Closer

[modage]

wow, it was like being punched in the stomach for 2 hours.... but in a good way.  at first i was worried it did seem a little too play-y and overly wordy staged etc.  but after it got going i didnt have that problem anymore.  yeah, really strong performances all around.  just miserable though.  why are we so miserable?  some of the movie makes you so uncomfortable to hear these things but only because its true.  if this movies only strength was managing to have a mostly naked nataile portman writhing around NOT exciting because of the emotions involved that is a feat in and of itself.  this movie should be watched by anyone whos considering cheating on someone.  its like a PSA.

SPOILERS MAJOR
the end of the film when he realizes hes made a mistake and grabs the rose but its too late.  god, HEART BREAKING.  and to top that off with the passport and the reprise of the beginning......... great ending.  
END SPOILERS

so very good.  i need to see more mike nichols.  i netflixed Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Catch 22, Angels in America, Regarding Henry and Silkwood to coincide with this but havent had a chance to watch them yet with all the christmas movies going on...

[El Duderino]

wow....excellent excellent movie. clive owen was just phenomenal. mike nichols continues to amaze me.

[cowboykurtis]

magnificent

[grand theft sparrow]

I'm conflicted.

I didn't dig this movie as much as I hoped to.  

The performances were great and the script was well-written.  Mike Nichols did a great job as usual (mod, you must see Catch-22 and Angels in America IMMEDIATELY).  Everything seemed to be in the right place for a brilliant film.

But, at the same time, it didn't completely work for me.  Unfortunately, I can't put my finger on it right now.  I think it was either that it was too much of a play for a film OR that I was so angry at/frustrated with/sad for the characters that I transferred those emotions onto the film itself.  It was so painful to see these people doing these things to each other.  But certain scenes felt too much like they were ripped right from the play and put right into the screenplay, which sometimes works (Angels in America, Glengarry Glen Ross) and sometimes doesn't (Oleanna).  The frustrating thing about this film is that it worked about as often as it didn't.  I can't say that I didn't like it but I can't say that it's necessarily brilliant either.  

For the moment, I'm going on record to say that I admired the intentions for it and the effort put forth but that it didn't entirely click the way that I had hoped.  I'm going to walk away from this film for awhile and see it again in a couple of years.  By then, I think I will have been able to digest the whole thing.  

In fact, I'm kind of glad that I feel like this.  I haven't been able to shake the movie since I saw it last night (back to back with House of Flying Daggers) and I want to see it again to pick apart why I can't really make up my mind about it.

[ono]

Well, you're not alone, hacksparrow.  At least someone thinks this film is awful.  I haven't seen it yet, just thought that review was interesting.

[grand theft sparrow]

Definitely an interesting review.  

I didn't like his (IMHO) unnecessary politicizing of the film as a way of justifying why he didn't like it, but I understood and somewhat agree with a lot of what he didn't like about the film itself.  It just didn't bother me as much as it did him.

I don't see even the worst films I've seen recently as a sign of cultural decay.  Even a misfire (maybe, I still have to give it some thought) like Closer can't be counted as such, especially in light of all the shit that is on TV every week.  A film that tries to successfully address social issues and questions of morality and ethics, even if it fails, is still a more responsible and admirable endeavor than The Amazing Race or The Simple Life.  The popularity of a rich, unaccomplished, unremarkable waste of space shoving her hand in a cow's ass is more of a sign of cultural decay than Closer, even in less capable hands, ever could be.

[Dtm115300]

I just got back from seeing this film. I thought is was excellent. I really enjoyed it alot. This picture made me feel bad for the characters but at the sametime you forget there all portrayed as cheaters. Which made me feel like they got what was coming to them. I do understand alot of the negative comments i have heard though. It may have not been the best movie of all time, but without a doubt one of the best that 2004 had to offer as of recent. I thought the directing was very well done, and the performances were excellent. I thought Natile Portmen was great, and thats not just because SPOILERS        Shes does a nice little strip dance in one scene. But that did help lol

[metroshane]

Cultural decline?  Palleeeze!  Anyone heard of Caligula?  Or how about Ben Franklin's eploits?  Roaring 20's?  Hell, we're as puritan as we've ever been.

Like extramarital sex is a new thing....

[El Duderino]

Unbelievably Huge Spoilers DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVENT SEEN THE MOVIE

First of all, I loved the movie, it deserved all the hype it got. But I was just wondering if I was the only one who noticed this. At the end i felt like Mike Nicholes left suprise for all of the people who read the play. Whether he did this intentionally or just to add mystery to the ending I don't know. But anyone who hasn't read the play would have trouble realizing that Alice died. I mean, I felt it was obvious because I was looking for it, like a wink at the people who were really into the movie and had read the play. Did anyone else feel like that? I'm glad she died, I had a fear that she wouldn't die at the end, and thats just not right.

did anyone get that? she doesn't die, unless i missed something in the last snippet of the movie.

[Ghostboy]

That guy's an idiot. She SPOILER died in the play, but that's something Nichols changed (obviously), and it's one of the things that makes the movie so much better than the play.

[mutinyco]

The final shot is the most brilliant shot I've seen in a long time.

[El Duderino]

The final shot is the most brilliant shot I've seen in a long time.

i wholeheartedly agree.

[Dtm115300]

same here, it was a great shot. Great movie.

[Kal]

Loved the movie. The ending was great. Great performances by the four. I was surprised seeing Clive Owen acting so well. Natalie Portman did a great job too. I did see the play, but the movie was so much better!

[metroshane]

Does Clive usually not act so well?