Good acting can't save this movie

Rating: 5/10 (10 April 2005)

Watching these morally bankrupt characters go about their lives is similar to, but less interesting than, watching ants in an ant farm. That's how detached from them I felt.
But the worst problem is that there is almost no motivation for anything that happens. People say, frequently, "I love YOU now", or "I don't love you any more. I'm leaving", or "I've been having an affair" and there is almost nothing prior on screen to indicate why. Apparently these schizo people just wake up one morning and decide to make major changes in their lives for no apparent reason.
The only sympathetic, flesh-and-blood, character is played by Natalie Portman. There is not a camera angle or pink wig that can make her look anything less than stunning. There is one scene, not sexual, where she is in bed with a lover she has just been reunited with, bouncing around like a puppy for joy. In this short scene she goes way beyond the words, to communicate utter contentment, hope for the future, vulnerability. Her acting was terrific and made the film worthwhile.