Close to Perfection!

Rating: 8/10 (25 January 2005)

There is no doubt in my medulla oblongata that one cannot close their eyes when they observe the vigor & barbarity of Mike Nichols' "Closer". The film stars Jude Law, Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, and Natalie Portman as four impassioned human species who have "closer encounters of the swapping kind". Disclaimer: this is not a romantic comedy! Not even close! The film focuses on the verbal savagism lovers can say to one another. In more simplistic terms: it is not sometimes the lies that we do want to hear, but is the truths we do not want to hear. This Nichols' film reminds me much of his sexually orientated classic "Carnal Knowledge". I guess mike got back into his carnivorous ways and brought us back some "carne con bollo". Unfortunately in "Closer", Director Mike did not show us Julia & Natalie's aforementioned body part. "Closer" was written by Patrick Marber, who also scripted the play that is based on. Do you know the name of it? Yes, you are close! It's also called "Closer"! Marber did a "marberlous" job in adapting his own play with a calenture-type dialogue. Roberts & Law were grand as Dan & Anna. But I must say that as close as "Closer" gets to acting supremacy does not come from our superstars Jude & Julia. That illustrious honor would go to the robust works of Owen & Portman as Larry & Alice. Natalie was an "Alice in Acting Wonderland" and Clive's Larry was one of the most stalwart movie pervs of all-time. Owen's acting was a masterpiece of pervection, I mean perfection. "Closer" does carry a few unnecessary elements into the film, but it is a realistic film that can reflect your life in ways that are closer than you think. **** Good