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Eyes Wide Open

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Eyes Wide Open

Released Jun 25, 2010

1h 31m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

36 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

A middle-aged Orthodox Jew, Aaron (Zohar Strauss), living and working in Jerusalem with his wife and children, meets a homeless 19-year-old student, Ezri (Ran Danker). Aaron offers to give Ezri work as his assistant at his family's butcher shop. The two men grow close and their attraction becomes sexual. Aaron must now confront his own sexuality, his feelings for Ezri and his obligations to his family and faith. But when the truth gets out, there are serious repercussions for his transgression.

Ed Koch

The Atlantic

Those interested in viewing a lifestyle they never knew--that of the pious gay--while the acceptance of homosexuality is an issue around the world, will be enlightened by this film.

Jan 13, 2018

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

The simplicity of the tale is its strength and the acting of Zohar Strauss as Aaron and Ran Danker as Ezri is entirely natural.

Rated: 3/5

May 20, 2010

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Steve Rose

Guardian

This is responsible, restrained and intelligent, but if anything, the risky subject material is handled with too much caution.

Rated: 3/5

May 14, 2010

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Stefan Pape

Common Sense Media

Set within Jerusalem's Orthodox Jewish community, this Israeli drama offers an intimate portrayal of a forbidden gay romance.

Feb 20, 2025

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

As emotionally satisfying as it is intellectually stimulating.

Rated: 3.5/4.0

Sep 7, 2020

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

It is the film's unadorned simplicity that sticks in the memory, distilling complex social and religious prejudices without judgment or condescension.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 5, 2019

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Georgan G

3 & 1/4 stars. A story that is clearly going to end badly. However, the final scenes are confusing as to exactly what IS he outcome.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/11/23

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Daniel O

One movie you can watch over and over.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/28/23

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carlos m

Filme sensacional, muito bom.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Tenuous And Beautiful In Its Sadness

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

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Audience Member

A profoundly sullen and pensive dramatisation of the hypocrisy of hegemonic masculinity and its frailty in a strictly Orthodox Jewish community.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This films says a lot when it says nothing at all.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

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Haim Tabakman

Director

Zohar Shtrauss

Aaron

Ran Danker

Ezri

Tinkerbell

Rivka

Tzahi Grad

Rabbi Vaisben

Isaac Sharry

Mordechai

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Synopsis

A middle-aged Orthodox Jew, Aaron (Zohar Strauss), living and working in Jerusalem with his wife and children, meets a homeless 19-year-old student, Ezri (Ran Danker). Aaron offers to give Ezri work as his assistant at his family's butcher shop. The two men grow close and their attraction becomes sexual. Aaron must now confront his own sexuality, his feelings for Ezri and his obligations to his family and faith. But when the truth gets out, there are serious repercussions for his transgression.

Director: Haim Tabakman
Producer: Rafael Katz, David C. Barrot, Isabelle Attal, Michael Eckelt
Screenwriter: Merav Doster
Distributor: New American Vision
Production Co: Riva Filmproduktion, Totally Prod., Pimpa Prod
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Hebrew
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 25, 2010, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 3, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $30.8K
Runtime: 1h 31m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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