What is love, complicated or simple, beautiful or ugly?

Rating: 8/10 (26 April 2009)

"Closer" tries to figure out what love is by drawing a love rectangle in front of audiences, which is not so uncommon in real life. But totally different from my expectation of one or two romantic stories with a happy ending, the movie renders me contemplation: is love complicated or simple, beautiful or ugly?
To Larry, love is absolutely selfish. He loves Anna, so he is outrageous and goes out of mind when knowing that Anna has cheated on him and falls in love with Dan. But instead of letting her go and perfecting that romance, he does anything to get Anna back and bind her firmly, including taking advantage of her guilt for him, even knowing that Anna will be living in pain. To Dan, love is possessive. No matter who he is with, Alice or Anna, he needs the woman to be one hundred percent loyal to him, both physically and mentally. When he knows that Anna has sex with Larry, as a compensation for the divorce, he feels betrayed, reluctant to cross the line. I figure whether he desires Anna because it seems beyond reach and when he can really be with Anna, he finds it no longer appealing to him. To Alice, a pretty stripper, love is pure, with nothing else involved. When she finally finds herself disappointed with Dan, she leaves without hesitation. To Anna, love is a luxury. She thinks that she doesn't deserve love, so she prefers to live with Larry, tortured by guilt and pain, rather than pursuing happiness. In sum, the movie is thought-provoking, well-done!