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■ DVD review
DVD release brings viewers (Closery
to sharp script, deceitful characters
Don't close the door
on this film, despite its
struggle with intimacy
BY JOSH LINTEREUR
PULSE REPORTER
During fall, the film "Closer" quietly
passed through theaters, meeting
mixed reviews and smaii audiences.
But, with Oscar-nominated perform
ances and powerful writing, this
mostly overlooked film awaits a sec
ond chance with audiences after its
DVD release last week.
The sharply written script adapted
by Patrick Marberfrom his play tells
the story of four characters who begin
as strangers and fall in and out of love
as they heedlessly betray one anoth
er's trust. An unabashed downer of a
film, it succeeds for its complicated
meditation on intimacy and betrayal.
Natalie Portman's character, Alice,
opens the movie with the line, "hey
stranger," which ironically cues up an
appropriate reminder of how she's a
completely different actress when
she's not in a galaxy far, far away
trading dialogue with Jedis and their
computer-animated sidekicks. She
received an Oscar nomination for
best supporting actress and won a
Golden Globe for her performance as
a stripper who falls in love with Dan
(Jude Law), an obituaries writer.
Portman plays her part with just
enough fragility and mysteriousness.
Her character's monologue about the
sadness behind the subjects in a pho
tography exhibit is the high point of
the film. But her inescapable inno
cence fails to dissipate when she's
swinging from a stripper's pole,
which hurts the performance.
Law perfectly portrays the sly and
emotionally selfish Dan, who is not
.INI....
Courtesy
From left to right: Clive Owen, Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts and
Jude Law star in Mike Nichols' 2004 dark romance, "Closer."
entirely devoid of compassion, as op
posed to the caveman-like Larry (Clive
Owen). Like Portman, Owen received
an Oscar nomination for his supporting
role, and won a Golden Globe. His
brutish snarl and calculating eyes con
vey his animalistic inner-workings.
Owen is careful notto overcook his
performance of the bestial Larry, which
bestows him with humanistic depth,
ratherthan reducing him to a pre
dictable cinematic bad seed. This
makes it even more devastating when
his character delivers an emotional
stomach punch to a repentant Dan to
ward the end of the film.
Julia Roberts rounds out the film's
collection of standout performances
as Anna, a divorced photographer.
She handles the role with appropri
ately understated melancholy and
weariness that is always refreshing
from an under-challenged megastar.
The film is masterfully directed by
Mike Nichols, who, fresh on the heels
of his celebrated 2003 directorial ef
fort, "Angels in America," again adds
cinematic style to a stage adaptation.
The film liberally jumps through time
with minimal cues, which signifies a
level of respectforthe audience
rarely seen in modern film, art house
or not. He is not afraid to carefully
draw out a scene involving an online
sex chat between Dan and Larry that
is humorously setto classical music.
While the filmmaking stands out,
the thematic content becomes bur
densome for its disheartening turn of
events, which reveal the truth of each
character's struggle with intimacy.
The sudden emotional detachment
that underlies each character's re
peated and almost casual infidelities
also creates a parallel effect, driving
an emotional distance between the
audience and the film. The emotional
power of the film lessens underthe
weight of dysfunctional characters
that are almost unbearable in their
ability to cause so much pain.
The artistry and complicated
themes at work in "Closer" make it a
natural for some superb extras, such
as a commentary from Nichols or
Marber, but sadly the paltry DVD only
includes a music video and previews
forotherfilms.
joshlintereur@dailyemerald.com
021917
Eric Englund
Scholarship
$2,000 to enable a
University of Oregon
graduate to pursue
graduate studies at the
U of O or elsewhere in
American literature or
history or a related
subject. Apply to the
English Department
by May 2.
GiGiamBrciHianiinnHvamiiianiira
a d a m a n □ n h □ m
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