Closer

Plot synopsis:
Dan (Jude Law) is a young writer walking down a street in downtown London. He spots a young woman (Natalie Portman) walking in the opposite direction and they make eye contact and begin to smile at one another. Not being used to cars drving on the left side of the road in the UK, she steps into traffic and gets hit by a car. Dan runs to her side and she wakes up and says "Hello, stranger." She isn't badly hurt, and Dan takes her to the hospital where they start to get to know each other. As they're leaving the hospital, they pass by a park that Dan remembers from when he was little. They pass a wall and notice that it has the names of firemen, policemen, or anyone else who has given their life to save another person.They get on the bus and continue their conversation. We learn that Dan is a wanna-be writer who daylights as an obituary writer. The young woman introduces herself as 'Alice Ayres'. She's a stripper from New York CIty who has come to London to leave a bad relationship. They finally arrive at Dan's office. He says goodbye and starts to leave and then turns around. When asked if he has a girlfriend, he says "yes".One Year Later. Dan is having his photo taken in a small artists studio by Anna (Julia Roberts). Dan and Alice are living together, and Dan has written a novel about his romantic life with Alice. Anna is taken his photo for the dust jacket of his recently published book. Anna is an American photographer who mainly takes portraits of strangers. She mentions that she likes to go to the aquarium and possibly take photos of people there. She reveals to Dan that she's currently separated from her husband. He learns that shes read his book and likes it. They kiss one another and she learns that he's got a girlfriend and the book is based on her. She ends the kiss at the point, while hes professing that he likes her a lot and needs to see her. She tells him to get over it.At this point the doorbell buzzes and its Alice, whos come to meet Dan having gotten off her job at a local coffee shop. He lets her up to the studio where she and Anna meet. Alice asks Anna to take her photograph and Dan leaves so the two of them can be alone. She begins to take her photo and Alice reveals that she heard their conversation on the intercom when she was downstairs. She turns away and Anna begins to apologize. Alice turns back with tears in her eyes and tells her to take the picture.A little later, Dan is in his apartment on his computer. He's in a sex chat room and has logged on as a woman for a joke. He meets another man on the web who's name is Larry (Clive Owen). He's a dermatologist and a sex addic logging on while at work. When he asks Dan for a name, he tells him 'Anna'. They write some hot and heavy stuff back to one another and Dan offers to meet Larry in person as a joke. He tells him to meet him at the aquarium. Larry goes there the next day and Anna is there as a coincidence. He approaches her and they discover that Dan has played a joke on him. He's embarrassed, she's amused, and they start to hit it off.Four months later. Dan and Alice are getting ready to go to Anna's art exhibition. We also learn that Dan's father has passed away, and Dan is going to the funeral in the countryside after the art exhibition. Alice wants to go with him and support him, but he wants to be alone. They go to the exhibition and see the photo that Anna took of Alice with tears in her eyes. While Alice is looking at it, she meets Larry. They have a brief discussion and mild flirtation, and she learns that Larry and Anna are dating. Dan is still infatuated with Anna, and she tells him how she and Larry met, and that they call him cupid. We also learn that Dan's book failed and he is once again an obituary writer. Dan puts Alice in a taxi cab, pretending that he's heading straight to the funeral, when actually he goes back to talk to Anna again.Another Year Later. Dan comes into his apartment at first telling Alice that hes been at a business dinner. Finally, he admits that hes been seeing Anna and that they've been having an affair since the evening at the art exhibition. At the same time, Anna is in her apartment with Larry. They are married now and Larry has just returned from a business trip. She doesn't tell him anything at first. Larry says he can't stand lying to her and admits that he slept with a prostitute on his trip. She simply tells him it's OK and then it comes out that she's been having an affair with Dan. Larry is furious and asks her why she bothered to marry him. She says she tried to end it with Dan when she and Larry decided to get married, but it started up again. Larry wants explicit details about her and Dan and she gives them to him. He's furious and tells her to leave. Back at Dan's apartment, Alice is heartbroken and in tears. Dan tries to comfort her and apologizes for hurting her. Shes leaves the apartment and he has no idea where she's gone.Six Months Later. Larry enters a strip club for a drink and he spots Alice, who's working there as a stripper wearing a skimpy top, G-string and a pink wig. He arranges a private dance with her in room. She gives him one willingly. Afterwards, she flirts and smiles and tells him her name is 'Jane Jones' as part of the act. Larry is torn up about his recent divorce proceedings from Anna and gets frustrated that Alice plays with him and won't take him seriously. He says he wants to sleep with her and she tells him "no". Then he asks for a more intimate look at her, she does what he asks.Another Few Months Later. Anna is rushing to meet Dan at a music concert. She apologizes for being late. They sit to have a drink and we learn that she met Larry earlier in the day to have him sign the divorce papers. A few moments later, Dan guesses that Anna slept with Larry that day, and he was right. A flashback shows the meeting earlier, and Larry saying that he will sign the divorce papers if she'll sleep with him one last time, she agrees. Anna says she did it to end the whole thing and that all Larry got was her body. Dan is still upset.Another Few Months Later. Dan storms into Larry's office and angerly reveals that Anna has left him and is back with Larry. Dan tries to confront him and claim that this is all Larry's fault, when Larry reveals that Anna never did file the divorce papers. She is back with Larry because she's doomed to be in rocky relationships because she's a depression junky, but he loves her all the same and wants to be with her. Larry is at first angry with Dan and then begins to pity him because Dan is truly heartbroken and starts to cry. He tells Dan to go back to Alice, and Dan reveals that he doesn't know where she is. Larry tells him about the strip club and assures him that he didn't sleep with Alice when he saw her there. As Dan is leaving, Larry tells Dan that in truth, he did sleep with Alice. Dan goes to the strip club and sees Alice dancing on the stage. They both make eye contact with each other and seem to appear happy to see each other once again.Alice and Dan are in a hotel room near Heathrow Airport. They seem really happy together. She's planning to return to New York and has decided to take him with her as a treat. Alice notes that this is the day when they first met on that London street corner which was four years ago, and Dan remarks how time flies by so fast. Dan asks Alice if she slept with Larry, and she tells him that she didn't. He demands to know the truth. Eventually he leaves the room to get cigarettes and asks Alice for the truth when he gets back. He turns around on his way out and returns to Alice with a flower. She tells him that she's not in love with him anymore. She tells him she stopped loving him just now because he kept pressing about Larry. Finally she admits the truth: she and Larry did sleep together that night after they ran into each other at the strip club. Dan tells her he has known all along and has forgiven her already. He tells her that it doesn't matter and he loves her, but she's fed up and tells him to leave. She starts yelling at him and he slaps her. Shocked by this outburst of violence, Dan leaves the hotel room.Alice arrives back in New York by herself. At the same time, Dan has remained in London. He passes the park from the first day they met and notices one of the names on the wall is 'Alice Ayres'. Back in New York, when "Alice" is going through immigration, we see that her real name on her passport is Jane Jones (the name she had given Larry when he had pressed her for her real name in the strip club). Jane/Alice walks down a busy street in New York, and then she crosses a street against the "Don't Walk" signal, reminding us of the opening scene when she carelessly crossed a street in London, was struck by a taxi, and met Dan. Nonetheless, she is back in her home country, to face an uncertain future... alone.

Tags: dark, psychological, stupid, bleak, dramatic, flashback, psychedelic, romantic, melodrama, revenge, sentimental

Review:
She has the best chemistry with the men - whether it be purely sensual with Clive Owen, or innocence and affection with Jude Law. She comes alive with the two guys, and their scenes are ones to look forward to.Julia Roberts, whom everyone looks towards, is not bad in this film.
It's also blackly funny in many places.Without exception, the performances are fantastic, with the honours going to Natalie Portman's emotionally scarred escapist who wears lies like they were armour, and Clive Owen's brutal, perceptive, and ultimately absolutely human dirty doctor.Be warned!
Patrick Marber's screenplay is a testament to his truly great writing ability, as not much of the original text needed to be adapted in order to work appropriately and effectively on screen.The raw emotion and base convictions of these four tragic characters (all acted exquisitly) is given to us primarily through their words and those words are all we need.
If you need more than words and are looking for a feel good love story, steer clear, you will only be disappointed.However, if you are looking for a piece that will intrigue your senses, causing you to examine your own soul, your own convictions, then I highly recommend Closer.Like Shakespeare, Williams, and O'Neil, whose words are a testament to the condition of their lives and times, Marber, through his language and presentation of these four exquisite lost souls, forces the mind to acknowledge and deal with the most base of our natural tendencies, painting a brutally honest portriat of the human condition in the 21st century..
This has to be one of the most depressing movies I've ever seen, not necessarily because of the subject matter (though that was depressing) but more because all four of the main characters were unlikeable and miserable the entire movie (Julia Roberts smiled maybe twice in the entire thing).The movie tried to establish a theme of Lying and Being Lied To, but in the end just ended up being entirely predictable and boring.
Every scene was filmed in a dull, colorless location, with the exception of the strip club scenes, which were really the only salvageable scenes in the entire movie.I really expected more from Mike Nichols, who directed the Graduate, a masterpiece where this was more like a flop.
Jude Law is masterful in his role, and he is matched equally by the performances of Clive Owen, Natalie Portman and Julia Roberts.
The film, like it's characters is shallow and dishonest underneath the pretty exterior.Of the four main actors, Natalie Portman fairs the best.
This movie just rubbed me the wrong way.I think there is enjoyment to be had from 'Closer', with some memorable performances, but that is about all this film has to offer.
Patrick Marber's screenplay has some high points and the dialogue mostly works, but as we, completely drawn back, continue to watch these characters dig themselves deeper into their own sh*t, the film ultimately becomes a mega- disappointment.
Unnecessarily tangled romantic relationships among four beautiful people in modern London form the core of this Mike Nichols directed film, based on a play.
One of the problems is that the dialogue does not provide the star actors (Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Clive Owen, and Natalie Portman) with sufficient motivation for the two pairs of lovers to be starting, ending, swapping, and resuming their relationships.
It is successful, because it is mandatory to claim to enjoy films like this, even though they are devoid of any single meritorious feature.The cast can't act, (particularly Jude Law playing his usual smug role), and the story has no touch with reality at all.
Movies should be about being transported into the lives and situations of the people on the screen but that singularly failed to happen in the case of 'Closer'.The characters and relationships definitely do not ring true at all.
They do things people only do in films, not in real life.Do doctors really sit and engage in chat room sex talk in a hospital back office before going into the theatre to do an operation?
I found it suffocating to have so many high profile actors together.You know when a movie isn't working when you start to see the script roll in front of you like an autocue, and when you think you can see the crew looking on as the actors work through their lines.After wasting two hours and five pounds on this movie I am losing my confidence in going to the cinema, except to see something I have seen before or has been personally recommended to me..
The movie also has an unfortunate tendency to leap suddenly months or years in advance without any particular warning and in the end this, rather than giving an entertaining survey of the characters' severely dysfunctional lives, instead gives a viewer the feeling of watching a horrendously prolonged montage.
His delivery of the much-quoted line regarding the human heart is perhaps the single finest point in the movie, and really, when you get down to it, the seconds it takes to deliver aren't really worth sitting through this dark, grey blur for.Julia Roberts is utterly cold and flat and not remotely interesting.
Natalie Portman plays a character that is interesting in the opening scenes, but as cold and cruel as is to be expected from this movie shortly after.
Indeed, in truth, there's really only one character in the movie, played by four different actors.In its efforts to appear realistic and avoid the usual Hollywood happy, overly-optimistic view on human relationships this film viciously veers in the opposite direction, presenting an unhappy, overly-pessimistic view on human relationships.
The ways in which the characters so rapidly turn on one another is beyond a normal human and ventures into the realm of the psychopathic.This movie does contain one meaningful exchange, however, between Clive Owen's and Natalie Portman's characters in which Portman states, with regards to a photography exhibition: "It's a bunch of sad strangers, photographed beautifully and all the glittering assholes who appreciate art say it's beautiful because that's what they want to see." The irony is, I'm sure she's actually talking about the film..
But these are exactly some of the questions that are thrown at the audience when two of the four major characters in Mike Nichols new film Closer admit to their infidelity.
The film focuses on four individuals, Alice (Natalie Portman) who meets Dan (Jude Law) after being hit by car on a London street; Anna (Julia Roberts), a divorced photographer who ends up meeting Larry (Clive Owen) in a way that is far too interesting to reveal here.
In fact, this movie is so character and story driven that it benefits the viewer from watching it play out rather than spelled out, so I don't intend on offering many plot points as part of this review.
Being able to convey a cavalcade of thoughts and emotions in such a powerful scene reminds us of the promise he conveyed in his first mainstream film, Croupier back in 1998.And while Larry works out what is to be his new life of bachelor ship, Alice equally confronts her betrayer with raw emotion and a lack of understanding.Natalie Portman, like Owen is on the brink of stardom that should have both their trophy cases full of statues before their careers are over.
Asked to hold her own amongst strong actors twenty years her senior, Portman matures in her role as Alice and becomes the pin-up 'girl to watch' for the next decade.Based on a screenplay by Patrick Marber (adapted from his own play), the movie plays out like a stage performance.
Director Mike Nichols incorporates explicit details about their sexual encounters with every foul word in George Carlins dictionary being paraded in rapid-fire progression.But hell, we're all adults here, and if you can get beyond the utter deception that almost every character tries to hide, yet reveal, yet hide (you'll have to see it to understand), you will find a real good movie that could have been titled Eyes Wide Open.
It was about fifteen minutes into the film, where Dan (Jude Law) and Anna (Julia Roberts) had their first encounter when I realized I had entered the ninth circle of hell.The foundation to creating a quality film of any genre, but particularly a dramatic one, is to make the watcher believe that he is truly part of the story, that the plot could take place on nearly any street in any city in any town.
I imagine that proponents of this film also adored Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, which could have been a beautiful love story, if the plot were allowed to cultivate over 48 months, not 48 hours.There are a few poignant places in the film where the dialogue, mostly that of Natalie Portman's character, forces one to step back and truly reflect on one's own existence, but the majority of the movie reminds me of oh so many daytime soap-operas, where the true lesson is lost amid an orgy of artificial emotions and unrealistic character development.
Mike Nichols as a director can normally be relied on to bring real human emotion to even the most depressing subjects, try renting any other film he has ever directed...as this is his worst so far by a very long way!
They're missing the point: this movie profoundly blows.I mean, I'm not too terribly familiar with this Mike Nichols guy's work, but the film-making here was flat and uninspired throughout.
Julia Roberts and Jude Law turn in good performances, but are easily out acted by Natalie Portman, who proves to be an adult, and Clive Owen, who shows incredible emotion with his sleazy character.Closer is the perfect example of love at first sight.
The tag line for the film states: "If you believe in love at first sight, you never stop looking." That's essentially the core of the movie.
If ever a movie was less than the sum of its parts, it's "Closer".Talky, boring, unconvincing, unpleasant, unwatchable.The supposed plot, about four "adults" (in chronological years if not behavior), revolves around revolving relationships and revolting musical beds as these narcissists lie, abuse, ignore, adore, desert, rejoin, and revile each other in turn.Aside from the film's suffering from filmed-stage-play-disease (people talk too much and do too little), what they do say is uninteresting and unappealing.
Using such Hollywood heavyweights as Julia Roberts and Jude Law did not make this movie any better either.Apart from the time-shifting (which by the way is not a good vehicle for plot development if you fail to give a cohesive timeline), the plot is rather weak on story and assumes the human condition is all melancholic melodrama.
closer , but too far.it's correct guidance for everyone who wants to see this movie.4 people searching love for almost 4 years.and what they found?lust,jealousy,passion ,loneliness,empty words for empty condition,but not love."love"is a word like pictures of Anna.we see them ,but how do we explain the feelings,which becomes from that looking.it's complicated.photograph is a need of love.stripping is a need of love.writing is a need of love.healing is a need of love.for those 4 lonely men and women.loneliness is a eternal plight for mankind?really?if it is true,that will be inconceivable..
The movie is a tale of deception and love and complicated a complicated love...square?Where this film exceeds more spectacularly is not only in Owen and Portman's brilliance, but in the outside character development.
This movie traces the journeys upper middle income Anglo-Saxons make trying to connect but failing - but Marber fails to show us what about modern love exactly that makes intimacy impossible - If Marber's point is that we don't know because we really can't know anything about each other (Jude Law's character finds out in the end he didn't even have Natalie Portman's real name), well, so what makes that modern exactly?
For all of the film's emotional and verbal abuse; I liked the fact that director Mike Nicholas and play write Patrick Marber never included any loves scenes or physical aggression.
Therefore, although much of it is well written and convincing, it is never happening to real people or even characters we know or care about it  it feels like you're standing in the street watching a couple fight, you have no involvement but it is of some interest.Like I said, a lot of it is convincing; yes these people are stupid in love, driven by desires and unlikely to ever be happy but then that is what a lot of people are like to a lesser extent.
I didn't want to get up and slap the characters but the film was a bit like watching a couple fight  interesting, realistic but neither requiring nor allowing any emotional involvement from the viewers..
If there ever was a "feel-good"-movie playing with the audience instinctive emotions, "Closer" is quite the "feel-bad"-film, doing just the same.
Nichols' directing makes "Closer" look the real world, but the screenplay shows us things that, without being exaggerated, still come off like something that simply doesn't happen.Still, "Closer" is a refreshing American film.
Mike Nichol's study of the complexity of relationships features four of the most unappealing characters to ever appear in one film; great to look at maybe, but still unappealing.
If I wanted to spend that long seeing how much idiots can hurt each other, then I'd watch Jackass The Movie.However, it must be said that the talented leads (Jude Law, Ms. Portman, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen) are extremely good in convincingly portraying the four screw-ups destined to never be content with their lot, and if morose drama is your cup of tea, then I guess you'll love this movie..
The four principles- Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, and Clive Owen- are like amalgamations of all of the lesser characteristics of those in post-modern relationship plays and films, where the love and goodness in them is subdued under their lack of connections to one another.
The characters can't settle on one love though and through the film they all end up hurting each other with betrayal and lies after all four of the people meet.
Closer, has good direction, a good screenplay, great performances by everyone involved (including an Oscar worthy performance by Natalie Portman as Alice, and Clive Owen as Larry), good cinematography, good film editing and good set decoration.
A very good film which I hope gets nominated for it's great dialogue filled screenplay and excellent performances by Natalie Portman and Clive Owen.
Two utterly beautiful American women (Julia Roberts and Natalie Portman), two good-looking British guys (Clive Owen and Jude Law), a sharp script from the writer of the original play Patrick Marber, the London where I live, and music by Mozart - there is lots to like about this movie.
Although there are some fairly prominent themes present including the uglier sides of human nature and dysfunctional relationships, I felt that it wasn't a particularly deep film.I thought the performances were quite good (especially Natalie Portman) but I often felt something was missing from the characters.
Clive Owen is very good but not worthy of winning the Oscar, whereas Natalie Portman excels (and will definitely walk away the Academy Award) following up her excellent performance in Garden State with another polished turn.As a film, Closer remains a dull, pretentious and extremely fake film.
"Why is love not enough?" a tearful Alice (Natalie Portman) asks her boyfriend Dan (Jude Law) at a crucial point in "Closer."Her question is at the crux of Mike Nichols' brutal film about love, lust, lies and the lengths to which human beings go to make themselves happy, even at someone else's expense.Be warned: If you go to movies to be entertained and feel good about life, "Closer" isn't for you.
This beautiful young actress has one heck of a career ahead of her.Owen is deliciously smarmy as Larry, a man who simply revels in playing mind games with people, and Law's wimpy enough to be convincing."Closer" isn't so much a love story as a chilling tale about what happens when couples lose their spark, when they start tiring of each other and find new people more attractive.
The story and relationships of the 4 central characters in Closer are indeed quite complicated to explain unless you've seen the movie for yourself.
But the movie belongs to Clive Owen and Natalie Portman, as they absolutely stole the show with their performances.Overall Closer is a very smart and well-made film.
If you have ever wanted to confront the brutal truth and lies about human relationships, then get ready to get Closer.Be warned - this film pulls no punches and quite intentionally shocks and offends us through the script and the characters.
It entices the movie-goer, or in my case a film historian, with a story about love, loss, deception, and intrigue plus the chance to enjoy such powerhouse acting as Roberts, Law, Portman, and Owen.
This was a brilliant piece of art.I must say that the love square: Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Jude Law, and Natalie Portman were astounding in their scenes together, functioning opposite each other.
And Julia and Jude Law seem to have more experience on film but the real standouts were Clive Owen and Natalie Portman.Clive Owen has been constantly good and a brilliant actor in his work thus far in his career, but gives the performance of his life in this.
Jude Law is more desirable here than I have ever witnessed before and even Julia Roberts who is normally beautiful, looks moreso.I recommend this film to any thinking movie buff who wonders whether or not to spend your good money on it.
Shame, cos in a good film Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and the lovely Clive Owen are completely watchable.
Having said that he does strip Natalie Portman to a G-string at one point in one of the most gratuitous bits of on screen pornography that I've seen in a long time.My main complaint about this film is that you are never given a chance to like any of the characters.