Some films are slow and talky because of mere indulgence, but Close Your Eyes owes its pace to naturalism and poetry. Each frame and dialogue is both beautiful and realistic. If they’re not meditating on the fickleness of life and memory, they’re honoring how cinema can encapsulate them. This is one of those movies you have to experience, not just witness. By the end of it, you’ll be pondering its deceptively simple ideas too, much like the thoughtful Miguel (Manolo Solo) and the elusive Julio (José Coronado).
"Lonely images and ideas from the director's first two features—a small box full of cherished possessions, a father's long estrangement from his daughter—have a poignant tendency to resurface here..."
— Justin Chang
"A slow-burn marvel which climaxes in a sequence of overwhelming profundity and mystery."
— David Jenkins
Years after his mysterious disappearance, Julio Arenas, a famous Spanish actor, is back in the news thanks to a television program.
A retired film director decides to look for his friend, an actor, who mysteriously disappeared 20 years ago. He speaks to friends and loved ones and realizes he might be closer to finding the truth after all these years.
The naturalism of the film, and that arresting final shot.
Its slow pace pays off in immeasurable ways.
