- Actors: Alan Rickman, Clive Owen, Saskia Reeves, Karl Johnson (II), Lesley Sharp
- Directors: Stephen Poliakoff
- Classification: 18
- Studio: Artificial Eye
- Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B000055YZY
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 10,358 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Atmospheric yet strangely detached British film about an adult brother and sister who, after several years of separation, embark on an illicit sexual affair one summer. Natalie (Saskia Reeves) has always felt in the shadow of her younger, more self-confident, successful sibling Richard (Clive Owen) and is bored in her marriage to the rich, eccentric, upper-class Sinclair (Alan Rickman- who provides welcome comic relief in an otherwise quite serious and brooding film). At first the siblings reignite the friendship they lost when they were separated, but their physical attraction is obvious and Natalie begins to instigate a full-blown affair. The last two thirds of the film deal with the emotional fallout as Richard starts to be become obsessed with his sister, and the balance of power in their relationship shifts.
Poliakoff's film deserves credit for its serious, adult approach to a difficult subject. It's also well-photographed and has a subtext about the cold urban redevelopment of London and the stiff conformity of modern life, from which the lovers are, in part, escaping. However, for me, the script (also by Poliakoff) fails to really get to the bottom of the relationship, and its attempt to be something more than a psychosexual drama falls a bit short. Clive Owen is good in an early role, and the whole film looks good visually, but I just felt something was missing, and the climax is something of a cop-out.
There are some blistering sex scenes, which show the incestuous affair in all its shocking glory, and some nice bits of humour to level things out, but overall the script just doesn't do the subject justice. Still, it's one of the better, more realistic films to have tackled incest and a good British film of its era.
This DVD reissue has interviews with the director and members of the cast, which are thorough and interesting.
Poliakoff's film deserves credit for its serious, adult approach to a difficult subject. It's also well-photographed and has a subtext about the cold urban redevelopment of London and the stiff conformity of modern life, from which the lovers are, in part, escaping. However, for me, the script (also by Poliakoff) fails to really get to the bottom of the relationship, and its attempt to be something more than a psychosexual drama falls a bit short. Clive Owen is good in an early role, and the whole film looks good visually, but I just felt something was missing, and the climax is something of a cop-out.
There are some blistering sex scenes, which show the incestuous affair in all its shocking glory, and some nice bits of humour to level things out, but overall the script just doesn't do the subject justice. Still, it's one of the better, more realistic films to have tackled incest and a good British film of its era.
This DVD reissue has interviews with the director and members of the cast, which are thorough and interesting.
44 of 47 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is a great film to stumble across. I watched it recently to see Clive Owen (having seen his performance in "Closer") and was very pleased with what I found. The plot, direction, casting and acting is first rate. The subject is risque however and as a result, the film was a flop when it was released. However, time has been very kind to it. What almost steals the show are the location shots themselves. England has never looked so beautiful. Stunning shots of the countryside, country houses and villages during a wonderfully hot summer are great. For historical reasons, the vast amount of footage in the Docklands and east London are brilliant too as it shows the area being developed at the beginning of the 90s. For those people living in the area now, it will be a very interesting record.
Effort should be made to go out of your way to see this.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
One of my favourite films. I loved it when it first came out and couldn't wait to buy it on DVD. I wasn't disappointed. It was just as good as I remembered. Great performances, beautifully filmed and set during a hot, hot summer. Also there are good interviews with the cast.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Odd 80's incest based nonsense
A young looking Clive Owen stars in this odd old film about a separated brother and sister who meet up. Read more
Published 8 months ago by T. BROOKES
Stephen Poliakoff's "Close My Eyes"
Ignoring the "shock horror" aspects of a story about brother/sister incest (which I think is handled with tact and restraint), this is such a beautifully-shot film which works on... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Phil C
Worth it for Alan Rickman
This film is where my love affair (sadly unrequited) with Alan Rickman began. Interesting film and solid characters, the river scenes are beautifully shot, the subject matter... Read more
Published on 4 Nov 2009 by Pedro the Llama
Not worth the time!!!
The story seems to begin right in the middle. You get the sense that you have missed maybe a half hour of the story when it begins. Read more
Published on 24 Aug 2009 by K. Burwash
Classic Poliakoff?
I adored both Shooting The Past and Perfect Strangers but have found Poliakoff's recent work to be rather disappointing, particularly Friends and Crocodiles. Read more
Published on 20 May 2007 by Dyspeptic Spirit
English cinema at its best
This is an overlooked gem of British cinema. Perhaps thanks to its controversial plot it is branded controversial and yet it is a thoughtful and thought provoking film as well as... Read more
Published on 3 Nov 2006 by Ralph
Wonderful drama
I was so pleasantly surprised to find "Close my eyes" a gorgeous, gripping movie. The performances of the three leads are superb and very natural, and the scenery and... Read more
Published on 30 Oct 2006 by open ears
You be the judge on value for money!
This film had a good solid story, but lacked something bordering on the emotions of everyday relationships which are doomed for disaster. Read more
Published on 13 May 2006 by Cs Chapman
Not Good
I was unable to view this DVD as it began to "FuZ" and then completley froze. I gave it up as a bad job and returned to Amazon with a note to say exactly what happened... Read more
Published on 28 Mar 2006 by Denise Barnett
Irritating
Disappointed in this film. I found Saskia Reeves' character hard to believe in, especially as there was a serenade of violins whenever she appeared. Read more
Published on 4 Oct 2005
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