Grade: A+ | Genre: Drama Summary: Closer is an extraordinary film about love whisked about by sex, drowning in deception. It is a gritty film that doesn't turn away from the needle of words that continually impale these characters. Closer is ugly and painful in such a stirringly beautiful way.

Closer is the dynamic story of four deeply dysfunctional individuals nuzzling up to love only to strangle it with their lies and truths. Each person is a complex psychological vehicle riddled by insecurities, selfishness and dangerous pride that prevent them from finding lasting happiness. The emotional pick axes they swing at one another are grounded in the extremes of passion and hatred. Try to shift or awkwardly turn, but there's no escaping the discomfort that they drag us through because you are right on the edge of emotion with them getting smacked by every blow. There is no time out. There are no gentle goodbyes. It's raw, harsh and screwed-up beyond comprehension. Like a devastating train wreck you can't tear yourself away from, this is magnificent chaos.

First, we meet Alice (Portman) whose stunning, unconventional beauty mesmerizes the homely Dan (Law). Through an afternoon of revelation on the streets of London, we see these two begin to fall for one another. Suddenly, we are dropped into a loft, with an impeccably dressed Dan, where Anna (Roberts) is flashing away his photo for the dust jacket of his latest book. This is more than a little strange since in the past frame he was a rather sad, obituary writer. We also see that he now smokes and has a confidence to make a pass at the rather intimidating Anna.

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Clive Owen (King Arthur) is Larry, a brash dermatologist who stumbles his way into the picture by getting duped by Dan in a sex chat room. In the course of things, Dan orchestrates a rendezvous between Larry and Anna. Both scenes are priceless. First, Larry is wanking off to what he thinks is a hot blonde, then you watch as he stumbles all over himself at the aquarium spouting out lurid chat dialogue to the unsuspecting, wide-eyed Anna. From what has to be one of the strangest meeting of two people ever, they start seeing each other, which horrifies their unknowing cupid.

Shift gears for a second, Dan and Anna fulfill their destined affair that stretches the length of a year. When they go to tell Alice and Larry they meet two very different fronts. Alice crumbles before Dan, sniveling and pathetic, reduced to begging for another chance so that he might not leave her. Larry, on the other hand, in all his boldness tells Anna of an affair he had while away on business which doesn't have quite the impact he was anticipating. Once he finds out about Dan, he becomes a man possessed with hatred and rage. Anna back peddles confused, honest and scared as he forces her to spew out the sordid sexual details of their illicit meetings. The interchange is crude, explicit and difficult to watch at times as the hatred seethes through Larry. Both of these men are so hinged on how they measure up sexually, they become blind to everything else that matters.

There are two acts remaining, which I will leave to you, but I will say that the ending is the best part of the film. I could fill the entire page simply on speculation and wonder about how these characters unravel. Clive Owen and Natalie Portman are amazing in these roles. They make you forget that Jude and Julia are even on the screen with them. It is treasonous that they didn't walk home on Oscar night with best supporting actor and actress honors. Both roles are so incredible juicy as they get to spearhead the reaction in the breakup scenes and Owen had an extra step up already having played the role of Dan on the stage before committing to this project. He crafts Larry into the master manipulator who gets everything he wants even if he has to sell every shred of self-respect to do it. The incredible mind f%$k that he pulls on Dan is epic and showcases how sick and depraved he really is.

This was an incredibly tight plot that accomplishes so much in so little space. The dialog is biting and thought provoking at every turn. It shuttles along at breakneck pace peppering characters with mind games, constantly hurling unexpected words and actions to unsettle the situation. If that weren't enough, the film also features the best song captured on film last year in Damien Rice's "The Blower's Daughter". This is a haunting ballad that perfectly captures the frailty and desperation woven into these relationships. It slips in with us at the first scene and sees us out the door at the last.

My two issues with this film are guy things which have very little to do with the overall value of the film and both center on Natalie Portman. First, what guy in their right mind could ever leave her? Don't get me wrong, Julia is definitely all that and a bag of chips, but Natalie's captivation is mind bending. So much so that it makes Dan's breaking things off a bit incomprehensible. Secondly, Alice is a stripper by trade yet we pass through the strip club twice without getting the goods. It's a blatant tease that is wrong on so many levels. Like I said, guy things which I can't help. It's just how I'm wired.

Closer is an extraordinary film about love whisked about by sex, drowning in deception. It is a gritty film that doesn't turn away from the needle of words that continually impale these characters. Closer is ugly and painful in such a stirringly beautiful way. Closer accomplishes what we ask of great art. Not only should it spur our mind to new heights, but it should also fire off our emotions by burrowing under our skin. It never tries to soften a blow or let up when it goes too far. It perfectly frames the fine line that rests in the emotional mine field between love and hate. Couple this with the support of an intricate storyline that echoes in your mind, and you have a film that keeps tugging at you to watch it again and again.

Buy or rent Closer Now. Closer ranked #2 among 2004's crop of movie releases. Curious to find out what other ground breaking films wrapped out the top 10? Click here to satisfy your need.

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