Closer (2004)

Director: Mike Nichols
Starring: Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Julia Roberts & Clive Owen

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Everything you've read in the reviews is true. Yes, the film leaves the viewer feeling very detached from these characters despite what the title implies. Yes, what these characters say and do to each other is, at times, terrible and heart-breaking. Yes, some of the performances feel mechanical.

What these reviews generally fail to touch upon, however, is that Clive Owen is an acting god. The film is worth sitting through the somewhat boring and inscrutible scenes between Law and Roberts just to see Owen on the screen again. Going through the film in my head, the only scenes that I can really remember are those with Owen in them. The scene when he discovers that Roberts--his recently married wife--has been cheating on him is amazing. The scene when he finds Portman in the strip club after she's been dumped by Law is amazing. The scene when the two boys finally confront each other is amazing, especially despite one party being totally out-maneuvered by the other party.

The structure of the film is based directly on the play of the same name. There are really only a few scenes, but they each stretch on for ten to fifteen minutes each. This might not have been terrible, but the dialogue also plays to the theatrical (rather than the cinematic) ear. Unfortunately this means that when you get two actors on screen with no on-screen spark with poor line delivery (say, between Roberts and Law), one can almost make out the screeching as the momentum of the film slows to a crawl. Whenever Owen and--to a lesser extent--Portman are on-screen, however, they make long scenes feel short and awkward dialogue sound like warm apple pie.

Closer is without a doubt worth watching, but be sure to buy some popcorn. You'll want to have something to do when you lose interest in what's happening on-screen.

January 29
Beverly Center Cinemas, late afternoon

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