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House review of Closer (2004)
This is Mike Nichol’s take on the highly acclaimed theatrical tour de force Closer, which is a very blunt and uncompromising reflection of modern day relationships. Great, another chick flick, I’ll put this on the ever increasing ‘crap’ DVD pile that is accumulating at a rapid rate in the corner of my living room. Or maybe not.
Whilst the opening scene had me immediately worried (boy sees girl across the street, their eyes meet, instant attraction etc.) I was quickly put into a happier place even before the scene ended as the girl gets wiped out by a taxi….Unexpected and very welcome - without wanting to sound morbid, I just like the originality.
Jude Law plays the role of ‘Dan’ in the play and gives a strong performance; he is the most unlikeable character on screen, brushing aside the feeling of others in his relentless pursuit for lust and happiness. His performance, whilst incisive character serving work, isn’t as mesmerising as Clive Owen, who throttles the role as a hard on the outside but very sensitive underneath and successful doctor. Julia Roberts gave the best performance, some say worthy of an Oscar, but let’s not get carried away and Natalie Portman manages to look sexy in every scene she is in.
All joking aside, I found myself mid-film quite surprised at the storyline and really enjoying it. The hard, blunt truth shocks the audience on more than one occasion - have you ever told someone who’s completely in love with you that you’ve been shagging someone else for the last year? Surely it’s better to make something up, right?! This film is about principles; a lack of and a abundance of , all wrapped up in one storyline.
In retrospect I am confused by the underlying message. But, I don’t care, I watch a film to enjoy it and this film fulfilled the success criteria.
I am now very intrigued and will make a point of seeing Patrick Marber’s original theatrical.
Very enjoyable for me - it’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, though.
| Title | Closer |
|---|---|
| Director | Mike Nichols |
| Genre | Drama, Romance |
| UK Cert. |  |
| Spittin rating |
 7 |
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Viewer comments
Comment from LilGrisen 5th August, 2008
It is a great film. At the beginning of your critic I was going to stop reading it because you say it is a "chick flick" very far from true... It's a deep film and I found some lines of the script really interesting into understanding a man's psyche. Julia Roberts reply at her husband when he questions her about infidelity> It is like yours but sweeter!!! A classic.
Comment from Paul 7th August, 2008
ha, yeah you're right, this is definitely not a chick flick! I really like this film too, even though it turned out to be something that I wasn't really expecting; it is quite a shocking and vulgar film. That was the scene where she was being interrogated about her sexual relations with the Jude Law character right? I think I remember that...Have to say I rated Clive Owen, thought he gave a great performance.
Comment from Elessar 7th August, 2008
You completely cracked me up with "Jude Law was great, Clive OWen was great, Julia Roberts was great, and Natalie Portman was pretty!" Now I'm asking a sincere questioin...CAN that woman act? I've only seen her in Star Wars and Mr. Magorium...and I can't imagine that's anyone's best material.