Charming and brutal

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

This film manages to interlace culture,politics,and the complexities of being a human being in a story based on real events and people.Its a long time since I have seen a piece of cinema crafted at such a complete level . Fascism and Catholicism in Spain provide the backdrop for a character based drama which explores a clash of cultures in the Sixties and the compromises ordinary people make to survive. But this film is not 'Salo' or 'The Travelling Players'. It uses a realist style and characterisation to develop its themes of personal freedom of actions and ideas. Within a traditional realist,narrative structure it reminded me what such a style of film making can say as art ...and us..... if it can get distribution .And that says something about how we have used those freedoms in the twenty first century.....inundated with entertainment technology that is all ideologically similar ............maybe a modern kind of fascism ?

This is a wonderful film, albeit on the slow side with no histrionics, with three different characters all trying to find their pathway in life.It's a road movie about a middle-age teacher and two much younger adults. The character interactions are fascinating and simply grow on you as the film develops. We come too feel for each of them. This is very character driven film with a slow intensity. The Spanish landscape is arid and serves to reinforce the struggle they are undergoing. At the end we sense a resolution to their journey and a sense of fulfillment. The human aspect is highly developed with a strong emotional pull throughout.For John Lennon and Beatle fans there is only a slight appearance of John towards the finale.

After fifty years, it is still difficult to assess the full effect the Beatles have had on our culture. Even with the emergence of truth-tellers such as Bob Dylan in the early 60s, the full flowering of independent thinkers and irreverent behavior was not fully realized until the Beatles arrived to help make it a permanent transformation. While the impact of the Beatles was greatest in the U.S. and Britain, the sense of being a part of a new community was felt even in totalitarian regimes where the hippie look and the Beatle-style longhair among teens became a reason for a resurgence of hope even when accompanied by establishment panic.The subject is explored with confidence in writer/director David Trueba's (Soldiers of Salamina) Living is Easy with Eyes Closed, winner of six Goya Awards, the Spanish equivalent of the Oscars. Inspired by a real incident, the title of the comedy/drama mirrors the first line of the Beatles song Strawberry Fields Forever whose lyrics signal attention to the growing use of psychedelics. Set in Spain in 1966 during the last years of the oppressive Franco regime, Antonio, played by veteran actor Javier Cámera (I'm So Excited), is a single and somewhat lonely English teacher who is a devoted Beatles fan and uses their lyrics as a teaching tool.When he hears that the famous Beatle John Lennon is filming Richard Lester's How I Won the War in the south of Spain, he decides to take some time off and drive down to Almeria with the hopes of meeting John and asking him to include his song lyrics in future albums. Along the way, Antonio picks up two young hitchhikers, both on the run from unpleasant situations at home, Belén (Natalia de Molina) a three-month pregnant 20-year-old leaving the nunnery where she was sent by her mother, and Juanjo (Francesc Colomer, Barcelona Summer Night), a 16-year-old boy (oddly a Rolling Stones fan) who has run away from his abusive father after an argument over his Beatles-style haircut.Although there is some initial uneasiness, Antonio's friendly, talkative nature allows them to relax and feel comfortable. Once in Almeria, the trio bond in a local farmhouse and the more experienced Belén has much to teach her new young friend. Though the film abounds with warmth and humor, especially when Antonio attempts to fulfill his dream of meeting John, there are some dark moments as well. A local bully, who may or may not be a stand-in for the Franco regime, messes up Juanjo's thick mop of hair and worse but the bully's strawberry fields will not last forever.Beautifully photographed by Daniel Vilar (The Artist and the Model) and buoyed by authentic performances from the entire cast, Living is Easy with Eyes Closed touches deep human emotions. Though the coming of age theme is fairly common in world cinema, rarely has it been done with such tenderness and intelligence, and its message of standing up to fear even though you may look foolish in the process is an important one. When Antonio tells his young friends that, "you can't live in fear. Too many people in Spain live in fear," it's a comment with multiple undertones. Living may be easier with your eyes closed, but it is much more satisfying when they are open.

This is a quiet gentle movie full of humor and understanding about the sometimes painful but rewarding journey to adult hood.Of huge assistance to those young folk making this journey is a really talented teacher; don't just take my word for it - learn from the movie what Lennon did to assist the teacher in his quest.Also interesting to show what life is like living in a fascist state - fascism starts in the family and at school.The director David Trueba is clearly a talent to watch - he was a screenwriter on the much darker confronting but interesting Perdita Durango (Dance with the devil - 1997) - he clearly has real insight into human nature. This is a much kinder more thoughtful film and one for all of us.9/10 for me (there are no tens).