Love, lust and lies

Rating: 8/10 (11 January 2006)

Closer is a story of four people, love and lust. First we meet Dan (Jude Law) and Alice (Natalie Portman) who accidentally run into each other in London. After a while we meet a photographer Anna (Julia Roberts) who becomes an obsession to Dan. Dan's obsession accidentally leads Anna to meet Larry (Clive Owen), who eventually get married. Love, lust and lies surround the lives of these four young people - but who in the end was the biggest liar?
Closer is a well-written story with professional and charismatic cast. The two above all else are Clive Owen and Natalie Portman. Their work in this movie is incredible. Clive Owen - such a nice and charming man in many of his other movies - releases his dark side and shows how disgusting men can really be. His portrayal of the Doctor Larry is brilliantly ugly.
Natalie Portman shows she can be something else than just Queen Amidala of Naboo (Star Wars Episodes 1-3). Her character is the youngest of the four, but she brings Alice the same kind of warmth, but toughness and also professional touch she showed as Mathilda in Leon.
Closer is an amazing movie, even though some parts are not pretty. It brings forward the dark side of people, the side that is usually kept hiding. As a story it is tough, but the revelation in the end lightened up the story a bit, making things something different than the viewer is made originally think.
Don't watch this movie when you're depressed, or are having difficulties with your partner!