Review of Closer (2014) by Norm D — 12 Jul 2017

Mike Nichols is the most underrated mainstream director in history. With Closer, he made the definitive portrait of an era film, analyzing 1990s casual dating culture. One of the few films that explored the sublime joy of seduction, along with the dark commentary that conquest isn't always what it promises to be.

What is such a quiet and unpleasant movie like Closer doing on a list otherwise dominated by loud and beautiful art pieces? I actually like Closer just because it is the worst romance movie ever made. There is something brutally honest about the screenplay, written by Patrick Marber, which examines the ugliest perspectives of couples and relationships. Anyone who has ever lived through a bad relationship can relate to one of the four archetypical characters in the film, or at least loathe one of the characters because of their "familiarity" to his/her own ex. Yes, Closer was a little too smart to be realistic (people in America don't really talk this elegantly) but it was the perfect representation for romantic suffering in the modern age. I fell in love with Closer during a time in my life when I found out firsthand out ugly love could be, how cruel people could be, and how such cruelty was nothing more than survival instinct. Mike Nichols is not exactly a visionary, but his films never fail to gouge the heart. Closer is not pleasant to watch and will age you a couple of years, but it's a must-see movie for anyone who has ever fallen from Cloud 9.

What I Learned: Really helped me to grasp that a lot of relationships are screwed up. That no coupling is perfect, and you might have to get a little dirty before you find something real and something worth keeping. I love Patrick Marber's obsessive and hopelessly cynical dialog. Truly a feel-bad movie classic that has inspired more cynical narrative in my own work.