MUBI

A movie about homosexuals in an orthodox Jewish environment sounds like something that could go horribly wrong, but we’re lucky, Eyes Wide Open pulls it off as is lovely little movie. The movie is lighthearted without neglecting realism or bordering on silly but also serious without becoming too hard to digest. The overall style of the film is subtle and observational, so expect no Brokeback Mountain tearjerkers or quirky gayness as in Philip Morris. Instead, we are granted a look inside a tightly (too tightly) knit community where those who strain from the path are cast out. The film relies on the viewer drawing his own conclusions when it comes to the emotional states of the actors. In line with the core concept of keeping up appearances, it is hard to look behind the emotional facades of the protagonists, despite the internal struggle being aptly portrayed by both actors to a very good extent. My respect goes out for addressing the issue alone, but on top of that, Eyes Wide Open is an impressive and enjoyable piece of film-making

English Title: Eyes Wide Open
Original Title: Einayim Petukghoth
Year: 2009
Language: Hebrew, Yiddish
Country: Israel, Germany
Genre: Drama
Director: Haim Tabakman
Writer: Merav Doster
Cast:
Zohar Shtrauss
Ran Danker
Tinkerbell
Tzahi Grad
Isaac Sharry
Avi Grainik
Eva Zrihen-Attali
Mati Atlas
Rating: 6/10

Recently I’ve watched several gay-themed films from a few under-developed fields (cinema-wise), PLAN B (2009) from Argentina (http://lasttimeisawdotcom.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/last-time-i-saw-plan-b/), UNDERTOW (2009) from Peru (http://lasttimeisawdotcom.wordpress.com/2011/01/09/last-time-i-saw-undertow/), and this one from Israel.

A Jewish gay story of a married gay man in the closet, the confrontation between sexuality and religion is the momentum pushing the film trudge slowly against time (though the entire film only lasts 90 minutes).

What’s the novelty here? The narrative is being exaggerated minimized, it is the arresting camera work lingers since the very first shot, with a precision of the framing whereby the language of camera is ample. which fabricate a haunting Jerusalem with its patient pace.

The denouement is metaphorically ambiguous, I am not going to spoil it here, which does heave the whole film onto an unconventional category, a self-indulgent commitment, luckily, not too opaque.

The film is the feature debut of the rookie director Haim Tabakman and the obscure cast (a subtle performance from Zohar Shtrauss and a youngand raw Ran Danker) furnishes the film with a frank and sincere tangibility. Damn, I wish the film could be more dauntless and detailed.

The world of Jews is nowhere near my real life, which has inevitably hindered my comprehensions here, substantially the religious part. I could only acknowledge that the film owns its glamour in his paper-thin structure, which is a sturdy move for a new director.