Thoughts on "Closer"
Dec. 27th, 2004 11:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thehefnerPeople seem to be pretty sharply divided on their opinions of the film. Personally, I absolutely loved it because I absolutely love stories about sexual politics ("Rules of Attraction," Mamet's "Sexual Perversity in Chicago"), and this one was no less nihilistic, but it wasn't as outright evil as those two. It's kind of strange that I should so love this movie, considering that all of the characters were pretty much unsympathetic.
But for my mother and I, watching this movie had a decidedly more personal edge, as we recognized aspects of ourselves and people we know in the film.For example, Jude Law's Dan reminded her an awful lot of an old lover of hers, and it's an odd coincidence that my father used to think that she looked like Julia Roberts. For my part, it didn't help matters that Natalie Portman looked, sounded, and acted rather like a certain girl, or that with the glasses on Jude Law looked very much like a certain pigfucker. But that wasn't the most unsettling part of the movie for me. It was Clive Owen's character, Larry.
Larry was my every dark, bitter, hateful, manipulative feeling I had this past summer. He was my id from that period given form, not me as I really am but all those ugly, horrible feelings given free reign in a human being. He's me if I became my father, a man driven by venom, manipulation, bitterness, and stewing. I know and thank God that I am not that character, but it's still deeply unsettling, especially when some of what he were saying was word for word the things I said to a certain someone else these past few months.
The character also uttered the single most hate-filled lines I'd ever heard in any movie or play. Not to spoil it for anyone or to offend anyone by posting it here, you'll know it when you hear it. It comes at the very end of his argument with Julia (a scene I so very, very much want to perform with a good actress).
Also, I should add: this had one of the best soundtracks ever. Mostly classical, opera, Mozart, that sort of thing, but the theme song "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice was simply beautiful and "Smack my Bitch Up" has never been more appropriate.
Not everyone's cup of tea of a movie, and I'd really like to know what other people think. I bought the play and am in the middle of reading it, and so far I think the movie is superior. Just as when Miller's screenplay of "Crucible" was, IMO, superior to the play, I think Patrick Marber was able to provide a better re-written version of the story with "Closer"'s screenplay.
But for my mother and I, watching this movie had a decidedly more personal edge, as we recognized aspects of ourselves and people we know in the film.For example, Jude Law's Dan reminded her an awful lot of an old lover of hers, and it's an odd coincidence that my father used to think that she looked like Julia Roberts. For my part, it didn't help matters that Natalie Portman looked, sounded, and acted rather like a certain girl, or that with the glasses on Jude Law looked very much like a certain pigfucker. But that wasn't the most unsettling part of the movie for me. It was Clive Owen's character, Larry.
Larry was my every dark, bitter, hateful, manipulative feeling I had this past summer. He was my id from that period given form, not me as I really am but all those ugly, horrible feelings given free reign in a human being. He's me if I became my father, a man driven by venom, manipulation, bitterness, and stewing. I know and thank God that I am not that character, but it's still deeply unsettling, especially when some of what he were saying was word for word the things I said to a certain someone else these past few months.
The character also uttered the single most hate-filled lines I'd ever heard in any movie or play. Not to spoil it for anyone or to offend anyone by posting it here, you'll know it when you hear it. It comes at the very end of his argument with Julia (a scene I so very, very much want to perform with a good actress).
Also, I should add: this had one of the best soundtracks ever. Mostly classical, opera, Mozart, that sort of thing, but the theme song "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice was simply beautiful and "Smack my Bitch Up" has never been more appropriate.
Not everyone's cup of tea of a movie, and I'd really like to know what other people think. I bought the play and am in the middle of reading it, and so far I think the movie is superior. Just as when Miller's screenplay of "Crucible" was, IMO, superior to the play, I think Patrick Marber was able to provide a better re-written version of the story with "Closer"'s screenplay.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-12-28 04:56 am (UTC)i liked the play for its honest brutality. i was going through a similiar anna/larry situation, i being the anna, my bfriend at the time being larry. i both hated and sympathized with larry. truth be told i probably felt the same way towards anna. i was sickened by the entirety of the play, but only because it was so honest and so personal.
i'd love to be anna someday. i'm not frail or gorgeous enough for alice, but anna seems like a character whose shoes i could readily fill, if for no other reason than empathy.
i hope to see the movie soon!
no subject
Date: 2004-12-28 05:11 am (UTC)The movie has edited the script, made it more conscise in places, which works, I think. I dunno if you've heard, but the ending is different. I like how the reveal of Alice is handled in the movie better, it's much more subtle and therefore powerful, IMO. I wish I could have seen the play so I can make an informed judgement, and the script itself is a lousy read. It's like Pinter: a shitty, boring script on its own, but an excellent actor's piece.
And as much of a bastard as he was, I liked and strangely sympathized with Larry more than any of the other characters. Oddly, all the "sickening" aspects were, for me, bizarrely exhilerating (I felt the very same way with "Rules of Attraction," although I seem to be the minority there).
I want to read and reread the script and ponder upon this. This may be a play I'd want to produce someday. Also, if you were interested in this, I'd wholeheartedly recommend you read Mamet's "Sexual Perversity in Chicago," and to see Closer director Mike Nichols' "Carnal Knowledge," with Jack Nicholson and Art Garfunkel. With "Closer" he really came full circle.