. The thing that most impressed me, back then, is that even though it was made almost 25 years before, it felt actually really modern. In my opinion, this flick has everything : the visuals, the direction, the acting, the music, the thoughtfulness,.... I guess the whole thing is pretty bleak and grim and it is rather understandable that many viewers wouldn't like it. Furthermore, it is a movie were the main character is truelly despicable and I think it is an aquired taste but you can't deny that the directing is just flawless. Later on, I have read the book and it is interesting that the book has actually one more chapter with a happy ending. Even though the book was pretty awesome, I enjoyed the movie even more because it is was just darker, more pessimistic and just more compelling, in my opinion.

My rating: 09/10

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What was it about?
Humanity finds a mysterious, obviously artificial, object buried beneath the Lunar surface and, with the intelligent computer H.A.L. 9000, sets off on a quest.

My two cents:
It is probably the most highly regarded movie directed by Stanley Kubrick and you could argue about the fact this flick might be or not the best movie he has made but you can't argue the fact that this movie is the mother of all Sci-Fi movies that came afterwards. Indeed, even if you think it's slow and boring, you can't deny it has visually inspired all the Sci-Fi movies that came afterwards. Here, Kubrick made a visually spellbinding SF feature and went metaphysical and it completely worked. I mean, the last 15 minutes are probably the most exhilarating piece of cinema I have seen in my entire life. As a viewer, it was a defining moment that I will never forget. I always find it rather amusing when the fans of 'The Matrix' argue about the great 'philosphy' behind this so-called 'masterpiece'. '2001' doesn't give you any answer, you have to look for them, you have to think the whole thing for yourself to make something of it.

My rating: 09/10

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Cast : Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, James Earl Jones

What was it about?
An insane general starts a process to nuclear holocaust that a war room of politicians and generals frantically try to stop.

My two cents:
To be honest, this movie was the only one directed by Stanley Kubrick with which I didn't have much a connection. I mean, I did like it but it didn't blow me away like the rest of his movies. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to watch it again recently and, this time, I understood why it was regarded as one of his best movies. It was the only comedy made by the great master and, as expected from the best director ever, it ended up being one of the best comedies ever made. Indeed, there were so many hysterical and hilarious scenes, I couldn't pick just one. Furthermore, everybody remembers Peter Sellers who was indeed excellent but the rest of the cast was also pretty awesome. Above all, I enjoyed the fact that it was very timely, especially when it was made and it was also very smart compared to all the stupid comedies they make nowadays. For example, everything happening in the plane was really accurate and made the whole thing even more surreal.

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My rating: 08/10

Cast : James Mason , Shelley Winters, Sue Lyon, Peter Seller

What was it about?
A middle-aged college professor becomes infatuated with a 14-year-old nymphet.

My two cents:
Among all the masterpieces Stanley Kubrick has made throughout his prestigious career, this flick doesn't seem to get much love but I do believe that it is actually rather underrated. As usual with Kubrick’s work, even if the movie is nowadays almost 50 years old, it still feels really modern. I mean, can you imagine how it must have felt when the folks watched it 50 years ago ?!? Even though there is no sex scene, there is such a huge sexual tension and Kubrick dared to tackle here one of the biggest taboos in our society. Even though it is common practice to cast much older actors to play some teenagers, with the notorious example of 'Grease' with some actors well in their 30's portraying some 18 years old kids, Kubrick cast a young girl who was just 15 years old during the shooting and it made the whole thing even more unsettling. Anyway, there was here some flawless directing, the acting was great and the story was just spellbinding to watch.

My rating: 09/10

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Cast : Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov

What was it about?
The slave Spartacus leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman empire.

My two cents:
I always find it rather amusing when people tell me that they find 'Gladiator' totally awesome. Do they know that the Peplum is actually one of the oldest genres in cinema and that 'Gladiator' is merely a reboot? Anyway, this movie was probably the least personal project for Stanley Kubrick as he was hired at the last minute by Kirk Douglas. Indeed, the whole thing was supposed to be directed by Anthony Mann but he was fired by Douglas who then hired Stanley Kubrick but they didn’t get along either and Douglas swore he would never work again with Kubrick. This movie was also the first and last time Kubrick made what you could call a 'standard' big budget studio feature without full control (as a matter of fact, After 'Spartacus', Kubrick always kept full control over all the aspects of his films). Even so, I thought it was a really awesome flick with some spectacular scenes and it is definitely my favorite peplum. Indeed, it is obviously the movie which stands out the most from Kubrick’s filmography as his touch is not so omnipresent and I think it is his most accessible flick but it is not necessarily a bad thing.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Kirk Douglas

What was it about?
When soldiers in WW1 refuse to continue with an impossible attack, their superiors decide to make an example of them.

My two cents:
The whole thing is just so shocking, heartbreaking and downright revolting. In my opinion, it is easily the best movie starring Kirk Douglas and one of the best directed by Stanley Kubrick, one of his many masterpieces. It is basically one of the greatest anti-war movies, it is as simple as that. It was only Kubrick's 3rd directing feature but he was already one of the great masters. The battle scene was for example really impressive. It may not be as bloody as 'Saving Private Ryan' but for a 55 years old flick, it is technically and visually quite excellent. I above all loved the juxtaposition between the fancy headquarters, the nice little diners, the little chats, the nice dance parties the general have together and the dirt, the constant humidity, the hunger, the fear and the horror of the trenches. Also the way the generals talk about the soldiers is so despicable but, unfortunately, probably accurate. In the history books, this war was called 'The Great War' but there was nothing much great about it, except maybe the number of casualties.

My rating: 09/10

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Cast : Sterling Hayden

What was it about?
Crooks plan and execute a daring racetrack robbery.

My two cents:
With his directing effort, Kubrick already displays the extent of his talent, becoming one of the most exciting upcoming director. In my opinion, it is pure and simply one of the best heist movies ever made. Kubrick already shows some amazing directing skills and his obsessive eye for details. The only flaw would be that it was nothing really original and didn't show much depth, especially compared to what he has done afterwards. Still, the whole thing is damned entertaining and spellbinding to watch.

My rating: 08/10

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What was it about?
As a man waits at a train station for his girl, he tells us about the recent past and we segue into a long flashback.

My two cents:
That's where the legend started... I have to confess, I’m a huge fan of Stanley Kubrick and, after watching movies for about 20 years, he is still easily my favorite director so I might not really be unbiased concerning this movie. I mean, come on, that's when the legend actually started and I get some goose bumps just by thinking about it. Of course, it is far from being perfect and even Stanley Kubrick himself thought that it was not really much better than a student movie (at least it was way better than the really dreadful ‘Fear and Desire'). Indeed, the great master was only 27 years old, completely inexperienced and barely had any budget but I thought it was still a decent film noir. Anyway, a year later, he would come up with ‘The Killing’, a classic, and pretty much everything else afterwards would be quite mind-blowing.

My rating: 07/10

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What was it about?
The documentary extolls the benefits of membership to the Seafarers International Union.

My two cents:
It is important to bare in mind that even though it is often referred to as a "documentary", this is actually a promotional film, made for the Seafarers International Union. So, basically, it is a very long commercial for the SIU and it was terribly boring to watch. I mean, the directing is decent but the whole thing is neither educational or entertaining.

My rating: 05/10

What was it about?
Four soldiers trapped behind enemy lines must confront their fears and desires.

My two cents:
Eventually, I gave in and watched the damned thing... Until recently, I thought it was nearly impossible to see this movie but even though it didn't seem to be the case, I didn't think I would watch it. However, I was given a link with a streaming version so I still ended up watching it... Eventually, it was one of the least rewarding watching experience of my life. Indeed, the copy was terrible, the dubbing was audible but very badly made, the acting was just inexistent and it was just plain and simply a terrible movie. I think the whole thing had some potential but the end-result is just a endless bunch of voice overs. Honestly, even if you are a die-hard Kubrick fan like me, do yourself a favor, don't watch this.

My rating: 04/10

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What was it about?
It tells of a day in the life of a middleweight Irish boxer named Walter Cartier, particularly the day of his bout with black middleweight Bobby James.

My two cents:
It didn't care much about 'The Flying Padre' and even less about 'Fear and Desire' but I thought that this documentary was not bad at all. Indeed, the directing was decent and the subject was actually interesting. The main issue is that they don't tell anything really surprising or educational and it felt like they were pushing a lot of open doors. Still, it is a decent flick and it is actually worth a look.

My rating: 06/10

What was it about?
Two days in the life of priest Father Fred Stadtmuller whose New Mexico parish is so large he can only spread goodness and light among his flock with the aid of a mono-plane.

My two cents:
Ok so this is really the first directing feature by Stanley Kubrick and it is not really worth a look, I'm afraid... I mean, it is probably one of the worst documentary I have ever seen. Beside a few interesting shots, it is just really tedious to watch, especially the voice-over was really pathetic. For Kubrick, it must have been an educational technical excercise but for us, the viewers, it is not really interesting.

My rating: 05/10