Closer (2004)

There is much hype to be found surrounding Mike Nichol's 'Closer', celebrated for its frankness and "Oscar-worthy" performances. I despised this movie however. Not that it is particularly badly written, acted or directed, but I found 'Closer' to be inane, inept, and totally unlikable with no apparent reason for existing other than to highlight the worst aspects of humanity. The movie is plodding and its cynicism about relationships and life in general is far too overblown. Infidelity and repeated sexual liaisons interchange between the same four characters for the entire length of the movie. Are we supposed to care about these people or their relationships? Are we supposed to care how cruelly they treat each other? It certainly doesn't appear that way, the film seems to want us to be distant from these characters, but for what reason? It's utterly pointless, banal, and the characters are just shallow, especially Clive Owen's Larry, whom I found to be completely repulsive. I am comfortable with explorations of sex in film, but here it is just tiresome; "controversial" and "sexually honest" material is substituted for any real, or at least interesting, character development. If this had been successfully achieved, we could connect with these people on some level, any level. Does the film wish us to applaud its excessive use of sexual expletives as bold; daring? It is frank, provocative, and often interestingly in-you-face honest, but as the film drags this approach just becomes grating and unrelenting. Add to this, the movie jumps ahead months and years at a time, which furthers our detachment from ever fully accessing these characters, ever fully understanding these characters, as if we are only offered the worst moments of the last four years of their lives - this continual distancing is distressing. This movie just rubbed me the wrong way.

I think there is enjoyment to be had from 'Closer', with some memorable performances, but that is about all this film has to offer. Many people may find this movie endearing, but unfortunately this movie failed to grab me. 'Closer' is sometimes effectively emotional in its exploration of diminishing trust and love in modern relationships and Natalie Portman is remarkable. She is undoubtedly the standout of this film, bringing a much-needed, though never fully realised innocence to the film (although her talents are wasted on this trite film), and Clive Owen successfully inhabits the persona of sex-craved man, seemingly without redemption. Julia Roberts as Anna and Jude Law as Dan are impressive, though less impacting than the others. Patrick Marber's screenplay has some high points and the dialogue mostly works, but as we, completely drawn back, continue to watch these characters dig themselves deeper into their own sh*t, the film ultimately becomes a mega- disappointment. As a harsh social commentary it does its job, but there really, truly is no point to 'Closer' other than that life is crap, relationships are crap, people are crap and these people end up with other crappy people.

Fmovies: The strength of Closer, both as a play and a motion picture, is the flawless, mature and beautifully crafted dialogue. Patrick Marber's screenplay is a testament to his truly great writing ability, as not much of the original text needed to be adapted in order to work appropriately and effectively on screen.

The raw emotion and base convictions of these four tragic characters (all acted exquisitly) is given to us primarily through their words and those words are all we need.

If you need more than words and are looking for a feel good love story, steer clear, you will only be disappointed.

However, if you are looking for a piece that will intrigue your senses, causing you to examine your own soul, your own convictions, then I highly recommend Closer.

Like Shakespeare, Williams, and O'Neil, whose words are a testament to the condition of their lives and times, Marber, through his language and presentation of these four exquisite lost souls, forces the mind to acknowledge and deal with the most base of our natural tendencies, painting a brutally honest portriat of the human condition in the 21st century.

I've seen Closer described as a cinematic triumph, but it's precisely not. The film wears its theatrical origins on its sleeve, and the presence of the camera is mostly irrelevant.

It also fails in a more subtle way. Initially, I watched four apparently amoral people, devoid of depth or shame, being clever at each other in increasingly hurtful and exploitative ways, and my mind rebelled. This can't be right, I thought, people don't talk like this. Hell, people don't *act* like this.

Then the light dawned. The characters seemed inhuman because they are. They aren't people at all, they're philosophical positions. When they talk, they're not talking. They're saying the things that people only dare think, asking the questions that haunt anyone whose relationship has gone horrifically pear-shaped. This isn't the story of four people and four relationships, it's an attempt to compress everything the author believes about human relationships into a film and bend it into a story. It feels artificial because it is.

With that realisation, I actually began to enjoy it, because Closer is a very clever film. I wish I could disagree with more of it, because many of the things it has to say about human relationships are painfully true. Every mistake you've ever made in a relationship is in here, and it's guaranteed to make you squirm at least once. It's also blackly funny in many places.

Without exception, the performances are fantastic, with the honours going to Natalie Portman's emotionally scarred escapist who wears lies like they were armour, and Clive Owen's brutal, perceptive, and ultimately absolutely human dirty doctor.

Be warned! The marketing campaign may lead you to think it's a comforting rom-com, but it's not. I wouldn't advise going with your partner unless you're rock-solid. You may leave asking some uncomfortable questions, and wondering how well you really know them...

Closer fmovies. It's once in a very rare time that I go to the movies and I'm treated as an adult. I see a film that is intelligent, thought provoking, provocative and rawly realistic. Closer is that film. It present an honest portrayal of four severely unlikable characters and they screw with each others love lives back and forth. The film is told in adult sporting complexity through the growing plot points , the way it's filled and it's tasty advancing dialogue. Everyone in the film turns in a powerhouse performance worthy of Oscar consideration. Ms. Portman is wonderful as Alice shedding her blockbuster star wars acting skills and portraying someone multi dimensional with heart and pizazz. Julia Roberts stars as Anna in a cold, subtle performance which will leave audiences appreciating her acting believability as she pounces through each of her scenes with charismatic force. Jude law and Clive Owen are the real surprises here both turning in wonderfully appealing performance. Strong, weak, flawed and memorable. Especially whose last outing was the entertaining but mediocre action summer pic King Arthur. The film has wonderfully tight direction and sports beautifully placid colors and a fine adult score. The film draws dangerously close to being a near perfect film. I only wish it could've gone on for abit longer I wasn't completely satisfied to the ends of the characters on which we were give. but life itself isn't perfect or satisfying and this is a slick of someones life. Rush out and go see Closer! Oner of the best film's of the year!

What a treat. Most of the people who came with me, left, half way through the film. I stayed to the end and I loved it. It moved me. A rarity this days. The face of Jude Law is, still, so full of possibilities. He seems unafraid of darkness. Strong. This is his most grown up performance. I can't wait to see what he'll become. (If he stays away from Hollywood as much as temptations permit, and keeps that purity, that makes his darkness so powerful, as intact as humanly possible). Julia Roberts is wonderful in a performance part Margaret Sullavan, part Jeanne Moreau but all her own. Clive Owen is a force of nature. Dangerous, compelling, human to the hilt. And what about Natalie Portman? Wow. No surprise here. But what a surprise. I'm sure she is going to amaze us for years and years to come. I'm really glad I stayed to the end.

This is the most honest film I've ever seen. Although I'm sure there are critics out there who will comment on the explicit language rather than the story, anyone who's ever been in a dysfunctional relationship can relate to at least some part of this film. I for one found it a very personal and shockingly accurate depiction of how human beings use love and sex to unintentionally destroy each other. The performances were magnificent from all angles. Mike Nichols has done it again. This film is "Carnal Knowledge" for the new millennium. If the Academy does not recognize "Closer" as a Best Picture candidate, then the Academy should no longer be recognized as the authority on achievement in film... yes, it's that good.