Beautiful writing by Stephen Poliakoff for this film. Close My Eyes handles the taboo of sibling incest extremely well, whilst not really going far enough in the end, to be completely satisfying.
Set during a hot English summer in some beautifully shot home counties locales, the film is well scripted, framed and incredibly well acted by the three principles Owen, Reeves and Rickman.
Richard and Natalie are sibling, raised apart, who ultimately succumb to a deep sexual attraction and need within one another, that eventually threatens to destroy them. Rickman plays Reeves' rich somewhat eccentric but likeable husband Sinclair, who eventually comes to suspect a connection between his wife and her younger brother that is dangerous and consuming.
The ending, while melodramatic, is handled well. The incest is also handled extremely tastefully and never for shock or titillation value. We never actually see Richard and Natalie make love, only the lead in and afterglow. The leads are beautiful actors all. Lovely to look at. Saskia Reeves was beautiful and alluring also, but her character was very disturbed, as became of her brother.
A solid seven, for not exploring the subject as throughly as it could have, but nonetheless we'll worth your time.
Review of Close My Eyes
