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

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

Strange, weird. beautiful, endearing, funny and one of the great play adaptations. Closer features all the actors in their best form and the direction is great. I give this movie 88%.

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.… Expand

This movie captures something about love that most romantic dramas do not - the unpredictability. The only flaw I can find in this movie is the way it clumsily skips through years without warning. Natalie Portman was slightly underused also despite out-shining the rest of the actors and having the most interesting and relatable character by far. Owen also displayed a tremendous amount of talent, however.… Expand

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.

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

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 :)

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

One of the very few movies showing true relations - with uniquely truthful direct speech between the characters, and amazing music selection!

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.

This is a film so complex and clever that it is bound to go over the heads of most of the viewing audience. Every word that is spoken has a double meaning to it, and if viewed with the understanding of this ironic level, the experience is far richer.

Cloying, affected and tiresomely self-important. Performances are lacklustre, from the insufferably dull Clive Owen to the overemployed Julia Roberts and the altogether useless Natalie Portman. Even the usually impressive Jude Law doesn't do this a lot of favours. Not that it's an easy task to be asked to spew out such trite, pretentious dialogue at the behest of a pretentious director.

Pseudointellectual writing and great performances. Dialogue is mediocre and contrived. Not grounded in reality.

I have a profound loathing of this film. Real people do not talk like this. It asks hard questions like "Why do rich, beautiful, vain, self centered, urbanites treat love as a commodity and sex as a form of power politics". The film looks great as do the actors but it is presented as an authentic look at modern relationships, but this is as divorced from reality as any fantasy. The characters are emotional children, real people do not act or talk like the people in this film, it is a rich coffee table intellectuals view of humanity. This is a world view that has not been informed by genuine hardship. It is an A Level students view of modern love. I like a bleak film as much as anyone, the bleaker and more pessimistic the better, but this film lacked a key ingredient: RELEVANCE. This film explores the sexual politics of a metro-sexual elite, it is not a genuine universal exploration of love and the damage it does.… Expand

This movie tries to do a lot. It tries to be thought provoking, it tries to be raw, it tries to be deep and it tries to be brutally honest. It was not truly any of things. The dialogue was forced and contrived, attempts to be profound merely come off as beautiful, spoilt people displaying their idiotic and warped notions of life, formularized to the last drop. The film is so horribly self conscious it made me grimace to watch it, it was as though the only thought given to the film was that raw automatically equals artistic quality. I hate to say it, but it does not. A soulless and sterile movie that is void of any depth, despite far too obvious attempts to the contrary. It is the Da Vinci Code of films; garbage that is made to appeal to the pseudo intellectuals.… Expand

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.

I just had to react to some of the coments left here. First time I do, but I think this movie is worth it. Some people here have obviously never seen a bad movie and should go to the cinema more before they drop comments. calling this movie " the worst [they] have ever seen" is either admitting they have very little to compare to or conceiding they were shocked/felt insulted by the movie (which in itself doesn't mean the movie is bad). Some may never have lived such situations or felt such feelings, and/or find them to be the expression of a pervers nature. This just isn't a movie on the way human beings sometimes cooperate to make a better world. Deal with it. As for the dialogue's they may not be realistic when removed from the scenes to which they belong, but who cares ? cinema isn't about writing everyday life exactly like it is, it's about giving the illusion of everyday life. If you watch this movie with an open mind, you'll get sucked in. If you're just waiting for an occasion to rate julia roberts acting, or if you came because the big names printed on the big posters reminded you of sweet love stories (be it in a galaxy far far away or in a nearby brothel), go chat on the forums, write to your favourite magazine, yell out your anger, but don't give this film a 0, your deception has nothing to do with its value. Every word, every sentence, especially in the breaking-up/fighting scenes came when and how I wanted them to come. Maybe noone in real life would be so crude (and I honestly don't see why not) but we've all deeply wanted to ! (I actually came to admire Clive Owen's character for his raw honesty) And since when do the characters have to be likeable to make a good film ? You may hate these people after seing the movie... but how is that bad ? you've felt strongly against them : this movie has brought you strong feelings ! Now you know who you definetly are not (although I dare think that whoever says he/she is not even a little bit concerned is either a liar or has lived his/her entire life in a box, alone). Now to the "honest but shallow/hollow exploration of the human nature". I am French and have lived in France many years. I was culturally brought up by french cinema and I therefore know what a hollow movie on human nature is, I have seen many failed attempts, (Just think that only the "good" ones make it abroad, and even they have a hard time), watched everlasting minutes of raw rape scenes, bared crying men on stools in empty rooms for half an hour, and heard endless, pointlessly intellectualized dialogs. This is not one of them, this movie goes to the point and it gets there fast. Sure, it doesn't explore every aspect of the characters' lives but that just makes it more universal. Most people agreed on the fantastic acting (Owen, Law, Portman AND Roberts) and the beautiful score, so I'll just skip that. Actually I'll stop here all together, I'm growing tired of English grammar and I've made my point. Closer is a great movie. Period.… Expand

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

"Closer" is a very well-acted, well-directed and well-edited piece of junk. Unlikeable characters I can take; an unlikeable film is something else.

Mildly entertaining but unltimately empty and lacking in so many areas. Cannot remember another film where ALL of the main characters are so unsmpathetic and unlike able. At the end of the day I didn't care what happend to any of them, just hope I never meet people like them in my personal life.

One of the best movies I have ever seen.

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

Well written. Well crafted. Well acted. If you didn't like this movie, it is because you didn't understand it. Anybody expecting to see pretty woman deserves to be disappointed.

I adore it I hated it the first time because I was slightly disturbed......at its honesty I suppose. Here is the thing it is honest truthful of breaking down people.....are all people cheaters and decievers? NO but everyone keeps some kind of secrets and has weaknesses and some let go of inabitions and some live by them until the day they die. but in the end is anyone really happy with the life they have? or what they have? There are a very few who can say yes. the majority say they are unhappy. The acting was brilliant and the plot was fantastic. Anyone who gives a low rating (no offense) but they probably treat life as a fairy tale this shows just a little piece of people inside and out.(Again dont take offence(I am dating a person who acts as life is a fairy tale) :O)… Expand

Nothing is more pathetic than cinema and amateur critics who rave over a movie's "honesty" just because the characters portrayed within it are psychological and spiritually corrupt. Sad commentary. Unless you're 1000% cynical (or terminally stupid) avoid this movie at all costs.

Many there really are people who are cynical enough - or stupid enough - to find merit in a movie about four such self-destructive imbeciles. The artsy types (such as many so-called movie critics) love to embrace the "honesty" of psychologic pathology. This moive has no shortage of that. Fact is, only people who derive some form of perverse joy in watching idiotic people engage in idiotic dialogue for idiotic reasons might find merit in this movie. The rest of us would do better to spend the money at McDonalds.… Expand

Rather sad - but honest.

An honest and compeliing, if perhaps somewhat contrived film, about male emotion when applied to relationships. The dialogue is tough, but real, and well written, as it not only conveys the emotions of the characters, but also show wit and intelligence. The characters all have flaws, and all become conniving and unlikable to some degree (maybe too much), and yet it all seems understandable, though not always agreeable. All the actors perform well, though Natalie Portman and Jude Law were cast to their strengths, while Julia Roberts plays against character and does a fine job. Clive Owen, to me, provides the best performace. I wanted to like him and dislike at the same time. I liked his character's honesty, and disliked him for his brutal truth attitude toward sex and realtionships. Those who who fear frank discussions about sex and realtionships should skip it.… Expand

Great to look at. Nothing more. Critics loved it because it's provocative and controversial. Washington Post got it right. Highbrow s..t.

Natalie Portman is too attractive for anyone's good.

The best film i've ever seen.

The best movie of the year. I was apprehensive about seeing this movie because I had read that the characters are so "unlikable." I expected some dark, grim exploration of the meaninglessness of human relations. Instead, I saw one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. People who hate this film are simply incapable of admitting that "love" (whatever that means) is just a power struggle. Self-awareness, sharing, being in touch with your emotions, therapeutic values: this movie shows that they haven't changed the way people behave--they have only become weapons in the arsenal in the struggle for emotional and sexual dominance. The film is funny because anyone honest enough knows they would do the same things if they were as good-looking and charming as Jude Law or Natalie Portman. People who don't get it are Puritans and should be burned.… Expand

Tough picture to see, I can definitely see people hating this. The critics and moviegoers are absolutely right, it's VERY hard to sympathize with these characters, but I was surprised when I eventually did (to a degree). Not with Jude Law's character, who's a self-centered jerk. He does an excellent job, but his character is such a selfish prig, I swear, even when he's being nice, he's still being self-centered in some way - absolutely the worst guy here. Roberts does a fine job (kudos on her attempt to try something different), her character is so sad and pathetic, in retrospect, I think she was wallowing in self-pity, which is why she'd fall for Jude Law's character. At first, it's unbelievable how she'd let him into her life, but the reasons quickly sink in. No, the most sympathetic characters are surprisingly the two 'worst' ones, worst in the conventional, moral sense: the on-and-off stripper and the crass perv. Portman is EXCELLENT, I had no idea she could be this good after seeing her in those lame Star Wars movies. At times caustic and bitter, then euphoric, then completely falling apart, she's put through an emotional roller coaster and she pulls it off very well and very convincingly. Then there's Clive Owen: his character's a perv who's possibly a sex addict: he's blunt and nonchalant in talking about it in pornographic detail, he visits sex chat rooms, has no problem meeting strangers for sex and sleeping with whores...how can you possibly like the guy, right? Well, it's a miracle, because in the context of this picture, he's actually the most decent guy here. That probably sounds bad, but as it turns out, his crass and crude demeanor is a reflection of his honest, too. He doesn't lie, his affections for those close to him are real and deeply felt, and when he acts nice, he's genuinely sincere - no selfish motive or anything, he's genuinely sweet. If you really want to spell out his problem, it's that he refuses to hold back his emotions. If he feels animal lust, he lets it fly, but by the same token, he doesn't take his real relationships for granted either for the same reason. May be tough to watch, but approach it with an open mind.… Expand

I am puzzled by the many summaries and reviews that use the word "funny" to describe this movie. It is a brutally honest and stark look at random behavior and consequences. Very good performances rescue the thin character development that kept the movie from being rivetting as opposed to curious.

I can't give this film zero, because I couldn't make it to the end. Still I can't see it redeeming itself by more than one point over the remaining 40 minutes. The opening titles are promising because of the choice of Damien Rice for the soundtrack (ok he's a bit populist, but if you don't like him a little bit, you don't like music). After that it's utterly pointless. This film utterly lacks humanity. Worse, the superstar performers are unable to whisk up even the tiniest bit of chemistry between their pampered selves. Why do we persist on paying these prima donnas.… Expand

A wretched, wretched look at the worst of humanity that manages to be equal parts joylessness and superficiality, interspersed with a most banal and unconvincing exploration of sexual obsession. The actors are consistently betrayed by the material. It's not bad in the traditioanl sense of being poorly written, but it is wretched: a story about four people you couldn't stand to be around for five minutes without slapping them silly or running in the other direction. But boringly, predictably, they all have the same pathetic, unconvincing, basically psychopathic approach to love and sex. Human imperfection is a wonderful theme for film and can be entertaining, endearing, or movingly tragic when done well. It is none of those things here. This film is rubbish because the writer's work is rubbish, high-brow rubbish to be sure, but still worthy of nothing better than immediate relegation to the garbage dump. I hated every minute of this film. Not even worth seeing for the fine performances. Dissatisfying on virtually every level. No. No. No.… Expand

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

Closer to real life than probably a lot of people would like to admit.

I hate when people say that if you didn't like this film you are a prude, conservative or have never analysed self deeply. this film is for the people who have only touched the surface. there are people like these characters in the world but i only have met a few and they have been some of the worst and most uninteresting humans i have known and i can't say anything better for these characters or the people who sympathise with them.… Expand

This film is terrible. it's a classic example of bad filmaking sold and packaged to appear good. everyone who likes it either absolved their personal guilt of being able to connect with the idiotic characters or just thought they were watching a good movie but it tricked you. the way they showed time passing was good. that gets 2 points. the rest was worthless.

It is so truthful that it gets you absorded! It is funny, inteligent and realist in many ways! Nelson Rodrigues stile, just great!

This show appears worth another look, and Julia Roberts continues to develop her depth aas an actress, so I'll catch it again sometime, but as an expose' about characters unable to transcend their rampant hormones I found it predominantly vulgar and uninspiring.

A film dripping with sexual content that has no nudity or bedroom scenes (well, we can't count the strip club stuff - that's in every flick these days). Brilliant. Take "Carnal Knowledge" and update it for the digital age. Riveting.

I love jude law.

Perfect. It was so cool. So much fun... enough for the whole family!

Its no where near as good as The Graduate but its still a powerful movie. Julia Roberts was out of sorts though, and it just looked like everyone else in the movie was acting circles around her. The very end also seemed irrelevant in as much as it took away from the scene prior to it, which would have made a more powerful ending. I just felt like the last scene ws trying too hard to expand on what was already a brilliant film.… Expand

Overrated and somewhat boring! The caracters are pathetic!!!!

Huge disappointment! With such good actors I was expecting something enjoyable but this definitly was not it! It was weird and just not worth while!

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.

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

Very Boring, the film kept jumping forward a couple of months to a year. You could easily miss 20 minutes of the film and come back into it. Not really a point to the film, good for a snooze.

There are some people in the movie buisness who feel that Jude Law is "doomed to a life of character acting". His honest, down-to-earth performances in this movie, as well as in Alfie, and Cold Mountain, which he got an Oscar nomination for should have been enough to silence the naysayers. Julia Roberts...she's...well just a film actress. And yet in Closer, she still manages to give a very believable performance. So believable that it almost makes me want to retract the statement I made about her just being a film actress. (Then I remember the Oceans movies.) Clive Oven and Natalie Portman are definetly going to be major stars in the following years, no question. Although the dialogue was well-written by critical standards, there was still a need for wittier dialogue. Patrick Marber (the screenwriter) could have had a little more empathy for these characters, so that we can believe that there is hope for these characters to become good people later in their lives. Then we don't have to walk out of the theater feeling slightly depressed. Overall, well-written screenplay, superb acting, good music soundtrack, gorgeous cineamatography and a supposed winning streak for director Mike Nichols.… Expand

The performances and the screenplay are oscar-worthy.

Everyone looks great, but the ponderous pacing, humorles dialogue, and earnest acting sink it.

This is easily one of the BEST films I have ever had the privelege to see. The acting was AMAZING. Natalie was the best I've ever seen her and Jude played his part well, too. Even Julia showed that she can do something with depth. I normally get bored when I try to watch movies, but I was completely glued to my TV. Natalie and Jude were REAL in their parts. I've never seen two actors have that kind of chemistry onscreen (Although-- The actors in 'Unfaithful' do come close) Those of you that said the dialogue and actions of the characters were unrealistic are wrong. Some people are more intense than others. I have been one of those "intense" people. I have witnessed the strange obsessions that some people can get into over eachother and it really isn't so far-fetched at all. People really DO say and do things like that. People that don't see the truth in this movie are clearly the kind of people who are too scared (or just not bright enough) to look inside themselves or to be honest about their motives or the motives of other people -- Anyway, my review is- This movie is fantastic-- If you're given to periods of some intense self-analysis, you will adore this movie... If you sit glued to reality TV and ESPN and rarely pick up a book- Don't bother- it will go straight over your head.… Expand

My favorite film of 2004, brilliantly written, acted and directed.

Great and honest movie, great prerformance of the actors. A portrait of real life.

I love this film! I love Natalie Portman!

Nearly pornographic! disgusting!

Natalya Portman was nominated and I though she was a phony who can't act. I have mixed feelings about the film. My wife asked me what the film was about. I said, "It is a film about bonking" She laughed. You don't see anyone get in the sack which is a rarity these days. The script was so fast paced. Iwent for a cup of teaa and they had already hitched up and were in bed with each other and then they were splitting up and getting ack to gether. It left me breathless. It is not dull there is a fast pace to the movie. Still I wondered about the script it was too condesned. Can anyone tell me what Natalya Portamns chacter was? Was she Julie or the other person. I left the theatre confused. What happened? She told Jue her name was Julia but at the end of the film he is llooking at a name on the wall. I don't get it. I thought the actors were miscast. Portaman should be playing teenager parts. Julia Robers was too old for her part. I though she was a Mother rather than a vixen women. Judd was out of his depth. The only real actor was the doctor he played his chacter well.… Expand

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

Closer is as close as you can get on modern relationships. Very honest, sincere, captivating and a revelation of the essence of commitment. Highly recommended to those who have been hurt and to those who think first before they get into a relationship.

The best movie I have seen in a very long time. Who knew Julia could really act? The direction is impecable and the soundtrack is also poignant. But the writer deserves the most kudos for being unafraid to unleash rhythmatic dialogue that cuts to the truth of the human mind. It is a fearless movie with fearless performances. Those that have failed to see that on this page, I can only assume, are afraid of their own love's fate or are completely dry in the creative department....because this is good cinema.… Expand

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.

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.

A key early sign that the four adulterous antiheroes (Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen) of Mike Nichols' adaptation of Patrick Marber's play will, ten times out of ten, place immediate emotional or sexual gratification above loyalty, fidelity or common decency is the fact that three of them are fighting addictions to tobacco and the fourth is hooked on sweets. Despite the characters' almost nonstop despicable behavior, I wasn't at all disturbed or offended as some posters were, but could enjoy the film as a pleasurably nasty bitchfest, a millenial All About Eve with no Celeste Holm to provide requisite counterbalancing examples of positive behavior. Julia Roberts, perhaps because she IS Julia Roberts, wasn't quite believable as a sexual manipulator; Jude Law is effective as the weasel that many so-called "nice guys" reveal themselves to be (or maybe I'm just responding to my extreme antipathy for most of the rest of Law's voluminous 2004 movie output). However, the Academy got its two acting nominations right. Natalie Portman provides the film's very few moments of sweetness, innocence and vulnerability, and Clive Owen, here as in Croupier and Beyond Borders, is remarkable in his ability to communicate deep emotional reserves without the slightest hint of sentimentality; if it was possible for me to have a "rooting interest" in anybody in the film, it was Owen. (Here's another vote to sign Owen up as the next James Bond, and quick!) Ultimately, my ability to look at this as "only a movie" turns out to be Closer's biggest liability as well as an arguable asset. As much as I dislike much of Neil LaBute's work (and the view of humanity that informs it) he occasionally comes up with characters such as Matt Molloy's wimpy white collar worker from In The Company Of Men and Paul Rudd's too easily transformed college student in The Shape of Things, that cause me to take an uncomfortable look at some of my own behavior. (For that matter, Nichols himself did the same in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? almost four decades ago, and in Carnal Knowledge just a little later.) His deliberately stagy structure, which isn't shy about calling attention to itself, and in which subsidiary characters are reduced not merely to props but to scenery, combined with the fact that these people make more in a month than most of the viewing audience (yep, me included) does in a year, distances me from them, so that I'm not seeing myself in them but viewing them like fish in the giant aquarium that figures in a key scene. Maybe they shouldn't have named this Closer, but rather Farther Away.… Expand

An appaling film which all four stars should be embarrassed to put their name to. With no depth and a shocking script, the characters were instantly dislikeable and there was nothing to keep me interested. Unrealistic, filthy and quite honestly a waste of money.

The best movie that i saw in many years. Sad and beautiful and Blower's Daughter is the song.

It's been a long time since I've left a movie before it ended. Who talks like that? Obviously Hollywood believes that as long as they saturate a film with beautiful people and big names, the audience will respond. This film was total crap. Infidelity may not be new, but the way these people deal with it is completely unrealistic. What man goes to hug his wife after she tells him all the explicit details of her extra marital affair. Who says, "Did you get dressed because you thought I was going to hit you"? To which J. Roberts responds "I've been hit before." What crap dialogue, and the acting was totally boring. The stripper girl got on my last nerve. The scenes in the strip club just got to be too much for me to take any longer. After watching this guy yell in the strip club about wanting love and truth, I just couldn't take it any longer. It's been a long time since I've seen anything so bad. The next time I see a film with nothing but big name stars, I know it's going to be horrible (case in point, "The Mexican"). Jude Law is everywhere. He will soon be another Ben Affleck, and J. Roberts has enough money. Surely, she can afford to turn down crap films like this one.… Expand

This movie was a train wreck. All 4 characters spend the whole movie engaging in duplicitous infidelities, while simultaneously shrieking that they must know the "truth" of each others' affairs, because the truth is all that matters. Huh? While some of the acting was good (Owens and Portman), Roberts and Law were barely passable. The characters were so despicable, I can't understand why anyone would care about them. My greatest regret is that I didn't drive myself, so I could have left early.… Expand

Waste of time and money!

It is true that life is cruel and that love most of the times is just a word. But, what a terrible way to express it, they lost the chance to express the real world. I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!

Wonderful film. Owen and Portman were simply flawless. The scenes between the characters were so brutally honest, you felt pain watching them. I mean a good kind of pain. One that left you awake and at the edge of your seat. It was like a talkie that felt like an action movie.

Margaret A.! The title of the mane song is "Come on closer" by Jem. It is realllllly coooool !!!

Awful, actually.

Easily one of the worst movies i have ever seen! This was like watching a car wreck or watching an infant dying-and just as sad. Good actors (with the exception of the talentless Clive Owen) tell a dreadful story here with no redeeming qualities. I felt dirty afterwards.

This movie is fabulous, a fabulousness no other movie can embody. It is great because shows life how it is ; the way people are too scared to admit.

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.

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

Superb!

Plays like a film version of the old Calvin Klein Obsession commercials. Just a lot of empty declaiming to no purpose whatsoever, which may indicate a failure to adapt what might have played well (or, at any rate, somewhat better) on stage. The characters, with one exception, are absolutely vile -- and not (I hope) remotely true to life. Particularly strange was all the going on about loving one another when nothing remotely loving was evident. This was a particularly dreadful example of a film trying desperately to seem cutting edge and mature while ending up laughable and absurd. Natalie Portman's lap dance monologue (a wonderful gift to an actor) was beautifully done, however.… Expand

I never go to theaters, so this is like going for a time.

It was the best film i have ever seen. so dramatical and sad but interesting. how people can destroy their lives without knowing what they want.

Badly developed theme but carried out by excellent actors who manage to keep you interested.

This was a really great movie. The music was absolutely tremendous. Jude Law & Co were outstanding. Could someone please tell me the name of the song played throughout the film.

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.

I thought the film was okay. Its very dark, but all the same parts scream "real-life". people dont like realisim in films as most of the time life isnt great and things dont end up all happy and cheery. My friends hated it, but in my opinion its the kind of film that will always have split views. It is quite unique and that is also what gives it its spark.

A shallow, frivilous bore, and in the end you ask: "who cares?"

A truly excellent script by Patrick Marber fuels this film past any faults it may have into a different realm enitrely. Marber accomplishes what very few playwritghts who adapt their own work can do...he keeps the character-based chamber drama primitive, raw, and exciting without delving into melodramatic cliches or clumsiness. While this film doesn't reach the beautiful heights of Mike Nichols' last film, "Angels of America", the greatest made-for-TV film ever made, it is still one of the better mainstream Hollywood movie of the year. The acting all around is magnificent, particularly from Clive Owen and surprisingly Julia Roberts, who seems to be getting lost in the shuffle (perhaps because it's been so long since she hasn't played herself) turns in one of her very best performances yet. Keeping the entire duration as a series of scenes between the 4 leads gives the film a certain purity of emotion and power that very few others this year could match. Highly recommended for those looking for well-crafted, literate drama.… Expand

This movie was horrible --- who wants to pay money to see this crap. No redeeming qualities at all. It's very jaded and bleak.

A good movie, not great. The characters are so dark its hard to like any of them. See it if you the time.

Top notch film. Amazing cast, couldn't have been better. Natalie Portman was very believable in her role as Alice. Had to pay close attention to keep track of the plot at times. It was unlike any other movie about relationships. A great drama that keeps viewers intriuged until the last second.

One of the most sexually explicit movies ever, and it doesn't even contain any sex scenes. For that alone, it is totally awesome. Not to mention great performances from all the actors, especially Clive Owen. Even though his character is totally despicable, you still end up kind of rooting for him in the end. Awesome.

I went into the movie with fairly positive expectations. I walked out of the theater proclaiming that this was one of the three worst movies I have seen in my lifetime. I would agree with some of the other reviews that the acting was solid. However, the overall spirit of this movie is completely soul-crushing. This wretched film drains energy for two solid hours, as the viewer is subjected to utterly distant people painstakingly draining each other's lives. This film feels like a two hour, knock-down drag out argument out with a loved one--ala the wretched "A Story of Us". I would recommend this movie to only those with the most cynical view of love and relationships. Someone reeling from a bitter recent breakup, for instance, might find comfort in watching the emotional torture of others. Everyone else would be advised to stay away or at least saw off a non-dominant limb for a lesser form of abuse.… Expand

An intriguing movie--very difficult to watch.

One of the best movies of 04. Very real and touching.

A tedious slog with four emotionally crippled people, it shows the depths to which they descend without itself ever having any depth. I wanted those two hours of my life back.