One of the Best Films out there Now

Rating: 10/10 (9 January 2005)

One word to describe this movie: Relatable This is an intense, dark yet subdued and honest movie.
Basically what I learned from it is that even if the mind knows better, one can never compete with the human heart's appetite for affection and acceptance at all the wrong places at all the wrong times even if its at the expense of hurting someone or and ultimately hurting yourself, that's just human nature. I doubt this movie would be just as good if it weren't for Mike Nichols directing.
If u need a lot of sugar coated stimuli to like a movie (like a LOT of movies need to have nowadays),then you'll find this movie absolutely boring,the way this movie is told is put in an unconventional way, very raw and "tells it as it is" type of movie,the time shift is always being fast forwarded, its not your usual movie, but its one of the few movies I liked so far this year.
Julia Roberts was promoting this film on Oprah(and talking about her pregnancy)she quoted Mike Nicholes for saying in Newsweek about the movie was all about how, "Sometimes people should shut the F up or shut up about the F"..Oprah had a priceless look her face,who would of thought Julia would be the first guest ever to have a =bleep= on her mouth
*Julias character is someone who's experienced being scared by men emotionally and that radiates in her character.I think she questions inside of her,is she with the man because she wants to be there in that relationship or is it because shes too scared to find and embrace what could ultimately 'be' in another relationship that she wants with another man?
*Jude's character appears confident but deep down he's just an insecure loser,hes just jumping from one girl to another girls cause he fears of being alone and when hes all alone,he'll be forced to face himself and all his insecurities and demons. I think in the beginning he only wanted Julia's character cause he knows he CANT have her, she challenges him and that's attractive to him even though Julia pushes him away.He stays with Natalies character because he needs someone 'weak' and fragile to look down upon cause it somewhat makes him feel better about himself.Hes also a major hypocrite, he reasons to himself its OK for him to cheat with other people but its not OK for other people cheat on him.He says towards the end of the film that hes addicted to the truth and Natalie's character finally delivers him just that at the end.
*Natalie's character is the classic prostitute girl character who's with a man she knows is bad for her but cant help but stay in the relationship,she has the desire to love and has the capability of finding love but is searching for it in all the wrong places.Even though if its poisoning her, she still says with Judes character cause at least she feels needed by him.At the end of the film she finally learns whats good for herself,she sees the fragility of Jude which breaks down her illusion on who she thought Jude was in the beginning and that enables her to come to the awareness that what she needs cannot be found in the hands of another
*Clive is someone I can relate to A LOT.Circumstances that follow him in the movie allow him to see that hes not at all in control on what goes around him,and maybe that isn't such a bad thing after all, Julia cheats on him and realizes her alleged crap doesn't have to really reflect on his character at all but still he cant bring himself to letting her go .He feels deceived and it just kills him that someone would treat him that.Hes able to forgive Julia cause he sees shes the one that's lost and confused ,not him.