Watched 2 movies last nite. Back to back. Till 2am. I’m a maniac. Especially when I know full well what a zombie I’ll be like the next day. Duh.
Closer.
Being Julia.
Hmm…. Am considering whether I should do a double review, something along the lines of comparing one to the other. Or better to take it separately? I gotta stop thinking out loud, “Jackie! process in ze brain before putting it down on ze paper…and stop talking to yourself!”
Ok, focus.
I’ll take “Closer” first.
My head tells me it’s good. I was certainly entertained. By entertained I mean that it held my attention, that it was interesting. Dialogue was pretty damn brilliant; witty at times, always sharp and brutally honest. And yet, and yet, I can’t quite decide whether I like it, but then again maybe that’s irrelevant.
I think the problem lies in the fact that I could not identify with the story or any of the characters. I’m not sure whether the flaw lies in the story/actors/director or the missing piece lies in me. I do believe though, that like for everything else there’s an ideal place and time for it. What leaves you cold now, may take on a different light years down the road, when you are more ready, more whatumaycallit, primed perhaps.
Oh, damn… what in the world happened to the review? Shit.
Ok, here’s a 1 line sypnosis:
Everyone fucks everyone else and gets fucked up in the end.
And if you’re the type that absolutely must strip everything down to an all encompassing moral-of-the-story, maybe this would be a fitting one:
Love alone is not enough.
Like Clive Owen’s character says “You never understood love because you don’t understand compromise”. Umm..right. I’m still mulling over this one.
On another note, Julia Roberts and Natalie Portman are among my least favourite actresses, and this movie does not do anything to change that bias-ness. Not that they weren’t adequate enough though. Jude Law is perennially beautiful as always, but somewhat lame and ineffectual in his role. The one I did like was Clive Owens character. He was unpalatable, rough, raw, openly flawed, but redeemingly honest and therefore easiest to identify with and feel for.
Technically, I loved how the story flowed seamlessly through time. There’s sometimes a lapse of a year between 2 scenes and yet it is never jarring nor do you feel lost. It was a skillful little trick to cut out the unnecessary fluff of blissful love (of which we have soo much of in sappy romantic movies) and stick to the bare essential drama of their meetings and break-ups. Nice.
Verdict: Recommended (but only so I can discuss with others how they felt about it)
WARNING: Hopeless incurable romantics, stay away from this one, unless you fancy having nightmares of no more ‘happy-ever-afters’.
PS: Sod it. Being Julia’ll just have to wait.
Closer.
Being Julia.
Hmm…. Am considering whether I should do a double review, something along the lines of comparing one to the other. Or better to take it separately? I gotta stop thinking out loud, “Jackie! process in ze brain before putting it down on ze paper…and stop talking to yourself!”
Ok, focus.
I’ll take “Closer” first.
My head tells me it’s good. I was certainly entertained. By entertained I mean that it held my attention, that it was interesting. Dialogue was pretty damn brilliant; witty at times, always sharp and brutally honest. And yet, and yet, I can’t quite decide whether I like it, but then again maybe that’s irrelevant.
I think the problem lies in the fact that I could not identify with the story or any of the characters. I’m not sure whether the flaw lies in the story/actors/director or the missing piece lies in me. I do believe though, that like for everything else there’s an ideal place and time for it. What leaves you cold now, may take on a different light years down the road, when you are more ready, more whatumaycallit, primed perhaps.
Oh, damn… what in the world happened to the review? Shit.
Ok, here’s a 1 line sypnosis:
Everyone fucks everyone else and gets fucked up in the end.
And if you’re the type that absolutely must strip everything down to an all encompassing moral-of-the-story, maybe this would be a fitting one:
Love alone is not enough.
Like Clive Owen’s character says “You never understood love because you don’t understand compromise”. Umm..right. I’m still mulling over this one.
On another note, Julia Roberts and Natalie Portman are among my least favourite actresses, and this movie does not do anything to change that bias-ness. Not that they weren’t adequate enough though. Jude Law is perennially beautiful as always, but somewhat lame and ineffectual in his role. The one I did like was Clive Owens character. He was unpalatable, rough, raw, openly flawed, but redeemingly honest and therefore easiest to identify with and feel for.
Technically, I loved how the story flowed seamlessly through time. There’s sometimes a lapse of a year between 2 scenes and yet it is never jarring nor do you feel lost. It was a skillful little trick to cut out the unnecessary fluff of blissful love (of which we have soo much of in sappy romantic movies) and stick to the bare essential drama of their meetings and break-ups. Nice.
Verdict: Recommended (but only so I can discuss with others how they felt about it)
WARNING: Hopeless incurable romantics, stay away from this one, unless you fancy having nightmares of no more ‘happy-ever-afters’.
PS: Sod it. Being Julia’ll just have to wait.
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