Closer (2004)

Because our man Diego is living up to his blog name, he’s got his feet up watching Netflix today whilst the rest of us do posts for him. JUST KIDDING – I’m not actually sure what he’s doing but I’m very honoured to have the pleasure of posting here. I’m going to review one of my favourite movies. I did say I’d be reviewing Girl On The Train, but instead of going to the cinema as planned, I had a lot of tequila and made bad choices. I hope you’re not mad, Diego. So here comes my take on Closer (2004).

“What’s so great about the truth? Try lying for a change, it’s the currency of the world.”

What’s it about?

Two men and two women embody the phrase “it’s complicated” as their relationships become a tangled web of lust and lies.

Who’s in it?

Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Clive Owen and Queen Amidala/Padme from the second round of Star Wars movies.

Why should I watch it?

+ Everyone in it is nice to look at
+ Apart from Jude law, he’s too smug at times
+ It’s adapted from a play, which means the dialogue is naturally amazing
+ I’d actually say the dialogue carries the movie, there’s some really interesting exchanges and heated conversations between the four characters
+ “My nappies were flared”
+ Maybe you have to see the movie to get the quotes
+ All four actors and actresses give a really solid performance
+ You can’t help but get extremely emotionally invested
+ There’s not a single key protagonist, all four characters are leading, which makes for a unique plot
+ Not your average narrative arc
+ Like the fade outs to show time has passed
+ There’s not the usual “5 years later” showing on the screen
+ Gives a realistic representation of relationships and the difficulties we face as part of human nature
+ At last
+ Best opening scene ever, in my opinion
+ Damien Rice soundtrack, love his music
+ There’s a very existential feeling to the movie, kind of Woody Allen-esque

Why shouldn’t I watch it?

– It is pretty depressing
– If you’re an optimist you’re probably not going to enjoy it
– Actually, there is optimism in it
– Shows that getting hit by a car can turn into love
– Metaphorical?
– The jumps in time can be a little confusing, maybe you’ve got to watch it a couple of times to follow the plot thoroughly
– Jude Law’s smugness

Anything else?

This movie is a breath of fresh air because it’s not your usual cheesy love story. It feels very human, like we’re just getting a closer (get it?) look at intimate relationships. We get to experience the intricacies of being in love from four different angles, four totally different people.

9/10

You might also like:
Husbands And Wives
500 Days Of Summer

Thanks for reading. Feel free to stop by my blog, and see you all around the Word of Press.