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.
