You may not like the characters but you'll love the film.

Rating: 10/10 (26 November 2004)

This movie is so real it's almost like watching a documentary. I
saw this movie at a screening in LA where they had a Q&A with
Jude Law and Natalie Portman. Natalie Portman mentioned that
people keep asking her, "why can't these people be more
likable?" And this is the exact reason I love this movie. It shows
you what people can turn into in the heat of a relationship. And if
you can't relate to anything in the movie you at least might know
somebody who's acted like this. The movie is very simple
because it covers just 4 people and how their relationships
intertwine but what's great about this movie is that it makes you
think about one of the most important issues in the world - why
you get in a relationship in the first place and why you stay in it.
The movie is based on a play but I never felt like I was watching a
play and I think it's because the acting was so incredible. Jude
Law and Julia Roberts are better than they have ever been. I think
this is the most damaged character that I've ever seen Julia
Roberts play. But to me, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen steal
the movie. Clive Owen is one of the best actors around and it's
amazing that people don't who he is. He has a range and
effortless depth that you don't see in many actors. I somehow
despised him and felt sorry for him all at the same time. And
Natalie Portman proves, like she did in Garden State, that she is at
her best playing characters who come off as tough on the surface
but are really incredibly vulnerable.
It's amazing when you can find a movie that's funny, smart and a
little scary all at the same time. But most importantly, it makes you
think and even if you don't like the actions of the characters, you'll
talk about them after you leave.