The once-taboo theme of sex between a brother and sister is tackled at full tilt by director Stephen Poliakoff in a film that's a visual stunner, yet awkward in its portrayal of human relationships, and hampered by two central performances, by Saskia Reeves and Clive Owen, that aren't terribly good. So, while the exchanges between the two are making the audience shuffle and occasionally giggle, it's the happenings and characters in the margins of the film that prove most interesting. A hangdog-looking Alan Rickman is right on the money as Reeves' cuckolded husband and the events involving Owen's AIDS-infected boss (Karl Johnson) are touching and notably well contrived. And, while the naked flesh of our illicit lovers lurches off screen for another breather, Poliakoff finds time to capture the unique qualities of a particularly hot summer in the English countryside. More than a bit silly, Close My Eyes has enough of these beguiling incidentals and well-drawn supporting roles to hold your interest to the end.

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