Close My Eyes (1991)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Stephen Poliakoff

Writer:

Stephen Poliakoff (writer)

Release Date:

6 September 1991 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

After some years of tension, Richard begins a sexual relationship with his sister Natalie. Now married...

Plot Keywords:

Sexual | Brother Sister Relationship | Female Nudity | Conflict | Attraction

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Alan Rickman	...	Sinclair
Clive Owen	...	Richard
Saskia Reeves	...	Natalie
Karl Johnson	...	Colin
Lesley Sharp	...	Jessica
Kate Gartside	...	Paula
Karen Knight	...	Philippa
Niall Buggy	...	Geof
Campbell Morrison	...	Scotsman
Annie Hayes	...	Receptionist
Maxwell Hutcheon	...	Interviewee
Geraldine Somerville	...	Natalie's Boss
Helen FitzGerald	...	Scottish Girl
Christopher Barr	...	Noley
Gordon Salkilld	...	Hotel Porter

Runtime:

Canada:108 min | Spain:108 min | USA:107 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Isle of Dogs, London, England, UK

Company:

Beambright

Goofs:

Continuity: When Natalie and Richard are fighting on the country lane, there is a rip in the right shoulder of her jacket. When they get back to the party, the rip has gone.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Natalie: You're late.
Richard: Sorry, it was unavoidable, trains on Sunday, you know what they're like.
Natalie: Unavoidable? I don't believe it. I've eaten all the food.
Richard: You've eaten all the food? Now that's serious.

Movie Connections:

References Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Spellbinding

The film is really haunting and keeps you spellbound. While the film appears to portray sex scenes for nudity's sake, that's not really what is going on.

Okay, okay, this is no Pulitzer Prize winner and Alan Rickman, Clive Owen, and Saskia Reeves can act better than they do in this movie. Butt, I think they each brought so much into the picture that other, less talented, actors would have failed to make this film work as well as it did.

The dynamic between Natalie, her brother Richard, and her husband Sinclair is very strange. If you let yourself go and immerse yourself into the story, then you can enjoy it.

The story is about very taboo subject matter, at the time when AIDS/HIV finally came into the public consciousness. But, I do think the screenplay by Stephen Poliakoff is very well written and the film strongly succeeds because he also directed it.

I can compare the story to that of Jane Campion's "The Piano". It is risqué, bizarre, and seemingly shallow. It is also thoroughly compelling. The characters are otherworldly and mysterious, yet very commonplace. You can almost identify with them and by the end of the movie you will find yourself wanting to know more. It is as if you have been looking into a snow globe at a fantasy world come to life, just on the other side of the looking glass. Everything is madness for this trio....

"Close My Eyes" is a journey into the "What if ? ". The most difficult question is, "Why ? ". Only Natalie and Richard can answer that question, or can they? If you are a fan of Clive Owen, Alan Rickman, and/or Saskia Reeves, check it out.