Richard Burin Close My Eyes (Stephen Poliakoff, 1991) is a troubling, intriguing, but sometimes superficial state-of-the-nation drama that attempts to have the last word on the 1980s. Saskia Reeves plays an aimless, unhappy young woman who marries a millionaire (Alan Rickman), then embarks on a passionate affair with her fiery, arrogant younger brother (Clive Owen). Though she can apparently turn the attraction on and off - an element that's insufficiently developed until the close - he is besotted, taking the AIDS crisis as further proof that he is doing The Right Thing. While this is primarily a portrait of sibling love, Poliakoff does have loftier ambitions as his screenplay encompasses compromised dreams (seen in the careers of its protagonists, and the broken idealism of city architecture) and the hollowness of contemporary priorities.There's a moment in Lynne Ramsey's Morvern Callar, where Samantha Morton seems to capture just how peculiar and uncomfortable someone sounds in their own head when they're expressing a sensitive sentiment - in this case: "Shut up, he's dead." It's so unlike conventional acting that I've never been able to work out if she's doing it on purpose or has just mangled the dialogue with an atypical display of woodenness. Owen has a similar moment here, with a line that straddles the divide between glibness and profundity. "My boss is ill - he's got AIDS", he says simply. It's a particularly odd moment in a film that's littered with peculiarities and has a lot to say - not all of it entirely coherently.With its striking, grim cinematography and bleak subject matter - punctuated with moments of wry humour - Close My Eyes plays like an embryonic version of Mike Leigh's dizzyingly brilliant Naked, which it predates by two years. In common with Poliakoff's 2009 film Glorious 39, it's a story of well-spoken people falling apart, lit by ever-present music, stately tracking shots and a curious interest in construction work as metaphor. Indeed, Poliakoff's fine visual sense is much in evidence, particularly in a breathtaking surrealistic opening. Acting-wise, it's a mixed bag, with a weak supporting cast but three strong leads. Reeves is the standout - absolutely excellent in a tricky part - with Owen as good as I've seen him and Rickman doing his considerable best in a role that tends towards caricature. Interesting stuff, and definitely one to revisit.

gcd70 Raunchy and surprisingly humorous movie about a very serious subject, that of incest. Clive Owen and Saskia Reeves are brother and sister. The pair are involved with each other in a way most people would consider unusual. The latter is married, so not only is she sleeping with her brother, she's cheating on her husband.Reeves is good, Owen gives a strong performance and Alan Rickman is marvelous as the slightly eccentric husband. Director Stephen Poliakoff manages to disarm us well with some unexpected comedy, however the story lacks the power to disturb its audience, and each character is sadly underdeveloped, especially Rickman's.Mostly unresolved too, or was our director just leaving us to think? Who knows?Saturday, May 8, 1993 - Brighton Bay Twin

vikitoria While Alan Rickman is perhaps one of the best actors around, this movie was NOT a vehicle that promoted him in any way, except to have him come in and out for those tension moments. A great actor like Rickman needs a stronger role to bring out his various talents in acting. This was a vehicle for Owen and his sister instead.I hated this movie immensely, even with Alan Rickman in it (he is the only reason I saw it). Clive Owen, as nice looking as he is, was slimy in going after his sister, and his sister was even slimier for giving in. Incest is NOT a topic that ingratiates itself with viewers, unless they are morally deplorable in the first place. This is a movie you should watch with your eyes closed. Meaning, why bother watching it?

Adrian Bailey I'm surprised this movie isn't rated higher - I can't think of anyone who's seen it who hasn't liked it. Women who see it are all mesmerised by Alan Rickman, who rather steals the show. For many women this was their first taste of Rickman, and it was love at first sight! He _is_ good, and he's cast in an interesting role (Saskia Reeves cheats on him when she has an affair with her brother, played by Clive Owen, who was probably more famous than Rickman at the time because he'd recently starred in a very successful TV drama series). The incest plot is treated very well - the script, acting and direction are excellent. The whole situation is set up so as not to shock, but to make us think, and I think the film succeeds.