Closer

The journalist Dan writes obituaries for a London newspaper when he meets the American girl Alice by chance, and she inspires him to write a book. In connection with the launch of the book he meets the photographer Anna, but she rejects his advances because he is with Alice. Without meaning to, Dan is the reason Anna meets the dermatologist Larry, whom she marries. Dan and Anna are still attracted to each other, though, so the merry-go-round of love keeps on turning.

Closer is supposed to be a modern romantic drama for an adult audience about mature city dwellers' pursuit of happiness and love, but more than anything the film is banal. The film is not boring, but nor is it especially entertaining, and the dialogue's constant focus on sex and use of dirty words does not shock but exhausts instead. Moreover, the many jumps in time are confusing. Suddenly a year has passed in the characters' lives without any sense of how they got from A to B and from B to C.

The film clearly shows that it is based on a play, with its long scenes with little outward action and lots of dialogue. Unfortunately it never really becomes clear what the author is actually trying to say. In my eyes the main characters behave irresponsibly, selfishly and immaturely with their tendency to throw everything overboard for a fleeting glimpse of what they mistakenly believe to be happiness, but I suspect the author nonetheless thinks more highly of his characters.