 |
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
 |
|
|
|
 email this review to a friend
There are few films made today that are bold enough to accurately represent the adult dating wars, and in a sexy, provocative fashion. The last was probably Secretary, and though it focused specifically on sadomasochism, it still worked well enough in portraying the modern scope of dating. Closer, while not taking any new groundbreaking leaps for the genre, is still a keenly interesting film about how people in the oughts date, make love, and then rip apart each others' lives. Not only is there a fine line between genius and insanity, there's also a fine line between love and insanity and pain and vengeance and lust. Closer is determined to explore that thought. The film follows four people who meet each other in London all under strange circumstances and then begin to fall in love. With each other. Everyone in the film eventually ends up sharing some form of intimacy. Dan (Jude Law) and Alice (Natalie Portman) meet as Dan, an obituary writer for the local newspaper, is on his way to work. The scene opens the film in strangely erotic slow motion as Alice is hit by a car. Dan takes Alice, a stripper, to the hospital and they fall in love. Later, Dan, now a novelist, meets photographer Anna (Julia Roberts) as she takes pictures of him for the jacket of his book. They share some odd kisses, and that's when Dan brings in Alice for Anna to meet. While using the bathroom, Alice overhears Dan and Anna's conversation about their awkward macking session, and then she confronts Anna about it in a heated conversation where Anna convinces Alice that she "is not a thief." As time goes by, Dan finds himself in an anonymous London sex chat talking to a dermatologist named Larry (Clive Owen). Dan pretends to be Anna, and tells him where to meet him...or, actually, her. Larry goes to the spot and finds that he's been the victim of a cruel online prank. Yet that doesn't stop he and Anna from falling in love with each other. Dan, in his jealous lust for Anna, has accidentally become her and Larry's Cupid. What follows is a progressively more and more complicated intertwining of all four principles as they re-meet, fall in love again, fall out of love, assault each other, and try to destroy each other. It's an emotionally rich concept that director Mike Nichols and screenwriter Patrick Marber, adapting from his play, milk the best they can. To some degree, it works, yet to another, it doesn't. It does work in the way that I cared about these four unique people for one hour and forty-four minutes, yet it fails in the way that I care after the movie is over. Once the credits rolled, the movie was over, not just literally, but also in my mind. I had no more thoughts about Dan, Alice, Anna, or Larry, nor did I care to. Simply, not much happened. Still, Patrick Marber has managed to write one of the most intriguing "not much happened" movies I've seen in quite some time. While truly nothing really happens of much consequence to the audience, he makes it very entertaining and highly interesting. His dialogue is oftentimes brilliant; light, breezy, and hilarious when it needs to be, and tough, strong, and heavy when required. The characters are very interesting people that all speak in a very intelligent manner which, of course, could've helped to build my resistance to feeling anything for them, but it is also to Marber's credit that he never allows them to become pompous intellects. The film could very easily have become an odyssey in pomposity, but Mike Nichols treats the story in a gentle manner, and Marber maintains his characters' sense of humanity throughout. Nichols' film also looks absolutely fantastic, and I'm not just talking about how pretty the actors are (which they are). The cinematography is striking, and at times, including the aforementioned erotic slo-mo opening, there is a fuzzy, glowing feel to the film that, when coupled with the affecting soundtrack music, will make you fall in love with it. Especially considering the soundtrack music is most often Damien Rice's beautiful The Blower's Daughter. The cast does a fantastic job, which is another reason that, though not much happens, Closer is still very memorable. Julia Roberts, admittedly not one of my favorite actresses, does the best work of her career here, even besting her shockingly outstanding turn in Erin Brockovich. Natalie Portman does a fine job, and, what with delightful turns in both Garden State and Closer, has really run the indie circuit last year. However, Jude Law and Clive Owen as the striking male leads steal the show. Law's character of Dan at first feels like a cruel, vengeful antagonizer while Owen's Larry feels like the sympathetic innocent. Yet as Closer moves on, Law and Owen both provide several shades of depth to their characters, and in the end, much more is revealed than just our first impressions. They make their careers here. --Full review at REELPICKS.CJB.NET-- email this review to a friend
Comment on this Review:
 Subscribe to MatchFlick Movie Reviews through RSS |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
RSS | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | About MatchFlick® | Press | Contact Us | FAQs
Partnership and Advertising Opportunities | Movie Database | Merchandise ©2004-2008 MatchFlick®. All rights reserved. ©MOVIE IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED AND THE PROPERTY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS |