Closer
User Score
6.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 207 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 142 out of 207
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 207
  3. Negative: 53 out of 207

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  1. NCoste
    Dec 18, 2004
    3
    Early the twists and interplay of the characters were interesting, but the twists became just plot points, until a great ending--that is it was great that the movie had ended. Think of the various couplings, break-ups, and re-couplings in the 10 years of "Friends" condensed into two hours, add swearing, subtract humor...you got "Closer." Some nice scenes though.
  2. ChadS.
    Dec 19, 2004
    6
    "Closer" gets off to a very strong start; kinda like "Before Sunset" with engaging dialogue. Jude Law and Natalie Portman have more chemistry than any movie couple we've seen all year. But "Closer" is about adultery, and seems to be, wait, let me google: Nichols, Pinter, "Betrayal", "Closer"; yes, it's similar to Harold Pinter's "Betrayal". Too bad, because a great romantic-comedy could've been built around Law and Portman. It becomes an endurance test, as scene after scene gives us people behaving badly, talking dirty, and acting as if they're in a movie based on a play. … Expand
  3. YuH.
    Dec 2, 2004
    10
    One of the best movies of the year and in my opinion, the best acted one.
  4. ClaudiaG.
    Dec 2, 2004
    9
    This film is beautifully made, the acting is superb - mike nichols is flawless.
  5. MarlonV.
    Dec 24, 2004
    10
    There's a subtle, darkly urban gothic eroticism that devours the viewer upon seeing the first scene. the sense of doomed romanticism is palpable. stylishly jagged dialogue and riveting performances swell in certain scenes (larry/anna break up, larry/alice lap dance). and one outstanding performance by a certain julia roberts. there's a rousing sadness behind her eyes, and it9;s a shrewdly subdued performance, as if she could fade into her own heartbreak any minute. hers is one of the most under rated performances of the year. one that will not be awarded by an award just for the sheer invisible value in it.… Expand
  6. RoyR.
    Dec 25, 2004
    9
    Unsettling, troubling cinema. it reminds of the conversational pieces of woody allen, only more abrasive and neil labute's emotional monsters, only more romanticized. three wonderful performances and one absolute standout. julia roberts gives a shrewdly subdued, complex performance, chilly and painfully sad. it's the most under rated performance of the year.
  7. MayerB.
    Dec 25, 2004
    7
    The burden of the cast is tremendous. they have to incite feeling without having sustained history, but the skillfull actors play their parts really well. clive owen is savagely sexy, chewing the scenery almost everytime, jude law once again proves that he's a good actor, giving his character a childish edge. but the women really bring it. natalie portman sizzles in her first adult role, bringing a charmed sexuality to alice. and julia roberts in her best performance ever. formless, sad and ravishingly damaged, her anna is a creation of perfect pain. … Expand
  8. EmmaD.
    Dec 31, 2004
    10
    Julia rules in this movie best acting ever.
  9. GregW
    Dec 3, 2004
    8
    Searing, vicious and none too nice. But refreshing that things aren't as easily resolved with one conversation, or with one discretion. Performances are all excellent here, with Owen a real standout as the creepiest guy you'll ever sympathize with in the movies.
  10. SteveS
    Dec 3, 2004
    0
    I just can't believe the rating that was given for this movie. Usually I agree with metacritic....but this was literally one of the worst movies I've ever seen. It is utterly boring all the way through and leaves you wondering when something is going to happen. When something does actually come around and happen, its the same as what just happened 10 minutes before in the movie. I am spellbounded by the other reviews on this movie. It was just plain terrible....terrible.… Expand
  11. [Anonymous]
    Dec 5, 2004
    1
    Terrible movie....I dont understand why the reviews are so bad. Has no real plot, just a bunch of people cheating on their boyfriends and girlfriends. The artistic value of the movie in no way makes up for how boring it is.
  12. Josh
    Dec 6, 2004
    10
    Just because the movie is real doesn't mean its bad. This is possibily the most true to life movie I've ever seen. It seems to only have 0-1 or 8-10, with no ratings in between; that should tell you something.
  13. ClintM
    Dec 6, 2004
    8
    This is definitely a *love it or hate it* movie. Personally, I loved it. The main reason being that I love to see those *Oscar-Watch* performances/movies that have potential for gold! And I wasn't let down at all by the refreshing turns by any of the four main characters. Clive Owen IS the standout as the reviews have mentioned. But that's not to discredit any of the other three. The only thing I can say negative is that the way the story is told is very *jumpy*; it moves from present time to past memories to future relationships. So if you're not too quick or bright you may have a little challenge keeping on top. But truly the actors and the story were real and alive. And I expect to CLOSER to see some form of Gold next year!… Expand
  14. Rick
    Dec 6, 2004
    5
    Slooooooooooooow going. You feel guilty finding it boring until you finally realize that it IS boring. Everyone is quite attractive and seems to take it all very seriously though so it is relatively painless. Don't go short of sleep though or you might not make it.
  15. ChuckS.
    Dec 9, 2004
    10
    Outstanding. Real. Anyone wanting happy endings or 'everything explained' should stick to Disney. This is what real life is like. Deal with it.
  16. EricM
    Dec 14, 2005
    9
    I can understand where moviegoers looking for an escape may be turned off by this movie. However, for those of us whether we are sentimentalists, cynics, heartbreakers or heartbroken this movie speaks to you. In an age where knowing people exists via chatrooms and notions of true love are scoffed at by those who have actually loved, this movie encapsulates what many of us go through. For those who have loved, who cant love, or who want to.....check this out.… Expand
  17. MiaG.
    Jan 23, 2005
    8
    One of the most painful films to sit through. You cannot really identify with a character as they're all so cold. You can't cry. Instead you end up with this heavy weight in your chest for the rest of the day.
  18. DocA.
    Jan 29, 2005
    0
    People learn about sex from the movies and Closer is sex ed from hell. I say this as a nationally recognized sex therapist. It comes close to being an exposé of male sexual obsessions and insecurities but turns out to be endorsing them. Men really do have to prove how virile they are, the test being to outdo other men at satisfying women who are so unpredictable and untrustworthy that even after four anniversaries a woman may not reveal her real name. These are women who have no need for romance and who passively go with whomever meets their erotic needs. Sex is not for sissies. The writer has no idea what sex is about or what really goes on in heterosexual relationships. No one has commented on the subtext, that straight men are gay underneath. Both women are essentially irrelevant, only vessels through with the men bond and compete, beginning with Jude Law… Expand
  19. DarranL.
    Jan 29, 2005
    2
    A drab dreary film in need of a spark for the four talented actors to work with. One hour and forty minutes of my life that i wont get back.
  20. MackeJ
    Feb 16, 2005
    8
    Excellent film that gets better and better even after the cinema closes for the night and you get more time to think it through. A terrible exhibition of human behavior only because it is so true. The scenes in the end brings it up from a weak 8 almost to a 9.
  21. MistyS.
    Feb 16, 2005
    9
    Emotionally charging, out of breath, depressing sort of a film. Natalie Portman and Clive Owen's best work to date (and Croupier). Only quirk is that there are a few actors that would have fit Anna's (Roberts) part better.
  22. MichaelH.
    Feb 28, 2005
    9
    I fail to see why this movie has engendered such controversy among reviewers here...so what if the characters are not likeable? The acting is great, Julia Roberts is really not bad at all and great to look at, the other actors do a terrific job, the dialogue is mostly very fresh and refreshing, the plot is difficult to predict yet is not just an intellectual game... Not a perfect movie, maybe not a masterpiece but a very engaging piece of work. Are we, I assume, Americans, so puritanical even in the "liberal" precincts of the art movie going public, that we cannot stand to look at the uglier side of life even if it is draped in such visual beauty?… Expand
  23. billym.
    Apr 23, 2005
    6
    This movie would be a prime time movie to pick up chicks with, but is really somewhat boring if there are no chicks around. Now, please be aware that you should be prepared to see some extremely hot shots of Natalie Portman as a stripper, and I would personally say that this would be worth the price of a rental. Clive Owen is awesome, and Portman is also quite entertaining, though Jude and Julia aren't the worst. Also there is a cool Simths song, How Soon Is Now? somewhere alonh the line as well.… Expand
  24. MichaelS
    Apr 28, 2005
    9
    Unusual and unexpected...I enjoyed it completely...I find it hard to believe some found it "pornographic"... Certainly not for the kiddies, but pornographic??? Lighten up, ya prudes!!! Great film.
  25. ColbyC.
    Jun 29, 2005
    10
    This is proof that a movie doesn't need to make you feel good to be effect. Its purpose is to make you loathe these people, and hope that you don't become like them. It exposes their weaknesses (smoking as a metaphor here). Films this powerful are very rare, and performances like Clive Owen's do not come often, and should be embraced and praised when they do. My favorite film of last year.… Expand
  26. BrentU.
    Mar 25, 2006
    9
    This is definitely a movie that will be either loved or hated. The acting is really outstanding, not hollywood cliche, but powerful and gritty with so much substance that it is easy to relate to each character as they develop through the film. The story contains an overwhelming amount of raw emotion and honesty, and unfortunately I think this turns alot of viewers away, but the reality of the story is what I really appreciate about this film. If you have ever known love and heartache, this is a must see.… Expand
  27. BarbieL.
    May 22, 2006
    7
    Problematically, Closer feels exactly like a play. Then in the credits I had my suspicions confirmed. The 4-person cast, ostentatious time lapses,and perpetually heady dialogue make a great play but a mediocre film. If only those like the paralleled opening and closing sequences occured more frequently, Closer could truely be called a film.
  28. JoelT.
    Nov 27, 2007
    0
    Insufferably pretentious plot, insufferably contrived dialogue, insufferably self-important film. In short: insufferable. A hollow and disappointing offering from Nichols. And Natalie Portman may be purty, but she's a soulless phony. I don't think that piece of driftwood could act her way out of a paper bag if it had a hole cut it in. Don't get what all the fuss is about over her performance.… Expand
  29. Abbyl
    Jun 28, 2007
    7
    Closer was a surprising twist on love. Those who claim it is 'the worst' movie they have ever seen, have obviously never viewed the movies Norbit and Epic Movie. The characters were involved, the only disappointing part was that this movie was borderline pornography, not in the visual sense.
  30. IgnatK.
    Sep 14, 2007
    10
    One of the very few movies showing true relations - with uniquely truthful direct speech between the characters, and amazing music selection!
  31. adant.
    Dec 17, 2005
    10
    One of the best movies I have ever seen.
  32. RONGIU
    Feb 21, 2011
    9
    Sorry, machine translation. Thanks. The fig leaf and sex of Michelangelo's David Crowded sidewalk in a gray London afternoon of a cloudy and undated. And 'here, that the meeting between Alice, a stripper by profession and Dan, crime reporter, takes place. The song "The Blower's Daugheter" Danien of Rice and images, soft and caressing, we hand them over as they approach each other at a slow pace. People do not cover their eyes. Penetrating. Both hint at a smile. Exciting. Screech of brakes for a moment, and ... she is there, on the ground, motionless. Dan is approaching the race, fears the worst, but ... a smiling and reassuring "Hello, stranger" gave him the certainty of an important meeting that will forever change both their lives. Anna and Larry form the other pair disruptive. Professional photographer, her dermatologist him with a taste for hard chat. It is in one of the many "online chat" with short questions and short answers from erotic tall, Dan "knows" Larry. The doctor was immediately taken by the strong sensuality of a journalist who thinks a woman. E 'catharsis. Dan gives Larry, seduced by now, an appointment at the London Aquarium. Who will meet Larry? This meeting is expected that high erotic couples will create new dynamics in the sentimental? The film, for those who are vulgar, restores its centrality to human. The man just because a thinking being, is a dynamic element of the universe, despite the many contradictions that accompany it. Numerous works of art have been, over the centuries, censored, destroyed, ghettoized, declared it obscene. Michelangelo's David was hidden sex with a fig leaf to avoid the redness to Queen Victoria. Well done the cast, a superb interpretation of Clive Owen. "Good ciak!."… Expand
  33. Xerxes
    Nov 25, 2010
    10
    one of the better movies ive seen and i watch it alot, cos it so real about relationships in todays age, love it everytime i see it, clive owne owned all the others in thsi film :)
  34. ALF
    Sep 10, 2011
    8
    What on earth was Morgenstern watching or was it the fact he had to be different to the generally favourable reviews. This is a film which as a man made me uncomfortable because the character played by Law was such a complete ass. But then none of the characters are what one would call loveable. I think this movie would be ideal for someone who was trying to decide whether they wanted to enter the damage zone which relationships open everyone up too. Anyone who makes a claim that the film characters do not exist is really very deluded. Where do you think divorce, adultery and the other unpleasant forms of betrayal come from? Some of it was very funny. In these "girl power" times I would recommend it to men and women equally because in this movie neither gender comes out too well.… Collapse
  35. drlowdon
    May 25, 2013
    5
    Based on an award winning play Closer tells the story of four lovers across a four year period. The movies theatre origins are apparent throughout with its small cast and succession of two person scenes. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, most scenes are certainly well written and performed admirably by the cast, it can make their story seem very isolated from the outside world on occasions.

    Despite these excellent performances however the biggest problem I had with Closer is that, with the possible exception of Alice (Portman), it is very difficult to feel any sympathy for any of the characters and their predicaments. Throughout the film their behavior makes them continually come across as totally unlikable to the point that by the films conclusion the ongoing drama between them becomes closer to irritating than interesting.    … Expand
  36. Binki
    Jun 26, 2011
    9
    Really good movie! Remind me of Match Point. Natalie Portman is absolutely wonderful, but all the acting is amazing. The best point of this movie is that it's really unpredictable. Worth the view.
  37. wesker2012
    Jul 10, 2012
    10
    One of the best movies about relationships i've ever seen. This movie is very real, raw, and intense. It makes you feel very strong emotions. You know a movie is special when it can do that. Great performances by all the actors, Natalie Portman especially stood out to me. She does a very real, mature, raw acting job which is phenomenal. Proves to the haters her acting is beyond their comprehension.… Expand
  38. moviemaniac
    Aug 17, 2012
    7
    I think this movie is not too bad, and I guess there is no joy in this movie but overall the cast in this movie is very good in the act it. This movie is stated about the honesty
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Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
65 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 42 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 42
  3. Negative: 2 out of 42
  1. Variety
    Reviewed by: Todd McCarthy
    70
    The caustic wit and brute force of Patrick Marber's acclaimed play come across with a softened edge in Mike Nichols' bigscreen version of Closer.
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  2. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Kirk Honeycutt
    50
    Determined to be faithful to the strong, often shocking language and in-your-face drama in Marber's mannered writing, Nichols and his actors find no way to lift Closer into a realm that enlightens.
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  3. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    88
    Mike Nichols' haunting, hypnotic Closer vibrates with eroticism, bruising laughs and dynamite performances from four attractive actors doing decidedly unattractive things.
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