David Jeffers

Rating: Null/10 (23 July 2005)

Closer reveals the beautiful people being beautiful, or, lying liars and their lies. Another Mike Nichols portrayal of beauty in emotional distress, i.e.; Ann Margaret, Katherine Ross, Annette Benning, Sandy Dennis, Stockard Channing, Meryl Streep. A story of attraction and repulsion, Closer is well photographed with an interesting story and great casting. Urban London is a wonderful setting. From Nichols, who directed several of the finest American films of the '60s and '70s some of the most atrocious and embarrassingly bad dialog I can remember. All four characters are dishonest with each other and themselves, conniving, manipulative, and tormented by their own awful, immoral behavior. When Julia Roberts and Jude Law first kiss she presses the shutter release on the cable she is holding as though it's a metaphoric climax. I actually laughed out loud. Portman is the star of what could be her breakout film. The story also concludes well. Law's character is alone and discovers Portman's waif was never honest or really trusted him. Carnal Knowledge has been one of my favorite films since I first saw it in the seventies. There are similarities that would make this a suitable bookend to Nichol's career. Well worth seeing but by no means a major film.