Closer (2004/I)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Mike Nichols

Writers (WGA):

Patrick Marber (play)
Patrick Marber (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 December 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

If you believe in love at first sight, you never stop looking.

Plot:

The relationships of two couples become complicated and deceitful when the man from one couple meets the woman of the other.

Plot Keywords:

Photographer | Dermatologist | Divorce | Stripper | Obituary

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 20 nominations

Cast

Natalie Portman	...	Alice
Jude Law	...	Dan
Julia Roberts	...	Anna
Clive Owen	...	Larry
Nick Hobbs	...	Taxi Driver
Colin Stinton	...	Customs Officer

MPAA:

Rated R for sequences of graphic sexual dialogue, nudity/sexuality and language.

Runtime:

104 min | Turkey:98 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #40116) | Taiwan:R-12 | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Malaysia:18SX | Ireland:18 | New Zealand:R16 | Philippines:R-13 | Sweden:11 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Czech Republic:15 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Indonesia:Dewasa

Filming Locations:

Cowcross Street, Clerkenwell, London, England, UK

Company:

Icarus Productions

Trivia:

The trailer includes several things that are not in the film. - different lighting when Anna and Dan kiss - shots of the driver of the car that hits Alice - a shot of Larry and Anna getting dressed - Larry telling Alice, "You women don't understand the territory, because you are the territory" - Anna asking Dan, "Why did you swear eternal love when all you wanted was excitement? Love bores you." Dan responds, "No, it disappoints me."

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: During Anna and Larry's big fight, Anna walks across the apartment to the couch and the sound of her footsteps are out of sync.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Alice: Hello, stranger.

Movie Connections:

References Delicatessen (1991)

Soundtrack:

Oh, Dei, come veloce se ne va quella barca!

It's all about questioning surfaces

Closer: A

Mike Nichols delivers his best work yet. CLOSER is a well crafted dissertation on art's reflection of the human condition, particularly the dependence on romantic relationships. It delivers an intimate film that actually achieves depths rarely seen on screen. Kubrick's Eye's Wide Shut only scratched the surface of literal naked lies that represent sexual game-playing on screen. His work came off as a freshman treatise on relationships in a pervy, self-obsessed way. Nichols and screenwriter Patrick Marber deliver a full and rich study on the difficulties of love and sexual tension. Without ever showing a sex scene on screen they are able to portray the nasty nature of jealously, lust and obsession without actually exploiting these acts as Kubrick and countless others have done. The result is a pure _expression of the realization that we don't know anything when it comes to assessing truth in character.

Alice (Natalie Portman), a former stripper, is hit by a car in London as she forgets to look right. Dan (Jude Law) comes to her rescue and guides her to the hospital before guiding her into his life. Dan writes obituaries but soon finds a novel in himself thanks to Alice. While shooting the photo for his book he falls for the photographer Anna (Julie Roberts) who pulls back from him given that he's with Alice. For light-style revenge Dan sets up Larry (Clive Owen) in an Internet sex chat room to meet Anna thinking this will embarrass him and her. Cupid backfires thus throwing Larry and Anna into a relationship of their own. First impressions, like all art, can only show you broad strokes of character like stereotypes and lies. Alice is presented as a young girl in need of saving, literally. Anna is a strong, independent artist who seems smart in her career and choices. Dan is a struggling, sensitive writer in search of a muse, someone to inspire and rescue. Larry is a sex obsessed dermatologist and self-described caveman. By the end of the film, however, the audience will get a deeper and more profound view of all four characters and realize we just don't know them as well as we think.

Acknowledging that film can be art, the screenwriter is skilled with dialog that reflects the illusionary quality that is art. Every piece of conversation, every word has meaning, reflection and sometimes foreboding for what is to come and the gaps in story and exposition brilliantly leads the audience to fill in those elements with their own interpretations. It is those interpretations and broad-stroke impressions that the film is there to question. Alice, in the scene at Anna's photo exhibit, discusses this very concept to Larry when discussing her reaction to the photos and the show. The function is just a big lie, the glossy photos of people's faces don't' show the real person, the fancy people at the party only reflect that same quality. Everything is for surface show - one-dimensional illusions of character. Alice, Anna, Dan and Larry are those photos just in moving form but that makes all the difference. The movement and editing of the film allows us to jump through months and years of their relationships to unpeel parts of the illusion of character and stereotypes. We can explore wrong assumptions about characters and that should make us explore the real-world difficulties of knowing people, really knowing them and not just their image or attitude. Many will just see this film as a sad story of four wounded people making bad relationship choices. This is really sad because this film is truly a great wake-up call to humanity to embrace a new approach and attitude about art and people. Strength can be a weakness. Vulnerability can be empowering. Dependence can be comforting. Nothing can be valued or viewed without bias and prejudice. Great art, like this film, can sometimes achieve a new way to show us how wrong we can be when we let our bias prevent us from just experiencing life and being open to shifts in perception. So take a closer look, at this film and the life around you. You just might find happiness in walking away from the expected.