Closer (DVD)

I didn't see Closer at the cinema, but being quite a big fan of both Julia Roberts and Jude Law I was quite keen to get it and watch it on DVD. Having done so, I have to say that it seemed quite a strange film and not overly enjoyable although it does have it's fascinating moments. There are only four characters in the film which in itself seems quite a strange thing. There is no supporting cast of interesting characters to bring lighter moments and relieve the tension - so with just the main four I found it a bit heavy going! A little bit about the story though. Alice, Daniel, Anna and Larry are four strangers who through a series of chance meetings get ...  Read the complete review

What is it with the media and some films? They latch onto a single element and then seem unable to see past that to whether a film is any good or not. In Closer's case, there were actually two things they latched onto. The tabloids rather liked the fact that Natalie Portman plays a stripper and spends part of the film parading around in little more than a thong, whilst the "higher brow" sections got rather hung up on the amount of bad language the film contains. Which is a shame because, having finally got around to watching it, Closer deserves better. A complex story of love and relationships, it has a very dark hear and proves to be compulsive ...  Read the complete review

Alice a quirky adorable girl, and Dan boring obituary writer, meet and promptly start a relationship which from the outset looks like it might just be a great love story. Then Dan meets Anna, who is not only less attractive than Alice, but also cold and as boring as Dan himself, and the selfish two go about destructing their own lives, and their partners; Dan's Alice, and Anna's partner Larry. Alice is played by Natalie Portman (Beautiful Girls) and is as utterly loveable as you might expect if you have seen Natalie Portman before. Let's start with the fact she's gorgeous so you can't help but want her/want to be her. Then add to that the fact her character is ...  Read the complete review

Closer was one of those films which I’d wanted to watch for ages for several reasons: a) I’ve always has a soft spot for Clive Owen b) I have always thought Julia Roberts is a good actress c) I’d never seen Jude Law in a film and had heard a lot of good things about him. Hmmm, points a), b) and c) above will be addressed later in this review! CAST, CREW & STUFF LIKE THAT ============================ Pretty much an all star cast with Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Jude Law and Natalie Portman. There are no supporting cast members that appear more than once and for more than a moment so it’s not worth ...  Read the complete review

Intimacy. A funny little word and with so many meanings… what is intimacy in a relationship? Most people would say that sex is pretty intimate, but then they'll also look for "real" intimacy, which broadly speaking is probably taken to be a feeling of closeness in friendship, and not just in lust. A kiss, say some, is more intimate than sex. Closer is a film about intimacy, in that none of the protagonists have a clue what it is. The story isn't really as complex as people had suggested to me. Two couples wind their way through various adulterous twists and turns in an attempt to find happiness (or perhaps, as one character suggests, in an attempt ...  Read the complete review