Brilliant

Rating: 10/10 (7 December 2004)

I heard about this movie a few weeks before it came out. When I saw the commercial I saw no action, and no obvious villain, just couples talking a lot. So I expected nothing. I had no idea the movie would be this good. I am so accustomed to being able to tell what will happen in the next scene of a movie before the scene happens, so I find most movies boring. In this movie I could not predict what would happen and was on the edge of my seat.
At first you feel that Jude Law is just the ultimate pimp, every woman wants him and he hardly tries. You also feel sorry for Clive Owen because it seems that he is brilliant and good looking but his life is just going down the toilet. That is where the movie gets you. Later you discover that Clive Owen is a genius when it comes to understanding the human thought process and by the end of the movie he has basically stripped away all respect we hold for Jude Law and Owens shows us what he has known all along. He does this with all the main characters in the movie. We see what he has known all along, that Jude Law is a baby,that Julia Roberts enjoys destroying herself, and that Natalie Portman is a strong girl who is not mature enough yet to know how to deal with adult situations.
I think it is funny that people are saying that this movie is not happy and that it will not make you feel good about relationships, and that none of the characters are likable. I think what bothers people is that the movie does not sugar coat anything, what you see is what you get.
And in this movie, Clive Owen is a freakin God. His acting is incredible, the scene with him and Portman in the strip club was insanely good, and the way he plays with Jude Laws emotions is so genius and devious that you must admire him for it. Some of the stuff that comes out of Clive Owens mouth is so unexpected and shocking that you might as well assume his character has turrets syndrome.
the movie is very good. and if you do not like it because it is not a happy film, then go watch the incredibles or some other Disney movie.
This is a very good movie. 10/10