A Waste of Time and Talent

Rating: 2/10 (13 February 2005)

I saw "Closer" today and found it to be a total waste of time and talent. I decided to stay through the end of the film hoping that there might be some redeeming point, but unfortunately I found none. The issues raised in the lives of these four most unsympathetic characters may be of interest to some niche population out there but I really doubt if there was any resonance with most "normal" people. Observing the audience after the showing, most were in a hurry to leave, many with a glazed look, some just sleepy. No one, including myself, was curious enough to stay for the credits.
As a long time admirer of Mike Nichols since the great Nichols and May days, I can't help wondering why the director of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Graduate, Catch 22, Primary Colors, and Angels in America would want to be associated with this thing. I suspect that some of the players, like Julia Roberts, only agreed to participate because of Mr. Nichols involvement and, possibly, some misguided attempt at pushing the envelope of American cinema. It didn't work.