great performances, decent movie

Rating: Null/10 (3 December 2004)

I'm puzzled by a lot of people who've torn this movie apart. Some movies I can understand people's scathing indictments of, but not this one. The only shortcoming of this film to me is that at many points it's TOO much like a play. Dialog in stage plays always seems a little too literate and over the top, something that's always bothered me with few exceptions of this "genre" (if indeed it could be called one).
That said, this is definitely a must see for anyone who wants to watch an accurate portrait of love/lust's darker side. Despite some of the dialog, the cast excels at filling every breath and line with all the emotional pathos that you'd find in similar everyday occurrences. Each character takes turns throughout the movie hurting and being hurt by one another as only those in tangled sexual relationships know how to do. Yes, the language is graphic, but anyone who's been cheated should understand that masochistic desire to know every detail of the other's infidelity.
Clive Owen is by far the standout in this film. Larry, though the most nasty and devious, is by contrast the most human and understanding of the world of relationships. He only hurts when he's been hurt and excels at doing so. While he knows that his relationship with Anna is ultimately unfulfilling for her, he also recognizes that she is incapable of such a relationship. His knowledge of human nature is clinical and raw, but does not lack heart, as he does seem to truly care for her. Law, by contrast shows the least amount of understanding of the same condition. He's ultimately the most childish, as is pointed out by Roberts withing the first five minutes of their meeting. He bounces from one woman to the other emotionally as it suits his need for a companion and it duly comes back to him in the end. While Law seems to be the more able at manipulation initially, he quickly proves unable to keep the lie alive. This is one of Law's better performances. He successfully undermines his wit and looks with the aforementioned immaturity, not something he pulled off very well in Alfie.
Both women put in good performances, but have less to work with than the men. Roberts seems woefully overshadowed by the rest of the cast. She holds her own and with a lesser cast would no doubt excel, but this is not that cast. However, I have to admit I've never really found her to be that engaging of an actress, so I could be a little biased. She's good at being an ice queen, but her characters lacks the warmth of a fully developed person. Portman, however, stands out in her role as Alice. As Larry comments, she has the "moronic beauty of youth" and she eloquently embodies that phrase. In her initial break-up scene with Law you can feel how hurt she is and how desperate she is for affection and love. What's more, you can also sense that, because of her age, she has no real concept of what that very thing is. She's a child playing adult games of the heart. Unlike Dan, she is saved by her character's youth and ability to still learn from such mistakes. Portman's only performance drawback is her inability to seem real, especially when she's not interacting directly with someone on camera.
Without a human to work off of, she seems emotionally lost to a point and tends to overact.
All in all, this is an excellent portrait of what it is to be human. Those who chastise the character's immorality as unlikeable don't understand that this trait lies dormant in everyone, especially in matters of the heart. Realistic people in realistic situations make for a fascinating character study of the more base side of human relationships.