"Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off...

Rating: 10/10 (3 December 2004)

"Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off...
but it's more fun if you do."
About two months ago, I began a self-imposed hiatus on writing movie reviews. I was a little tired of seeing so much crap make its way into multiplexes and to the top of the box office charts. I suppose I was a tad disillusioned with the landscape of movies and I needed a superbly written script to jog me back in to the ranks of enthusiastic moviegoer. Well, that script lies at the heart of Mike Nichols' new film "Closer".
Unlike many other critics, I am not typically pessimistic about the current state of modern film-making. I truly believe that more great films are being made each year than in previous decades. However, the unfortunate correlation is that more crap is also being made each year. And consumers and critics alike are forced to sift through the drek in order to find the hidden gems.
Golfers say that a round can often be filled with bad shot after bad shot, but that when you finally hit that perfect drive, all the frustrations disappear. I suppose the same is true with movie-going. "Closer" is a perfect drive for everyone involved - The stunning cast... The veteran director... And the tremendously fortunate members of the public that will seek this film out in art houses across the country in the coming weeks. It is the kind of film that could put an end to my temporary burn-out and have me once again excited about the possibilities that this magnificent art form has to offer.
Alice (Portman) meets Dan (Law) and Anna (Roberts) meets Larry (Owen). The two British men and two American women are all living in London. All four are intelligent and literate, passionate but cynical. They are all able to articulate their emotions and thoughts in ways that seem foreign to most movie characters. Listening to them speak, one can't help but be impressed with their ability to communicate. The script in this film is absolutely fabulous, filled with innuendo and double-entendres, wit and intelligence.
The couples, Alice and Dan, Anna and Larry, are linked by Anna's photography. She does portraiture and is preparing for an exhibition. She is hired by Dan to shoot a portrait that will hopefully find it's way to the inside cover of his soon-to-be published novel. He is currently an obituaries writer.
Larry is a dermatologist who spends some of his spare time chatting to horny "women" on the internet. He is a says-what-he-thinks smart-ass who somehow manages to overcome a tremendously awkward first meeting with Anna. They are soon married.
Alice is the mystery guest in this equation. She used to be a stripper in New York, but escaped a bad relationship by fleeing to London. Her rough first meeting with Dan leads to a seemingly loving relationship despite a ten-year age difference.
Soon, the couples discover that they are not as happy as they appear. Cracks emerge and the situation leads to a switch of sorts. Anna divorces Larry to be with Dan. Dan leaves Anna to fend for herself, and soon she finds herself stripping again, giving table dances to lonely men... like Larry.
The screenplay is vicious. The couples switch and switch back again as they lacerate each other with dialogue meant to inflict heartfelt pain. Some might think these are four horrible people. Some might claim that these are good people driven to cruelty by circumstance and heartache. I think there may be a middle ground in there somewhere.
The performances are all genuinely Oscar worthy. Although it is possible that none of them can be considered a legitimate lead character... and by that logic none are supporting characters either. The Academy will have a tough time choosing and it may split the vote. I am sure the cast will get mention for 'Best Ensemble' at award shows that feature that category.
The two who stand out for me are Natalie Portman and Clive Owen. Both turn in spectacular roles filled with the gamut of emotions. Couple this outing with hers in "Garden State" and Natalie Portman has appeared in the two best films I've seen all year. She will probably be my 'Entertainer of the Year'. 2004 has seen her develop into a superb young actress who has a legendary career ahead of her if she keeps picking roles like these.
Clive Owen is a sleek and powerful actor who is able to deliver lines like they are being shot out of a cannon. When you hear him spew some of the hateful things he says to Julia Roberts' Anna, your own feelings will be hurt. He also has some rather sly moments of wit and he is able to craft them in ways reminiscent of Sean Connery, always with a knowing glint and a hidden smirk waiting to reveal itself.
Mike Nichols' "Closer" delivers dialogue for intelligent adults who are clamoring for something substantially less banal than can be found in most Christmas fare in 2004. It will take a few viewings to fully grasp the complexity and layers of infidelity and betrayal in this film. "Closer" studies the human tendency toward self-preservation in the face of gross deception. It is at once a condemnation of human nature and an acceptance of it. I highly recommend the film to all literary adults who are fascinated by the enormous gray areas of love, seduction, trust, infidelity and deception. It will appeal to fans of Neil LaBute's "In the Company of Men", "Your Friends and Neighbors" and to Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut".