Closer: Wait, this isn't an action film?

I'll admit, if you've looked at my blog the bulk of the films I've reviewed so far have had a definite action/sci-fi feel to them. So I decided to step out of my comfort zone and tackle a film about something I know little about (according my last girlfriend at least) relationships.

Four people have their lives turned upside down as they search for love. Even though Dan has a successful relationship with his girlfriend Alice, he can’t get another woman named Anna out of his mind. And although Anna is in a serious relationship of her own, with a doctor named Larry, she still finds herself attracted to Dan. Soon they begin a passionate affair which destroys their other relationships. But can it last or will it end with everyone being heartbroken?

Though it started out like one, the movie was not another maudlin romantic comedy with a predictable storyline and absurd plot. It was a sophisticated look at adult relationships and not really a love story per se. While all of the characters were in search of love, they certainly did not find it. The bleak ending, to go along with dialogue that seemed to pop from the screen for it sounded genuine, gave the film a true to life feeling that most romantic comedies and dramatic movies lack. The performances by the actors also made the film a pleasure to watch, specifically Natalie Portman and Clive Owen. Portman was dazzling as Alice, a free spirited woman whose innocent looks hid an old, world weary soul able to control her life on her terms. Owen was astonishing as Larry, the good doctor who seemed like such a gentleman on the outside but had a deviant sexual side which flawed him. Closer was a brutally honest look at how love could be seen in many different lights, sometimes very harsh ones.

Grade: A