Cerrar los ojos

This late work is the first I've seen by Spanish auteur Victor Erice. (Yes, fellow cineasts, I have reached the age of 48 without EVER watching "Spirit of the Beehive". I know this is deeply sinful and plan to rectify it by- not kidding- the end of the day on which I am writing this review!) From what I have read about Erice's earlier, major works his films usually concern childhood, and tend to be fairly short in duration- under 2 hours. Related to those earlier films, "Close Your Eyes" would seem to be a departure for the 84 year old writer-director. It is almost 3 hours long, and it is concerned with the theme and rhythms of old age.

"Pensive" and "patient" are the two adjectives I would use to describe the film's mood, at least for its first two acts. This is, indeed, a film in 3 acts, and not in the insipid sense meant by Hollywood scribes. The three sections of the narrative, each in a different setting with largely different supporting characters besides the lead, 70-something writer Miguel Garay- played, well, pensively and patiently by Manolo Solo, feel like three different films about the same character.

The cliche about old age is that one realizes how short life is, and even a middle-aged person can attest to a level of truth in this. Less discussed or described is the change in the moment to moment temporality as one gets older, the appreciation and savoring of moments that have come to seem more finite. Erice and his team convey that beautifully in the first two acts, particularly the second which basks in an understated contentedness that cannot last even in the sphere of lived time.

In the first act, two elderly friends discuss the "challenge of old age" and one character defines it as living "fearlessly and without hope". The final section of the film, the one with the closest thing to a conventional story-line, perhaps only lives up to the first half of the first act's declaration. It is filled with an elderly artist's final declaration of devotion to their medium- the cinema- in which the artist maintains a faith in an ability to attest, reveal, and perhaps even heal.

On a personal note, the cinema has been as close as I've had to a religious force in my very atheistic life. Perhaps when/ if I approach Erice's age I will feel a need for such declarations of devotion. As the almost 50 year old who watched "Close Your Eyes", however, I could have done without the metaphysics lesson.

The title of the movie has to refer to what happens to you when you watch it. Jokes aside it's the first time I fall asleep in the cinema while watching a movie. The seats weren't tall enough so I couldn't rest my head and I was constantly falling asleep in the void and then instantly waking ip. That was going on for the last 45 minutes of the film. Has to be the slower movie I've ever watched. I was waiting for a climax or something to compensate me but it wasn't there. Nothing ever happened. Everything stays unanswered which is not bad by itself but in this case some answers would be the least.

Victor Erice, a legend in Spanish cinema who hasn't made a new film since 1992 and could achieve a legendary status with only three films, presents his latest work. Reminiscent of his symbolic narrative in 'The Spirit of the Beehive' (1973), where he criticized the Spanish Civil War era, Erice's new film explores the traces of an unfinished project due to the mysterious disappearance of its lead actor years ago. 'Close Your Eyes' draws parallels between the director character in the film and Erice himself, suggesting autobiographical elements, especially considering that Erice wrote the screenplay. After 30 years, Erice returns to filmmaking to convey his message, offering a critique of the Spanish society manipulated during the Franco dictatorship.

While the film starts with a deliberately slow pace, it proves worthwhile towards the end. I realized that nothing in the film is unnecessary; everything has a meaning, sometimes subtle, sometimes profound, but meaningful nonetheless.

I loved this film, the direction of the actors, the pacing and how natural it felt. I watched it over two nights - it's a long film but I was completely involved in the story. All of the characters contributed to the effectiveness of the film and added depth. Nothing felt shallow or forced. The central mystery made me want to watch to the end and discover what had happened to him all those years ago. It's a love letter to film making too and the power of film to affect us and stay in our memory, and how it can change our lives. I'm surprised to read the negative reviews. A brilliant ending, too.

Enjoyable picture full of feeling, evocative mood pieces, wonderful images and a sense of wonder thanks to its cinematography and music. Dealing with a Spanish actor (an aging José Coronado) who disappears during the filming of a movie. Although his body is never found, the police conclude that he has suffered an accident on the edge of a cliff. Many years later, the mystery returns to our days. So an old friend of his, a film director and writer (Manolo Solo) begins a tireless search to find out where he is, for which he contacts with his daughter (Ana Torrent).

It is a melancholic, prolix and eminently thoughtful treatise on memory, nostalgia, identity, the passage of time and the power of cinema, recurring themes in Erice's not very prolific work. The film includes numerous allusions to cinema and literature. As well as self-references from Víctor Erice himself and his filmography. Starring Manolo Solo along with José Coronado, the latter won deservedly the Goya 2024 for best supporting actor, both give an extraordinary performance, in addition to other well-known actors, such as Ana Torrent, Petra Martínez, María León, Mario Pardo, Helena Miquel, Josep Maria Pou, Soledad Villamil, and despite his prominence on the billboards, Antonio Dechent and Juan Margallo show up on screen for only a few minutes.

Received with a seven-minute ovation at its premiere at the Cannes festival, it is the return to feature film direction, with full of honors, of Victor Erice, three decades after the premiere of his previous film: ¨El Sol del Membrillo¨. And winning several national and international awards. Being nominated for 11 Goya awards, winning only the best supporting actor for the aforementioned José Coronado.

Closing Your Eyes (2023) features lavish photography by magnificent cameraman Valentín Álvarez, as well as an evocative musical score by Federico Jusid. Being filmed in several Spanish locations, such as: Castell de Ferro, Granada, Aguadulce, Almería, Andalusia, Asturias and Madrid. The film was well directed by Victor Erice, although very slow and somewhat boring due to its long duration -almost three hours- with a lot of silence and excessive dialogue. Víctor is considered to be one of the best Spanish directors, known for El sur (1983), El Espíritu de la Colmena (1973) and El sol del membrillo (1992). 'El Sur' is a sensational film that offers a thought-provoking plot and is deemed one of the best Spanish films, in fact it was voted sixth best Spanish film by professionals and critics in 1996 at the centenary of Spanish cinema, while ¨El Espíritu de la Colmena¨ was voted third best Spanish film. Erice was going to write and direct The Shanghai Haunting (2002), based on a novel written by Juan Marsé. Although Marsé praised Erice's script, producer Andrés Vicente Gómez rejected it. After some rewrites, also rejected by the producer, Erice chose to leave the project and was replaced by Fernando Trueba. Then he decided to abandon the shhoting of pictures until resuming today with this 'Closing your eyes'. Rating Cerrar los ojos (2023) : 6.5/10. Above average, well worth watching.