SQUIRMING IN MY SEAT

By: B -- (12/7/04)

Adapted from a play by Patrick Marber and directed by Mike Nichols, Closer is the study of the relationships between four separate personalities bound together by happenstance and shared raw emotions. The intense drama is appropriately garnering buzz as an unflinching look into the depths of flawed relationships.

Dan (Jude Law) is a failing writer and hopeless romantic. Alice (Portman) is Dan’s girlfriend, is a stripper from New York helplessly ruled by her insecure devotion to Dan. Anna (Julia Roberts) is a world-weary divorcee, a professional photographer who only reluctantly succumbs to her erotic inklings. Larry (Clive Owen) is the prototypical alpha male that demands control over every person and situation. Together, these four create a disturbing world of interpersonal sexual relationships, fueled by passion and betrayal.

Since Closer stays true to the stage version, much of this film’s responsibility falls on the weight of its actors. Nichols adeptly lets the four actors run free, giving each the space to develop his or her character. Portman is wonderful, giving Alice the feel of a strong-willed but vulnerable woman. Owen and Law are also engaging as polar opposites, and though Roberts gives nothing more than an average performance, she’s never been better. Gone are the excessive smiles and whooping laughter; Roberts appropriately loses her cutesy romantic persona in exchange for a troubled adult character.

The strong acting and a razor-sharp script (“Try lying for a change, it’s the currency of the world” says Dan) from Closer makes for a winning drama. It is full of the conversations we hold in hushed tones; the situations we deny being involved in. With blunt sexual discussions and appalling displays of infidelity, Closer is full of everything we don’t want to talk about. Eerily similar to Neil Labute’s Your Friends and Neighbors, each character is so deeply flawed the audience feels no sympathy.

The uncomfortable subject matter makes for a mesmerizing film. It felt like it was about 45 minutes long, which is possibly one of the greatest compliments a film can receive. The shallow nature of the relationships keeps Closer from becoming an instant classic, but it’s a must-see nonetheless.

POP RATING: 8

CRITICAL RATING: 9

B'S RATING: 8.5

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