Welcome to A-Z Movie Reviews. Every Sunday, for the next several months, I will be posting a review of a film in my home movie collection. How it works is, I will be reviewing movies in alphabetical order until I get to the letter Z (Yes, I do have a film that ends in Z). Now I realize there are many ways to alphabetize a film collection but this is mine so don’t judge me. This is simply for fun.
What do you get when you put Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Clive Owen, and Julia Roberts in a film? Greatness, that’s what. For this week’s A-Z Movie Review I’m talking about one of my favorite love stories Closer.
What it’s about:
The relationships of two couples become complicated and deceitful when the man from one couple meets the woman of the other.
I really can’t remember the first time I watched this film. I think I may have stumbled on it one night while watching television and I am so glad I did. Natalie Portman is one of my favorite actresses and Jude Law is my first British crush that I ever had. Finding a film with both of them in it as a couple no less, was a winning combination for me.
Closer, based on the play by Patrick Marber is a love story but it’s an unconventional one. What makes it so unconventional is the way that it makes you rethink the idea of love at first sight. Like the tagline says, “If you believe in love at first sight, you never stop looking.”
Dan (Law) a writer is on his way to work one day and meets Alice (Portman) when he helps her after she is hit by a cab. Now I don’t know about you all but, starting a relationship with someone after getting hit by a cab is already a bad sign.
The relationship between Dan and Alice starts off innocent enough until he meets a photographer named Anna (Roberts). Dan is immediately taken by her and the two share a kiss which, like, what the fuck Dan? you just met this chick and you have a freaking girlfriend, what are you doing? He then tries to convince Anna to see him because he wants to start an affair with her. She initially turns him down because she knows he is dating Alice.
One year later the two are reunited at her art show and she’s dating Larry (Owen) a man that Dan unwittingly set her up with. Dan is still with Alice, but he hasn’t stopped thinking about Anna. While at her art show, he once again attempts to get her to start seeing him. She gives in and the two begin having an affair.
We all know this sneaky stuff never works out and at the end of all this deception, nobody is left unscathed.
The cast of this film is all incredibly talented but the standouts for me are Natalie Portman and Clive Owen. They had to go through so many emotions, and they conveyed them well. Natalie Portman always breaks my heart in this film, and she has some of the most emotional moments. I can’t watch her scenes with Jude Law without crying.
Closer is an emotional rollercoaster of a film and I highly recommend it. If you need a good cry or just want to watch a love story that is not all mushy, this one’s for you.
Other Thoughts
- Jude Law is sexy as hell in this film. His character is an ass but he’s hot. Sue me.
- Going through the bag of someone you just met is highly inappropriate.
- The fact Anna tells Dan “Men are crap” but then cheats on her boyfriend to be with him later.
- Alice should have left Dan’s ass and never looked back the moment she overheard his conversation with Anna.
- Wondering what kind of security Larry’s job at the hospital had to not bust him having a sex chat on the hospital computer.
- When Alice and Dan break up after he tells her about his affair with Anna, I always cry. Natalie Portman kills me every time.
- Dan is an asshole and never deserved Alice.
- Alice and Larry’s conversation in the strip club is still my favorite.
- It always bugs the hell out of me that Dan tells Anna “We’re not innocent anymore” because she had sex with her ex. Seriously, dude you were NEVER innocent. The whole relationship was built on deceit.
- Still cannot believe Dan hit Alice. I wanted to reach through my TV and hit him back.
Closer is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Hulu.
