Not Your Average Love Story

Rating: 8/10 (6 April 2005)

'Closer', the new sensual talkative drama from veteran filmmaker Mike Nichols, is adapted from the U.K. originated stage production written by Patrick Marber (who provided the film version with it's screenplay.) You could tell this by not even knowing since the film only has four characters; they are Dan, Alice, Anna and Larry, four seemingly ordinary people caught up in a love rectangle (there's no same sex attraction between them though, just boy-girl stuff). It starts out with Dan (Jude Law), a novelist, who meets a mystery girl, an American teenager, Alice (Natalie Portman) living in London. They hit off, but Dan starts to get bored with Alice and goes for someone his own age, Anna (Julia Roberts), a photographer hired to snap shots for Dan's book cover -- this doesn't sit well with Anna's husband Larry (King Arthur, urrhh, I mean, Clive Owen) who is a wealthy dermatologist.
Pretty much the whole film is carried by the characters and their dialogue. The acting is actually something to notice. Jude Law really doesn't stand out like he usually does, and Julia Roberts really chews up the scenery (not in a good way). The two standouts are Natalie Portman and Clive Owen (the two lesser known actors of the bunch). Natalie Portman provides a carefully layered and exquisite performance that rightfully earned her her very first Oscar nomination. But the best performance of the picture is far and away Clive Owen. I never really appreciated how much of an outstanding performer he truly was until this. Clive Owen steals scenes from which ever of the three other characters he's around and he does a dazzling job making us believe how emotionally scarred, complex and scary the character of Larry really is.
In 'Closer' the acting is spot-on, and so is the writing for the most part. The dialogue flows smoothly in 'Closer', but some scenes are so graphically laced with outrageously obscene sexual dialogue it will make you think they put it in the film not to help the story but just for the shock value. Mike Nichols does another fine job directing (nothing to hand an Oscar out for), but the film's ending is kind of unclear. I don't want to spoil it for you so I won't mention it.
In conclusion, 'Closer' is kind of like the anti-love story. Chances are if you take a first or second date to it they'll slap you in the face. 'Closer' is probably best for people who appreciate the craft of acting, or people who are performers themselves. 'Closer' is definitely worth renting if your not easily offended by vulgar sexual insults. It made my Top 25 list of 2004 at number 25. Grade: B+