​FILMS

living is easy with eyes closed

Living is Easy With Eyes Closed (Comedy/Drama): 76 out of 100: This charming and delightful, though leisurely paced at times Spanish film will appeal to those who appreciate fine dialogue to extract solid characterisations. It will also interest those who are fans of The Beatles as the plot involves a schoolteacher who tries to meet up with John Lennon while he is filming a movie in Spain.

Based on a true story, this movie is set in 1966 during the height of The Beatles fame. If you love The Beatles as much as I do, you will love the scenes where the characters talk about this much-loved group and occasionally switch off during some melodramatic scenes. What keeps the story interesting however, is the funny moments that showcase Javier Cámara's acting skill. He is adept at both comedy and drama. He is well-supported by the two companions he picks up along the way to meet up with John Lennon.

Credit must go to the beautiful acoustic guitar music score. There is also a fine rendition of "Strawberry Fields Forever" near the end of the movie which contains the title of the movie in its lyrics. The colours used in the film also depict the 60s era well with its predominantly brown hues ensuring the viewer feels like they are actually living in the 60s. It's all about the atmosphere here, and both the music and cinematography recreate the era splendidly.

For those who don't really like foreign language films, you'll be pleased to discover that there is some English spoken throughout the film. Don't be put off by the subtitles because they are easy to read and demonstrate that subtitled films can actually be better than a whole lot of Hollywood films.

Starring Javier Cámara and Natalia de Molina
(108 minutes)
Parental advice: Coarse language, nudity and sex scenes
Additional scene during or after credits: Yes, near the end of the credits there is a man playing a trumpet followed by another scene of the teacher standing in front of an empty classroom with "Living is Easy With Eyes Closed" written on the board
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO1jXG38XbM (Movie trailer)

(Reviewed on Wednesday 22nd October, 2014)