Loveshake with four straws

Rating: 10/10 (23 June 2006)

The director Mike Nichols has managed to entertain us for years with nice romantic comedies and dramas (The Graduate, Working Girl). But now he has come to 21th century with mind blowing piece "Closer".
The story is a modern love-triangle but this time there is four attendants. Dan (gorgeous Jude Law) sees Alice (fresh and impressive Natalie Portman). They have a obstacle. After that they fall in love. Later Dan meets an attractive photographer Anna (Julia Roberts). There is some serious chemistry between them. As Dan cannot get Anna he makes a practical joke on the internet with Anna's expense. Joke starts to live its own life after Anna meets doctor Larry (charismatic Clive Owen). Time flies by and the four keeps running to each other. There is a lot of deceiving, infidelity, passion and regret. The ending is so mind blowing it'll haunt you a long time after seeing the film! The movie is like todays relationship pattern in a nutshell. Do you really know the person who you are with? Why there is always have to be other people involved. The great thing about "Closer" is that you get closer to the truth as time goes by. The movie is so intense and intimate. There isn't a lot of actors in this film but the buzz a hell of a lot more. Nichols' directing is straightforward and minimalistic. "Closer" is beautiful and it rejuvenates the genre of triangle romance.
Natalie Portman and Clive Owen make roles of their life's. Owen is seriously desperate and bloody brilliant. Portman is seductive and interesting. Julia Roberts and Jude Law do good job but I would have liked to see some other actress to play Anna. But Roberts is suitable because Anna is a bit impassioned and stiff. Roberts was far from stiff when she took the Oscar-winning part in Erin Brochovich! Haunting ending music "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice makes you stay with "Closer" for days after watching the film. It is so breath-taking beautiful! "If you believe the love at first sight, you never stop looking"