As I Open My Eyes
Kino Lorber | Release Date: September 9, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
74
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
The PlaylistKaleem AftabAug 18, 2016
As Farah, first-timer Baya Medhaffer is a revelation, managing to combine a zest for life with teenage naiveté. Read full review
80
The New York TimesStephen HoldenSep 8, 2016
As I Open My Eyes is best when it observes the fraught but loving mother-daughter relationship between Hayet and Farah. Read full review
80
Screen DailyDan FainaruAug 18, 2016
Leyla Bouzid’s fiercely committed debut should draw plenty of attention not only for the way it deals with the political climate in her homeland but also for how she charts the painful transition of her lead character from outspoken, rebellious adolescence to a more careful and often resigned adulthood. Read full review
80
CineVueMatthew AndersonAug 18, 2016
By using the tropes of the coming-of-ager - a rebellious teen and the strained relationship with her mother - as the central touchstone, Bouzid subtly, yet efficiently paints the nascent days of Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution as a force to be reckoned with. Read full review
80
VarietyJay WeissbergAug 18, 2016
Sharply yet subtly capturing the atmosphere of fear fostered by the dictatorship of President Ben Ali, this skillfully made drama is especially attuned to the myriad forms of surveillance, from the prurient to the political. Read full review
75
Boston GlobePeter KeoughNov 3, 2016
The coming of age is not just that of character but of a whole nation, and despite the mild-seeming moniker, the Jasmine Revolution earned its victories the hard way. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineChuck BowenSep 6, 2016
Leyla Bouzid successfully dramatizes how young people eroticize peril and risk due to a lack of experience. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesSheri LindenOct 5, 2016
Baya Medhaffar inhabits the role of Farah with a blazing exuberance that’s matched by a dynamic sense of place. Director Leyla Bouzid may struggle to shape her narrative in the final reels, but through most of its running time her first feature pulses with in-the-moment vitality. Read full review
70
Village VoiceSOPHIA NGUYENSep 8, 2016
This debut feature earns its grown-up wisdom without selling out its youthful idealism. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijAug 18, 2016
Though only an adequate singer, Medhaffer practically explodes with energy when she’s behind the microphone, making for a very charismatic performer. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comGodfrey CheshireSep 9, 2016
Curiously, there’s virtually no mention of religion in the film. For that matter, politics creep into the tale only obliquely, and later. It appears we’re meant to understand that the band’s music and Farah’s lyrics have an edge of protest, but this is registered only as a very general sort of frustration and discontent. Read full review
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