not a movie as such, this is a time capsule..

Rating: 7/10 (23 February 2014)

... which is the only deconstruction of this film that can ever make sense. Taken on its own -- what the French call the "oeuvre" school of film appreciation, not the "auteur" school -- this is no more than a strange tale of "menage a quatre" lacking actual sex, with clever dialog off the open that quickly degenerates into tripe an afternoon soap opera would not use. Ah .. but as a time capsule, as a record for future generations, this gets really interesting. Directed by the incredible Mike Nichols (THE GRADUATE among others) we have a director near the end of his career desperately looking for something unusual and strange to once more garner attention. Which was not a problem for Jude Law, who did the exact same role he has done in dozens of other films, this one he could have phoned in (his best work was in AI, where he essentially caricatured HIMSELF.) Then you have Clive Owen at the stage of his career where it was not clear (even to him) if he was about to segue into an action figure (did not turn out, not for lack of trying). Julia Roberts being quietly superb, which is what she does best, even with a script that, like old wine, turns to vinegar during the film. The revelation here is Portman. Wow. One gets a sense that in an alternate universe she could have ended up doing different films than, for example, Thor's girlfriend, where all she has to do is show up on the set. Real talent here, but talent that seems to have become lost in the swirls of time.