Sex, lies, and modern love
Closer places modern relationships
under a microscope. The result may not be pleasant, but it is most definitely
honest.
Dan (Jude Law), an obituary writer, spots Alice (Natalie Portman), a self-described
waif from New York, at a busy London intersection seconds before she is hit
by a taxi. Their trip to the emergency department leads to a full-blown relationship.
We learn of this development a year later as Dan is being photographed by Anna
(Julia Roberts), who is preparing for an exhibition of her work. Dan is smitten,
but Anna is aloof.
Later, Dan poses as a loose woman on an Internet sex site, teasing a lonely
dermatologist named Larry (Clive Owen). Dan uses the name Anna and agrees to
meet Larry at an aquarium, which happens to be Anna’s place to meditate. Dan’s
joke results in a chance meeting between Larry and Anna that blossoms from embarrassment
to a relationship of their own. Dan, however, is still obsessed with Anna, and
the couplings fall apart and realign. All four characters are guilty of deceit,
but ultimately each is masking his or her own vulnerability. It is possible
to dislike their actions while retaining a measure of empathy for the people.
Closer is a return to form for director Mike Nichols, who was at the
forefront of the American new wave of cinema decades ago with the socially relevant
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Graduate. His new film,
however, more closely resembles Carnal Knowledge in its frank study of
sexual mores. Here he raises the raunch level considerably, and some audiences
may be offended by the colorfully off-color dialogue. The bristling screenplay
by Patrick Marber, based on his own play, is more intelligent and wittier than
most of today’s vacuous scripts. All four actors deliver Marber’s words with
bravado, and their interplay is never less than dazzling.
Roberts is the biggest surprise, never once resorting to her usual bag of
perky tricks to sustain her performance. Anna is as somber as the film itself.
Law more than makes up for a few misfires from this year, and Portman nearly
redeems herself for her dreadful pairing with Hayden Christensen in the Star
Wars prequels. Owen, the least known to American audiences, is simply amazing.
His performance, along with the screenplay, should be remembered at Oscar time.
Closer may not be as groundbreaking as Nichols’ early films, but you
won’t find a more honest and perceptive examination of the volatility of modern
relationships in any recent film. (MS)
Twelve leaves audiences holding the bag
For sheer entertainment, Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven was hard
to beat. Confident and hip, this remake of the Rat Pack heist flick from the
’60s was far better than the original because the modern-day counterparts of
Frank, Dean, and Sammy displayed an effortless sense of cool without ever breaking
a sweat. While those swingin’ cats of yesteryear were all too aware that they
were the bee’s knees, George Clooney and company never let on that they were
in on the joke, playing their characters straight and refusing to turn the film
into an inside joke.
Unfortunately, the lackluster sequel lacks this quality. It’s not that Clooney,
Brad Pitt, Matt Damon are too aware of their coolness; rather, they seem too
tired to be cool. Bloated, and with a cast that’s sorely misused by Soderbergh
and writer George Nolfi, this film couldn’t be any more different than the original.
Perhaps the reason for this lies in the fact that Nolfi’s script was originally
intended to be a straight action movie for director John Woo, but when it was
decided that Eleven was to have a sequel, the characters from that film
were simply dropped into the script. It’s a poor fit and it shows.
To be sure, Nolfi does get things off to a running start as the first film’s
mark, casino owner and high-class bully Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), has tracked
down Danny Ocean (Clooney). Benedict demands the return of his money, with interest,
or he’s going to kill them all. Once Ocean’s entire crew gets together, they
come to the grim realization that they need to pull together $97 million in
two weeks or they’re toast.
There’s enough plot here for at least three films, yet it all comes off as
a labored exercise. While the first movie focused on one elaborate and ingenious
scheme, Twelve gives us an initial throwaway caper and heists that are
improbable if not impossible. These points might have been forgiven has the
cast been dazzling, but these cool cats seem more interested in stealing a nap
than treasure. (CK)
Also in theaters this week. . .
After the Sunset [PG-13] A master thief (Pierce Brosnan) retires to
an island paradise. His arch nemesis, FBI agent Stan Lloyd (Woody Harrelson),
keeps an eye on him. Parkway Pointe
Alexander [R] Alexander (Colin Farrell), King of Macedonia, conquers
most of the known world. Oliver Stone directs. Parkway Pointe
Blade: Trinity [R] The Daywalker (Wesley Snipes) allies himself with
the Nightstalkers, a group of vampire hunters, and together they battle their
way to ol’ Dracula himself. Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace East
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason [R] Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger)
is growing uncomfortable with her relationship with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth).
Plus, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) is back. White Oaks
Christmas with the Kranks [PG] Luther Krank (TimAllen) is fed
up with Christmas commercialism and decides to skip the holiday and go on a
vacation with his wife (Jamie Lee Curtis). When his daughter comes home, he’s
forced to celebrate the holidays. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
Friday Night Lights [PG-13] Chronicles the 1988 season of the Permian
High Panthers in football-obsessed Odessa, Texas. Based on H.G. Bissinger’s
book. White Oaks
The Incredibles [PG] A family of superheroes lives quietly in the burbs
thanks to the Witness Protection Program, until they’re called into action to
save the world. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
Ladder 49 [PG-13] A firefighter (Joaquin Phoenix), trapped in a fire
that’s likely to kill him, reviews his life. John Travolta also stars. Parkway
Pointe
Motorcycle Diaries [R] Future Cuban revolutionary hero Che Guevara
and a buddy take a crotch-rocket tour of South America. Parkway Pointe
National Treasure [PG] Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicholas Cage) hunts
for a war chest hidden by the Founding Fathers prior to the Revolutionary War.
ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
Ocean’s Twelve [PG-13] Daniel Ocean (George Clooney) must find one
more conspirator before he can pull off heists in Paris, Rome, and Amsterdam.
Sequel to 2001’s Ocean’s Eleven. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
The Polar Express [G] Based on the popular children’s book, a story
of a boy who is whisked by train to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. ShowPlace
West, ShowPlace East
Ray [PG-13] Jamie Foxx portrays musical legend Ray Charles. ShowPlace
East
Saw [R] A man wakes up in a dark room, chained to a pipe. On the other
side of the room: another man, also chained. One man must kill the other — or
his wife and daughter will die. White Oaks
Seed of Chucky [R] Killer dolls Chucky and Tiffany settle into family
life in L.A. with their baby boy. White Oaks
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie [PG] SpongeBob SquarePants leaves
Bikini Bottom to track down King Neptune’s stolen crown. Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace
East
What the #$*! Do We Know!? [Not rated] A divorced photographer’s routine,
uninspired life begins to unravel, revealing the uncertain quantum world beneath.
Lots of science. Parkway Pointe
This article appears in Dec 9-15, 2004.
