Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados

"Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed" is an odd little slice of life movie. The acting and direction are quite nice, though otherwise I didn't particularly love the film or felt connected to it. Perhaps it might be different for you--particularly if you are a Beatles fan.

The film is set in Spain in 1966. A completely obsessed English teacher dreams of meeting his idol, John Lennon. And, when Lennon comes to Spain to film "What I Did in the War", impulsively he sets off on a cross-country trek to see the singer. Along the way he picks up a runaway teen and pregnant young lady and they set off for the movie set.

All of this unfolds very slowly. VERY. This didn't bother me, though I am pretty sure many folks will balk at this. As for me, my problem was that although the characters were mildly interesting due to the acting, they were only mildly interesting. I didn't really care about them or their pursuit. Not a bad film at all but one that left me feeling curiously disinterested.

This is a wonderful film, albeit on the slow side with no histrionics, with three different characters all trying to find their pathway in life.

It's a road movie about a middle-age teacher and two much younger adults. The character interactions are fascinating and simply grow on you as the film develops. We come too feel for each of them. This is very character driven film with a slow intensity. The Spanish landscape is arid and serves to reinforce the struggle they are undergoing. At the end we sense a resolution to their journey and a sense of fulfillment. The human aspect is highly developed with a strong emotional pull throughout.

For John Lennon and Beatle fans there is only a slight appearance of John towards the finale.

Living is easy with eyes closed.

Living is also easy when you view the world through rose coloured glasses. And whether you're the type to feel nostalgic about things before they even happen or not, this film takes you on a glorious sepia toned journey to Almeria in the late 1960s. And then makes you wish you were there.

The film follows the plight of the affable, portly protagonist, Antonio and his dream to meet his hero, John Lennon. You see, Antonio is not just a devoted Beatles fan, he's also a devoted English teacher with the patience of a saint, using The Beatle's lyrics (hot off the press) to give meaning in his classes. And there are many other saintly and religious themes throughout the film which are especially confronting for the pregnant teenager, Belen, one of the two runaways Antonio picks up en route to Almeria. The other is Juanjo, an almost debilitatingly introverted, artistic youth struggling to please his stern father. This unlikely trio find the 'help' they need in the form of one another.

The film perfectly balances moments of melancholy and joy, which is essentially life at its core. And there are nods to Truffaut (I won't give them away). Spain in the 1960's was not all free love and liberation. With the threat of the cold war looming and Spain under the tyrannic rule of the Franco regime, this seemingly light-hearted tale is set against the backdrop of a fairly weighty political climate. But don't think this stands in the way of our characters having some eye watering laughs along the way.

For younger and/or attention deficit viewers there may be parts of the film which feel a little slow, but this is the genius of the pacing. It is a quaint story about little people with big heart, and most importantly the pacing adds to the sense of time and place - an ambling coastal town.

A lovely seaside romp with some fairly lovable characters, 'Living is easy with eyes closed' was a joy to watch. An ode to the underdog and the outsider, sure it was 'feel good' but what's so bad about that? And for the record, I would consider marrying Antonio, balding and all. That man has a heart of gold.

This is a quiet gentle movie full of humor and understanding about the sometimes painful but rewarding journey to adult hood.

Of huge assistance to those young folk making this journey is a really talented teacher; don't just take my word for it - learn from the movie what Lennon did to assist the teacher in his quest.

Also interesting to show what life is like living in a fascist state - fascism starts in the family and at school.

The director David Trueba is clearly a talent to watch - he was a screenwriter on the much darker confronting but interesting Perdita Durango (Dance with the devil - 1997) - he clearly has real insight into human nature. This is a much kinder more thoughtful film and one for all of us.

9/10 for me (there are no tens).

"Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed" is a beautiful movie. The acting and direction are charming and fresh. I particularly loved the film and felt connected to it, even though I am not the greatest Beatles fan.

The story is of an English teacher, obsessed with The Beatles, particularly with John Lennon. He is planning to meet John Lennon in person and ask him a bunch of questions, or maybe simply talk to him. Don't all of us dream of doing the same with our favorite celebrity? On his way, while driving his cute 60s car, he picks up two young hitchhikers.

The story has a slow pace, focusing on characters rather than action. The pace allows us to get acquainted with the characters, know their stories and their purposes. The pace might be too slow for some people, I am pretty sure my boyfriend doze off for some minutes while watching.

As for me, I loved the way the characters were developed, while the actors portrayed them beautifully. I loved the relationship between Antonio, a middle-aged guy, and the two young hitchhikers, one of whom is only sixteen: while he occasionally gives them some lessons about life ("no matter what you do, you cannot live in fear!"), he treats them as adults and respects their decisions ("you must have been an adult when you got into this situation, I'm sure you'll solve it as an adult").

A gorgeous little gem to watch, it has a heart-warming feeling and some characters that are as human as they can get.