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Close Your Eyes

Play trailer 2:00 Poster for Close Your Eyes Released Aug 23, 2024 2h 49m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 73 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Set in contemporary Madrid, an aging filmmaker named Miguel Garay is called upon to recount his memories of working on his final and still unfinished film, "The Farewell Gaze." During its production, the lead actor and Miguel's close friend, Julio Arenas, disappeared without a trace, leaving in his wake a mystery that would haunt the lives of everyone associated with the film. Miguel never directed another project, instead living a quiet life as a writer by the coast. He remained reluctant to unravel the mystery surrounding Julio until approached by an investigative television program reviving the case decades later. With careful reflection, he reconnects with the film's crew, former lovers, and Julio's daughter, seeking closure for the disappearance and what it meant for all of their lives.
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Close Your Eyes

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Critics Consensus

A near-masterpiece for director/co-writer Victor Erice, Close Your Eyes ends his long gap between films with a moving meditation on memory, identity, and cinema itself.

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Critics Reviews

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Jacob Oller AV Club Movies and mortality are linked throughout the engrossing three-hour drama. Rated: B+ Oct 25, 2024 Full Review Randy Myers San Jose Mercury News “Close Your Eyes” is a sad, delicate, powerful and beautiful gift to film fans. Rated: 4/4 Sep 12, 2024 Full Review Glenn Kenny RogerEbert.com The searching of a now-84-year-old maestro of cinema is exquisitely moving and speaks with an urgency that isn’t at all undermined by the films languid pace. Rated: 4/4 Aug 27, 2024 Full Review David Bax Battleship Pretension The presentation of Close Your Eyes is gargantuanly filmic. May 16, 2025 Full Review Fletcher Powell KMUW - Wichita Public Radio Close Your Eyes is exactly what I’d hoped for, which is to say, it left me nearly speechless. Apr 17, 2025 Full Review Jared Mobarak Hey, Have You Seen ...? So, rather than make this film about "saving" Julio, Erice makes it about Miguel waking up to the magic of his own artistic possibility through him. It's about reconciling past and present, memory and reality. Rated: 8/10 Jan 17, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Alec B The movie meanders, sometimes in interesting ways and other times in ways that are frustrating, but its never boring. If you can stick it out, the ending is rewarding. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/25 Full Review Jake H This really is an epic masterpiece. A plot within a plot within a life story. Beautifully filmed; some very (but not too) long scenes that would also work on stage, which are absorbing and immersive. And a storyline which might be a rollercoaster if compressed into an average-length film, but is instead a bumpy ride. I'm a perfectionist. I know it when I see it. This is it. Worth waiting for. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/12/24 Full Review TurnipDude87 C An incredible film. A must-see and one of the best films I have watched in years. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/01/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Víctor Erice

Director

Manolo Solo

Miguel Garay

José Coronado

Gardel

Ana Torrent

Ana Arenas

Petra Martínez

Sor Consuelo

María León

Belén Granados

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Close Your Eyes

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Movie Info

Synopsis Set in contemporary Madrid, an aging filmmaker named Miguel Garay is called upon to recount his memories of working on his final and still unfinished film, "The Farewell Gaze." During its production, the lead actor and Miguel's close friend, Julio Arenas, disappeared without a trace, leaving in his wake a mystery that would haunt the lives of everyone associated with the film. Miguel never directed another project, instead living a quiet life as a writer by the coast. He remained reluctant to unravel the mystery surrounding Julio until approached by an investigative television program reviving the case decades later. With careful reflection, he reconnects with the film's crew, former lovers, and Julio's daughter, seeking closure for the disappearance and what it meant for all of their lives.
Director
Víctor Erice
Screenwriter
Víctor Erice, Michel Gaztambide, Víctor Erice, Michel Gaztambide, José Alba
Distributor
Film Movement
Production Co
Tandem Films, Nautilusfilm
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Spanish
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 23, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 3, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA)
$44.1K
Runtime
2h 49m
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