mnoo Blog

I'm not quite sure why took so long for me to watch Closer initially. I think it was partly due to the fact that when it opened people, who'd seen the original play by Patrick Marber, expressed very strongly their disgust of someone like Julia Roberts et al taking on these roles. Probably my first impressions of the film came from people who disliked it, not for the story but for the vehicle it was delivered in, and that possibly put me off of the idea of seeing it... at least before I had the chance to read the play. Never got around to that so I thought it was time to take the plunge.

There's no mistaking the brutal brilliance of the play/script. There are no empty words at all, everything is delivered with precision and on purpose. I can't remember when I've seen Jude Law in a role where he's not a sleaze ball of some kind, but he was certainly perfect for this role. And it was interesting to watch his character moving through from one end of the moral spectrum to the complete opposite in the course of the story. Julia Roberts I've never liked... but she was, if not brilliant, at least believable. Although very much the underdog in every scene. Natalie Portman (again!) was the backbone of the story in my opinion. She has the ability to portray sincere vulnerability, without it eclipsing her strength. Really a great performance. But I think everyone would agree that Clive Owen is the absolute core of this film. He is the mirror through which we are forced to look at ourselves as the primal creatures that we are. Raw, bruised, dark and true. He makes the whole movie for me.

With wonderful performances from everyone I think the movie still manages to be more than just the sum of the actors' success. There's this atmosphere... a constant build up, a constant need to know more, a constant craving for... the truth of us as humans? It was hard to give rave reviews to any film right after seeing Brokeback - which was still in my heart at the time - but here's definitely one adaptation which didn't disappoint in the end, like I was afraid it would. I should have trusted Mike Nichols more.

Have you ever seen a human heart? It looks like a fist wrapped in blood....

I've never been a huge Johnny Cash fan (in fact, I always preferred Waylon Jennings in the bad boy of country stakes. :P), but never the less, I quite enjoy this sort of biopics.

All in all, the movie was quite predictable (in terms of how biopics are played out) and in some ways a very cliché story of fame, drugs and passion. Joaquin Phoenix most certainly gives his all and wears the Johnny Cash suit with relative ease, seeing how hard it is to portray someone known for being 'unlike anyone else'. The problem I have with Phoenix at times is the fact that he throws himself so completely into his roles that sometimes you start feeling a little detached from the character, you just look at him acting hard. And there were moments where I felt like this. Don't get me wrong though, I don't think there's anyone who could have done a better job.

As shocked as I was to see Reese Witherspoon pick up the Oscar for playing June Carter, I was happy to learn that it was for good reason. She kept the movie grounded and was so genuine in portraying what her character was feeling that I think she gave a heart to the movie. The best thing about the whole film was the chemistry between the main actors and the way the Cash/Carter love story was played out - in anything but sentimental way. It certainly tasted like life. I don't think the film was larger than life, but perhaps that also helped in making it feel more real.