This is what Closer is.

Rating: 7/10 (20 December 2004)

Before watching this film I was aware of the fact that "Closer" had been a supremely popular stage production in Britain which had inspired Nichols to bring it to film. So, naturally, I came into the theater expecting a complete disaster. I was happy to realize that this film was not a total loss -- if a loss at all.
Nichols's depiction of the four lovers (literally) was like a wildlife expert observing four animals during mating season. One of them was going to mess with the wrong female, and that one was going to end up a rotting carcass. But I have to say, Roberts played her role as an adulterous extremely well. All first-billed actors did exactly as they should've in this film, and more.
Audiences are much too used to attaching themselves to the protagonist, and allow themselves to be dragged in the dirt by the proverbial leash. Sorry to break this to you, folks, but NONE OF THESE CHARACTERS WERE Lovable. Not. One. Like others, I was prone to sympathize with 'Alice' for a great portion of the film, but of course that went out the window by the end of the first hour.
Dan was a desperate pervert. Larry was a perverted prick. Anna was a frigid bitch. Alice was a slut. And to top it all off, all four characters could have just as easily switched roles and screwed themselves over at the blink of an eye. This, of course, lead to their destruction, and in some cases, their resurrection.
I doubt many Americans, who have now receded into their conservative holes in the ground will appreciate this film as much as the overseas proprietors, but hey ... who cares? I loved this movie. It's one that will never grow old, never get wrinkles, and never get thrown into it the vault for losing its aesthetics. It was a terribly haunting film, and I loved it.
The only kink I had with this movie? I left the theater extremely depressed and hating all men (and women). *** out of ****