Close Your Eyes (2023)

DVD CASE/ SIDE

Length of film: 169 Minutes

Rated: Not Rated

Genre: Drama

Director: Victor Erice

Starring: Manolo Solo, Jose Coronado, Ana Torrent, Petra Matinez, María León, Mario Pardo

IMDB Rank: 7.2 /10 (August 2026)

Part 1 Time:  96 Minutes

Part 2 Time:  73 Minutes

***Break comes at the end of chapter 7 if watching in DVD format.

Where does the first part end? Miguel (Manolo Solo) sits in a row boat docked on the sand. He speaks to Max (Marlo Pardo) on the phone following the TV broadcast of the ‘Casos irresolutos’ (Unsolved Cases) episode about Julio Areanas, in which Miguel provided an interview for.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: Miguel states; “You recorded it? A far as I’m concerned you can erase it. Yes, erase it. Buona notte, Max Ciao.”

First line of dialogue on the second part: “Don’t you want a bite?” Patón (Alejandro Caballero Ramis) states to Miguel as they fish the following morning.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal, Miguel has used all his personal connections and leads to search for the whereabouts of his friend Julio Areanas (who went missing 20 prior), but has been unsuccessful. With the TV broadcast of ‘Casos irresolutos,’ will new leads be shared with Miguel to aid in his search?

Which part is better? The film begins as an engaging mystery, as Miguel tries to unravel Julio Arenas’s disappearance. Post intermission the film switches from being a mystery to an introspection of aging, memory, and friendship. Although a bit slower than the first half, the second half is the ‘heart of the film,’ as the disappearance of Julio Areanas is solved providing a deeply emotional experience.

Academy Awards: None