Mike Nichols is arguably both the
best theatrical director as well as the best cinematic
director of the past thirty years or so, and that
includes competition like Steven Spielberg and Stanley
Kubrick in the cinematic category. His resume boasts
films like "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", "The
Graduate", "Silkwood", "Working Girl", "The Birdcage",
and the amazing "Wit" and "Angels In America". I guess
"Closer" would most closely resemble "Who's Afraid of
Virginia Woolf?", in terms of subject matter and theme.
They are both dramas, with a hint of viciously dark
comedy. They are both overtly sexual, "Closer" being
considerably more graphic in the ways both sex and love
are portrayed. I guess I responded to "Closer" in a more
flattering manner because I can relate better to the
themes of today rather than the themes of the 1960's,
though they are still remarkably similar.
Jude Law stars as Dan, an obituary writer who
wants to be a novelist. One day he bumps into Alice
(Natalie Portman), an American girl who is hit by a taxi
cab. Dan takes Alice to the hospital, takes her on a
tour of London, and then fate takes over and the two
eventually move in together. Julia Roberts stars as
Anna, a professional photographer whom we meet
photographing Dan for the cover of his book, which he
has written entirely about Alice. Dan immediately falls
in love with Anna. Anna, however, accidentally meets
Larry (Clive Owen), a sexually deviant dermatologist
with a heart of gold, and a mind capable of considerable
amounts of viciously ruthless vengeance. Eventually,
however, Dan leaves Alice for Anna, and Anna leaves
Larry for Dan. This turns Alice to stripping in a local
club and Larry to a blubbering mess of a man. By the end
of the film, however, the tables have turned, and we
find out how quickly love can enter and exit a life. By
the end of the film, some of the stories are resolved,
some leave us feeling satisfied, and others make us wish
for those good old days of the happy ending.
This was the perfect film for Mike Nichols in
that you can tell that it was originally written as a
theatrical production. The entire cast consists of Law,
Roberts, Portman, and Owen -- no one else. The entire
film is a series of conversations and intimate scenes
between the couples. Nichols bounces back and forth,
skipping weeks and sometimes months. We even break into
a little flashbacking towards the end of the film. The
way in which Nichols directs this film is very intimate
and very confined, which works for the best in that it
allows us to get a little more personally involved than
normal. Some of the shots Nichols uses, like the opening
sequence of Law and Portman walking towards each other,
eyes locked, to Damien Rice's "The Blower's Daughter"
playing delicately in the background. This is comparable
to the scene in "Goodfellas", when we see Ray Liotta's
character walk through the club with Lorraine Bracco on
his arm -- one shows class, one shows love at first
sight.
In the hands of lesser actors, "Closer" would not
have succeeded as well as it did. Jude Law has turned
into the number one choice for any role that requires a
cocky, wimpy British bastard. Dan is no different. When
he tells Alice that he has fallen in love with Anna, he
does so in a way that makes you want to slap him
continuously. Then, at the end, when Alice looks him
directly in the face and tells him to leave, we feel
slightly sorry for him, but still know he is getting
just what he deserves. As Alice, Natalie Portman shows
her incredible versatility and sexuality. This is
certainly her most adult role to date, and she tackles
it with elegance and incredible stamina. Julia Roberts
turns in her best role to date as Anna, though she is
probably the least interesting of all four characters.
It is Clive Owen that delivers the standout performance
of the film, as the dermatologist who loves his kinky
sex just as much as he loves pissing Jude Law off. He
has a phenomenal scene with Julia Roberts, when she
tells him that she is leaving him for Dan -- one of the
best scenes from any American film of the year.
So, it looks like I will be having to revise my
end of the year list already -- I should have known that
at least one four star picture was going to pop up
before New Year's rolled around. "Closer" surprised me
in how brutally honest it was about both love and sex,
and by how completely graphic it was in referring to
both love and sex. This might be the most graphic film I
have seen all year...it certainly caused some older
women in front of me to leave the theatre in disgust.
Mike Nichols has given us yet another magnificent motion
picture about love and sex, and he has managed to
squeeze some career making performances from four
individuals who are already so established in the world
of cinema. This film might not be for everyone,
especially the younger ones (it is rated R for a
reason), but consenting adults should find it very
truthful, and movie fans should embrace the rich and
cynical script along with the sexual tension and
romantic interludes. Very well done.
