Patrick Marber

Mais uma peça/filme que não existiria se todo mundo optasse por poliamor. Rá! Como ela foi inspirada na opera Cosi Fan Tutte de Mozart que por sua vez tem elementos de peças de Shakespeare, então são séculos de danças das cadeiras amorosas para nos identificarmos.
Closer do Mike Nichols foi um dos meus filmes favoritos que vi no cinema nos anos 2000 e esse ano completa 20 anos, Nichols tem uma carreira cheia de grandes obras, mas Closer terá sempre um lugar especial no meu show more coração. O filme é bastante fiel à peça, com exceção do final, o qual gosto mais o do filme, porém o texto inteligentíssimo do Marber se evidencia mesmo sem estar encenado e é um dos mais potentes em se tratando de teatro dos últimos 30 anos. show less

Very much a play of its time (especially the rise of the In-Yer-Face theatrical movement of the 90s) but still fresh and interesting today. Veering between witty and heartbreaking, Closer analyses the human relationships and how something so intimate and beautiful as sex and love can ultimately be as destructive and painful as hate. I'm amazed by Marber's ability to create such well rounded and ultimately sympathetic characters who are so loathsome, selfish and frequently vulgar (the show more profanities are so wonderfully quotable, but probably not in polite conversation!). It's an extremely cynical piece but one committed to its message, something I find so refreshing. Definitely not for everyone though. It's easy to see where the accusations of coldness come from. Check out the movie, it's an extremely honest and well acted adaptation. show less

Closer" is a heavyweight breathtaking drama that rivets the viewer's attention. The characters are not entirely likable, although each is eminently watchable. Director Mike Nichols won the Oscar for Best Director for "The Graduate" in 1967 and has been nominated 3 other times for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966), "Silkwood" (1983), & "Working Girl" (1988). Along with films like "Primary Colors" and the TV mini-series "Angels in America," he has an unparalleled ear for dialogue. No, show more it's not particularly pleasant. No, these are not the people your pastor hopes you will be. But each of these characters represent needs and desires that are shared by most people and are as confused by them as are many. Patrick Marber's screenplay adaptation of his stage drama is heart-wrenchingly truthful.

Of the four strong performances here, the most revelatory for me was Julia Roberts' portrayal of American photographer Anna living in London. She is selfish but has a conscience. She takes what she wants, but tries not to admit to it. In the scene with Larry where she breaks up her marriage, it is some of the best screen time of her career. When Larry grills her on the details of her sexual relationship with Dan, her zinger about the taste of his semen, "It's like yours only sweeter" is like a bullet shot from a gun. It recalls the Elizabeth Taylor line in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," "You can take it; you married me for it." It is utterly fearless and brilliant. What a raw amazing performance!

As Dan, Jude Law turns is an edgy self-effacing performance that adds to his reputation as one of the great young actors. His scenes with Natalie Portman are enhanced by their similar pairing in "Cold Mountain." On camera, Law is magnetic. As Dan, the writer of the newspaper obituary column, he turns the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Clive Owen is amazing as the strong less-than-sensitive type. His internet sex dialogues with Jude Law's Dan posing as Anna on the computer are as intense as they are manipulated. When he sits in the aquarium with Anna and with tremendous embarrassment learns the truth, he admits, "He certainly can write!" In the scene with Julia Roberts he bellows "I'm a caveman." It seems to typify the heart of "Closer," investigating these very primal sexual urges we have and how they interweave with the emotional attachments we call "love." Owen was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this role and won the Golden Globe Award.

As Alice, Natalie Portman turns in an amazing performance. Her character seems somewhat beyond reach, but she works the territory masterfully, exploring each need and nuance as if it were a beautiful discovery. Portman was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar and also won the Golden Globe Award.

Damien Rice's song "The Blower's Daughter" is an interesting DVD extra with that riveting chorus, "Can't take my eyes off of you." It's the perfect love song for this film, part pure love and part compulsive addiction. Mike Nichols has worked with an excellent cast and polished this dialogue to perfection. The rhythms build and twist and the lovers attract, repel, trust and betray. It does not so much build to an inevitable conclusion so much as it feels like we've followed the characters through a very intense period of life. This is a film that will be watched and discussed for decades. Bravo! [from Amazon] show less

Unfortunately this was promoted as a sort of xxx sex comedy of the type you go to by mistake at a Fringe festival where you end up in the wrong tent; somehow the fact that the one you walked into was shaped like a giant phallus didn't register. We almost didn't go, which would have been an error. Fortunately I trusted my gut which said Patrick Marber's a solid citizen and Megan Dansie, the director of this particular staging at the University of Adelaide, is very serious about her work. She show more does a great Shakespeare. Consider this a chaser.

It was well worth going to and is to be recommended. That said, I could imagine it would be easy to do it badly. Anybody else seen it? Thoughts? show less