Closer

Rating: 5/10 (19 December 2007)

From Golden Globe nominated director Mike Nichols (The Graduate, The Birdcage) this is one of the most interesting and open dramas I've seen in ages, all about relationships, and with only four big stars, no need for other supporting characters. Basically young writer Dan (Jude Law) saw a young woman (Golden Globe winning, and Oscar and BAFTA nominated Natalie Portman) walking the opposite direction, and not being used to cars driving the other direction she gets hit by a car. She wakes up, and after all the check ups for health, on a bus she introduces herself as Alice Ayres, and she reveals she is a stripper from New York City coming to London to leave a bad relationship. Before they say goodbye to each other, she asks if he has a girlfriend, and he says "yes". One year later, Dan is having his photo taken by American photographer Anna (Julia Roberts), Dan and Alice are living together, and Dan has written a romantic novel about his life with Alice (the photo is part of that). Anna mentions that she likes to go to the aquarium and possibly take photos of people, and she reveals to Dan she is separated from her husband. They do go into a kiss, but it ends when he mentions his girlfriend, and soon enough the doorbell rings, it's Alice, and she heard their conversation on the intercom, so instead of slapping Dan, she asks Anna to take her picture. Later, Dan is in his apartment on his computer, in a sex chat room, he's logged on as a woman for a joke, and he's met another man named Larry (BAFTA and Golden Globe winning, and Oscar nominated Clive Owen), after some pretty 'serious' flirting, dirty and sexy talk, Dan, or rather "Anna" tells Larry to meet him/her at the aquarium. Anna is there, but Larry is embarrassed to know that he has been duped. Four months later, Dan and Alice are going to Anna's art exhibition, and Dan's father has died, he is going to the funeral after the exhibition. Alice sees her own portrait, and there meets Larry, and she learns in their chat that him and Anna are dating, Dan though still has feelings for Anna, oh, and his book failed. Another year later, Dan admits to Alice he's having an affair with Anna, and the same time, Anna and Larry, now married, Larry admits to sleeping with a prostitute on his trip, and she tells of her affair with Dan. Six months later, Larry enters a strip club for a drink, and spots Alice as a stripper, so he arranges a private dance (no touching) and chat, he finds it very frustrating that with a camera watching them they cannot express feelings properly. Another few months later, Anna and Dan meet (late) at a music concert, and she and Lary have finalised their divorce, but she revealed that he only signed after she slept with him. Another few months later, Dan reveals to Larry in his office Anna has left him, and she is apparently back with Larry, and Larry tells Dan he slept with Alice. Alice wants to go back to New York, and after many denials Alice tells the truth about her and Larry sleeping together, and after a while it goes to New York where she is there by herself. Dan remained in London, and he sees a grave name on the wall 'Alice Ayres', and we see her real name as she hands over her passport, the name she repeated to Larry in the strip club when he asked her, Jane Jones, and it ends with her walking down the street again. Phew! All four stars have their moments, when I said it was an open film, I meant when they are talking their sexual stuff, e.g. the great sex talk chat on the computer, Roberts talking about having sex and Dan's cock taste (yikes). It is rare to see stars of their types talking dirty, and two Americans doing it in a British film is even better. It may not have been easy to keep up with the time periods, and the various relationships of the four characters can get complicated, but not a bad film. It was nominated the BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay, and it was nominated the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Screenplay. Worth watching!