'Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed' is currently being screened around Australia as part of the 2014 Spanish Film Festival. It was recommended to me by Marcellous.
In 1966 a lonely, balding Latin/English high school teacher in Spain approaching his middle age (Eduardo Antuna) is an enthusiast of The Beatles. He uses their song lyrics to teach his young students English. When The Beatles withdraw from public performances John Lennon comes to Spain to broaden his career interests by acting in a film. The teacher then embarks on a cross country drive with the aim of meeting Lennon and along the way he gathers two hitchhikers, (Celia Bermejo) a young pregnant woman fleeing an institution for unmarried mothers and 16 years old (Francesc Colomer) who has runaway from home after an argument with his father. This is a road movie with a coming of age theme.
Viewing the film in its early stages through my 21st Century eyes I had imaginings of paedophiles, rapists, child molesters and serial murderers with this odd threesome alone in a sparse environment. Apart from some moments of 1960s style corporal punishment which shocks nowadays my concerns otherwise were unfounded.
This is a charming and gently amusing trip. The movie title comes from a line in The Beatles' 'Strawberry Fields Forever'.
★★★1/2
Glad you enjoyed it, V, even if only at a 3.5 star rating.
ReplyDeleteI don't give my stars away lightly, marcellous!
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