Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados

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.

Entertaining and fun movie filled with interesting characters , humor , drama and good feeling . Living Is Easy With Your Eyes Closed (Vivir Es Fácil Con Los Ojos Cerrados) was the big winner at the 28th Goya Awards ceremony, landing the Spanish Film Academy's two top prizes -- best film and best director - . It is inspired by actual events in 1966, it's a comedy road movie about an English teacher (Javier Camera) obsessed with the Beatles . As he motivated his students using Beatles music . He hears that John Lennon is in Spain and he then decides to go to Almeria . Along the way , Antonio picks up two runaways passengers , a teenager (Francesc Colomer) and a pregnant girl (Natalia De Molina) . As in Almeria is John Lennon acting in the comedy How I Won The War . They were looking for John Lennon and they found themselves .

This is a marvelous ode to adolescence plenty of innocence , friendship , cooperation , curiosity and comradeship . The movie title, Living is Easy With Eyes Closed, comes from a line in Lennon's song Strawberry Fields Forever which he wrote while filming How I Won the War in Almeria . Director David Trueba shows these important and universal values through adolescents's minds . It is a notorious picture of great educational content , including an enjoyable , attractive message and amusing and fun scenes . Spanish cinema has a great ability in dealing with films about teenagers as well as adults , with interesting and thought-provoking messages that are a clear example of an allegory of notorious values such as friendship , honor , collaboration and love . "Vivir Es Facil con Ojos Cerrados " is a song and an allegory to teens , where curiosity and innocence are the most characteristic attributes having adolescents as well as adults well represented by Javier Camera . We do see the world we know each and every one of us, but from his innocent look , with much more easygoing . That's where all the power comes from this movie, because of their three protagonists with a greater sense of loyalty , confidence , fidelity and honor which is contemplated in the touching relationships . ¨Living Is Easy With Your Eyes Closed " is a splendid ode to adolescence , a nostalgic trip to the past in which we become teens an hour and a half , where everything was discovered , in which an adventurous trip emerges serious things . It's a teen's movie but its strength lies in its universal character , not a story just for adolescents , it's for everyone . Fabulous acting by Javier Camera as Antonio, an English teacher who drives to Almeria in hopes of meeting his hero, John Lennon and on rout picks up two young passengers . Javier steals the show as sympathetic bachelor who has an adolescent thought . This entertaining film displays a colorful as well as evocative cinematography by Daniel Vilar . In addition , a sensitive and rousing musical score by Pat Metheny , including wonderful songs .

The motion picture was compellingly directed by David Trueba, getting a considerable hit smash . Six Goyas landed in the laps of director David Trueba , as he film won best picture, director, screenplay, actor, new actor, and soundtrack . David Trueba was born (1969) in Madrid, Spain . Married to Ariadna Gil (who here plays as mother) , though nowadays separated and he is younger brother of Fernando Trueba and brother-in-law of Cristina Huete who along with Andres Vicente Gomez produced a lot of films . David is a nice writer such as ¨The girl of your eyes¨ Perdita Durango (1997). Known for comedies such as ¨The good life¨ , ¨Masterpiece¨ , ¨Madrid 1987¨ , ¨Welcome home¨ and of course "Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed". Rating : Better than average. Well worth watching .

This charming, quirky film written and directed by David Trueba seems tailor-made for Javier Cámara who delivers a tender performance. (Viewers will remember Cámara's role as Simon in the wonderful film The Silent Life of Words.) Here Cámara plays Antonio, a high school English and Latin teacher, on a quest to meet John Lennon. Lennon is briefly in Almeria (south-eastern Spain; preferred location for Spaghetti Westerns). The movie title, Living is Easy With Eyes Closed is a line from Strawberry Fields Forever which Lennon wrote while in Almeria. En route to the coast, the optimistic and playful Antonio first picks up Belen and later Juan Jo, both runaways. At the final destination, the trio soon meet Ramon, a bar owner, and his disabled son Bruno. The story's themes, among others, are kindness, friendship, determination, dignity, bullying and revenge. To me the movie title is ironic since Antonio doesn't go through life with his eyes closed; he sees and understands everything. There are gaps in the film: after a theater scene why is Belen driving while Antonio appears drunk? Yet, the brutal face slapping and ear pulling are true of these times under Franco's regime. Watch this film, it's worth it.

"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.