Closer (Superbit Edition)
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Movie Reviews of Closer (Superbit Edition)
Movie Review: It's Clive Owen's world. We just live here.
Summary: 5 Stars
In this film's four-star constellation of actors, Clive Owen's star probably shines the dimmest. But make no mistake about it, he rules this movie.
Owen gives an incendiary performance as one fourth of a romantic quadrangle of lovers who are alternately in each others pants and at each other's throats. Owen, of course, is the British actor who is most often mentioned as the man most likely to be the next James Bond. And though you can see the Bond suaveness here, this is a film that requires him to turn up the hostility on a dime. To see Clive Owen in this film to see the modern male as 21st Century caveman.
This is not to slight the work of Julia Roberts, Jude Law, and Natalie Portman. All give uniformly superb performances in what is a sharply written and deftly directed ensemble film. All praise is due to director Mike Nichols and playwright Patrick Marber whose play the film adapts.
But it's Owen who towers in this film like Shaquille O'Neal in a kindergarten class. Watching the film, you almost hope the Bond thing never happens since the O07 role has been a both a blessing and a curse to every actor that's played the role.
Though Sean Connery gave it up by the early seventies it took him more than a decade to climb out of Bond's shadow and become a known as a bankable actor who could do more than shake a martini and fire a gun. One time Bond George Lazenby was basiclly never heard from again after "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." Roger Moore's most notable recent projects have included "Boat Trip" and the Spice Girls movie while Timothy Dalton seems to be toiling away in the relative obscurity of made for TV family movies.
As for Pierce Brosnan, though he's tried admirably to take diverse roles while also carrying the Bond mantle, it's too early to tell if his career will go anywhere but down now that he's parking the Astin Martin in Q's garage for good.
That's why it would frankly be better not to see Clive Owen don the Bond tux. Performances like the one he gives in "Closer" show that he's just too good for it.
Movie Review: I love everything about you that hurts...
Summary: 5 Stars
...and I hate that I love everything about this movie that hurts. Dan (Jude Law) who is an obituary and untalented writer, meets Alice Ayers (Natalie Portman), an american stripper, when she gets hit by a car looking the wrong way while crossing the street. Love at first sight? So they thought. Then Dan meets Anna (Julia Roberts)who photographs him for a book he wrote about Alice. He obsesses about Anna while still believing he loves Alice. Then comes Larry (Clive Owen) who meets Anna in the most comical way unbeknownst to, and all because of Dan...
This movie is not about unrealistic happy love wrapped in romantic idealism. This movie is about deceit, lies, lust, inconsideration, uncontrollable urge to satisfy without consequence, and absent of love.
Clive Owen and Natalie Portman were spectacular in their roles. Even though you know deep down they do not deserve your sympathy, you want to give it anyway, because they make you re-live what it is like to have someone rip your heart out. Jude Law and Julia Roberts were effective as well, and you either dislike their characters for who they are, or feel a little tinge of guilt because you can relate even if you do not want to admit it.
The reason why someone might not like this movie is because of its honest potrayal of untrustworthy characters who uses love as a reason for their betrayal without redeeming purpose. This movie is not about love. And perhaps, the purpose of this movie is to open your eyes and see what is possible in the absence of real love; not the kind that comes and fades when someone else strikes your fancy.
Mike Nichols directed this film in a clever and insightful way, getting to know the characters well without any dragging scenes. There was grit from the opening scene to the last. The dialogues; harsh, unbashful, sometimes cruel, very witty, dirty, disturbing,... real.
If you are the kind of person who want to watch an optimistic love story and do not believe that there are people like Anna, Daniel, Larry and Alice walking around in the world, then look closer.
Movie Review: Where Is The Love?
Summary: 5 Stars
Closer is possibly the most accurate and realistic depiction of contemporary love. The notion of true love in today's context is lost among a sea of infidelity, deception, lust, betrayal, jealously, cynicism, objectification, technology and vindication.
Despite being set in slightly surreal environments such as a photo exhibition and a strip club, the writers and actors have successfully conveyed the emotions that run through typically dysfunctional relationships. In the end, the people involved in the web are either very certain of their own feelings finally or are so overwhelmed with rage that they become vindictive. The movie also explores the line between truth and lie; the difference each makes to a relationship and the consequence one has to bear for his/her actions.
Julia Roberts hasn't got much for her role to begin with, but she shows a certain delicateness, straddling between guilt and liberty with her role that makes a performance that is sufficiently pleasurable. Jude Law packs both a cold yet emotive performance as a cheating boyfriend and later a desperate man stuck nowhere in both relationships. A performance good enough to warrant for an Oscar nod (but none sadly). Natalie Portman is stunning with middling traces of girlish vulnerability and womanly salacity, a role that won her the covted Golden Globe Best Supporting Actress. and deservingly so. The most powerful performance must come from Clive Owen who starred in the original play. He's the one who's drawn into a destructive relationship with Roberts and turns sinister when trying to win her back through a series of confrontations and psychological manoeuvers. Both Portman and Owen have done exceedingly well to have overshadowed the leads in this case. All in all, a stellar cast and choice perfomances. (PS: Do check out the cybersex chat between Owen and Law; now that's hilarious.)
So, is love lost really lost? Is the sudden change of hearts actually beyond one's reasonable control? Find out in Closer, then again you might never actually.
Movie Review: "Try lying for a change, it's the currency of the world"
Summary: 5 Stars
Honestly, I'm not sure what intrigued me about this movie beyond my superficial reasoning that Jude Law is gorgeous, and my love for Damien Rice, whose song "The Blower's Daughter" played in the previews. Many of my friends told me it was BORING and horrible, but one day I was in the mood for a 'simple love story'; however, the complete opposite was in store. I could see how some may find it boring; the dialogue is pretty simple, and there aren't too many characters, but I feel that was the beauty of it. When too many unnecessary words are exchanged between numerous characters, it becomes difficult to uncover the true meaning of the film. Significant, poignant quotes become buried. There was much truth to the film, with emphasis on human's insatiable appetites for attention, unrealistic visions of love, and pure selfishness. I liked the motifs of lying/honesty, and evolution and human instincts ("The heart looks like a fist wrapped in blood"- Larry). I found it interesting how the characters naively felt they knewn each other inside out, when in reality, their relationships were based on lies. I thought I was in for a simple, romantic comedy but was pleasantly surprised; this movie certainly surpassed my expectations, and I consider it one of my all-time favorites. I thought all the acting was done well, especially Natalie Portman, who never ceases to impress me in any role, and in my opinion, outshone Julia Roberts. Only Portman can make a character so selfish, vulgar and immoral, appear sweet and innocent at the same time; she made her character truly lovable despite the harsh circumstances. I definately recommend this movie if you're looking for something a bit different, and have the patience and open-mind it requires.
BTW, you should check out Panic! At the Disco's debut album "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out", which includes two songs titled after quotes from this movie.. "Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off" and "But it's better if you do".
:)
Movie Review: Slick, clever, sophisticated and complex. I loved it!.
Summary: 5 Stars
This 2004 film isn't for everybody. It's slick and clever and requires full attention to appreciate. When I first started watching, I wasn't prepared for this and nearly turned it off because it was a little hard to follow.
All that changed however, and, by the time I had been watching for fifteen minutes, I was completely engrossed. I did a double take, sat back and relaxed and enjoyed the unfolding of this complicated story directed by Mike Nichols, based on a play by Patrick Marber. The acting was exceptional too. And even though the actors were easily recognizable film stars, they each portrayed their characters so well, that I soon only saw them as the people they were portraying.
The story is set in London, where, in an early scene Natalie Portman and Jude Law fall in love. She's a young American with dyed purple hair; he's a Brit who writes obituaries for a newspaper. Later, he writes a book and has his photo taken by Anna, a professional photographer, played by Julia Roberts. He's wildly attracted to her but she rejects him. He's angry and decides to play a practical joke. This involves the internet and a chatroom in which he writes explicit romantic notes to Clive Owens and pretends to be Anna. This causes Anna and Clive Owens to meet and they soon become lovers.
This just the beginning through, and the rest of the story plays out in increasingly complex and interesting ways. These four people deceive each other, lie, tell piercingly brutal truths and suffer complex emotional pain. There are constant surprises and turns and twists. Each character took turns at being the one I hated. And then things change and I was forced to re-think the scene I just saw as the film becomes faster paced as it moves along. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen.
I absolutely loved this film and give it one of my highest recommendations. However, it is only for those with a sophisticated appreciation of human complexity.