Closer, or a close?

Yes, that's the question lingers in my mind days after watching the movie directed by Mike Nichols, who, by using chronological jumps, flashbacks, as well as high-profiled actor/ess, tells a quadrangle story in misty London, pondering the fragility of intimacy, and satirizing the stereotype first-sight-romance, which inevitably ends with the couple's "living happily together everafter". You might call it a good movie, since it does make people think, even outside the theater; unfortunately, however, it's almost the same feature that leaves it much to be desired——excessive efforts have been put to make it meaningful, which counterproductively leaves an artificial impression on its audience.

Based on a stage play, the movie is loaded with dialogues, candid and acerbic, brutal and cold, all revealing the putrefaction hidden inside the characters. Forgive me if I'm reluctant to use the word "love" to describe the movie, but selfishness together with jealousy has left no room for the holy word. I'm not going to write a summary of the plot, not just because it could be easily googled, but the fact that I don't see much of it: most of the time, you cannot see what really happens, but people's reactions afterwards. Moreover, what pales its plot is a series of compelling paradox: sex is first used as a bait of a practical joke, yet on the other hand, it "benefits" the victim, especially when he seeks calculatingly for his revenge fuck; another thing is that while lovers are crazy for truth and honesty, it's just these two that hurt in the movie.

I watch it because of, if not only, Natalie Portman, a born-actress that I love since her debut in "Léon the Professional"; and I find her almost the only highlight in the whole cast. She breaks her innocent image in the movie (note, I'm NOT referring to the scene in which she strips for Larry), and presents, instead, a seemingly vulnerable spirit, who, in fact, has never been fettered by relationship, as reflected by her "twist" in the end.
　　
　　Talking about performance, the other three in the quartet is no rival to Portman, especially her compatriot Roberts, who, as usual, has no character at all. Call me hypercritical, but NO male character is really lovable in this movie——Law, with his devastatingly handsome face, only shows an immature weak-mind wrapped in an aspiring writer; and Clive Owen, who's no longer the wild-eyed King Arthur, plays a barbarian in doctor's white, successful performance it might be, but still not good enough to win the Academy Award.
　　
By the way, if there's ONE thing in the movie that deserves an Oscar nomination, I would vote for Damien Rice's song "The Blowers Daughter", which tunes at both beginning and end. It's naturally and perfectly fitted into the scene, especially when the line rhyming "can't take my eyes off you" serves as a foil to Natalie and Law's getting closer with their eyes fixed on each other in London crowd. The lyrics worth chewing for sure, and when I finish watching, I tilt my head with a sigh: no love, no glory; and so it is...

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original post on blog: http://wiiching.blogspot.com/2005/02/closer-or-close.html