So close...that it's world apart

Rating: 7/10 (4 March 2005)

The tag line of Closer states When you believe in love at first sight, you never stop looking. It lives to the tag line, but not everyone has the equal opportunity to showcase their talents in Mike Nicolas's latest drama.
Natalie Portman steals the limelight in Closer from Julia Roberts. She has grown up from her previous role in Star Wars, where she was better known as Queen Amidala and Mathilda from Leon: The Profession. She takes the challenge of playing a woman looking for love in London, where she worked as a waitress and a stripper. Her role of a woman looking for love becomes the main attraction, where audience would focus on her over Roberts, who plays a photographer passing through the post-divorce phase. Robert's performance is plain, without giving more scenes to explore her talents further. Her role also explains why Portman over shines her.
Jude Law is still the main focus in the film, even though Clive Owen is catching up. Playing a reporter and a doctor respectively, both are connected to Roberts in certain ways: Robert's was Law's photographer for his upcoming book, Owen is the victim of a prank by Law, where he was arranged to meet Roberts. In any case, the trio (Roberts, Portman and Owen) are related to Law, but the trio may not necessarily be close to each other. This results in a complex relationship the 4 involves, and bears the consequences they would never forget.
Mike Nicolas brings the British drama play onto the big screen with confusion. The relationship itself is confusing, let alone the presentation itself. Flashbacks were inserted directly into the film, without any elaboration before the appearance of the flashback. In fact, certain issues were not mentioned, and it just happens. However, the plot has saved the movie from failing. The gripping performances of Portman and Owen has not only gained themselves an Golden Globe award each, but also makes the audience wants to go for more.
The choice of using Damien Rice's The Blower's Daughter as the theme song is another factor why Closer deserves my 7/10 grades. 'I can't take my eyes for you'has sold the idea of the movie to the audience who is not too sure of the plot. The arrangement of the song at the end of the film also gives the movie a full round-up of the film.