ldwarren

Siiiigh.

There are a number of things in the film I should have engaged with, due to my recent past, but I didnt. I read a review of the film previously asking how the audience were supposed to care about such a bunch of unloveable characters and I have to agree.

What else...Jude Law. He is the British Leo DiCaprio, always pretty, always unconvincing. Least Hugh Grant plays on the irony of his postcard-Englishness. Julia Roberts, smug, joyless, why would anyone fall in love with her character; she projects nothing. Natalie Portman's character was written 50% girly-wimp and 50% feisty, impulsive free-spirit - stick to one, she cant be both. I liked Clive Owen, he did what he could and at times his character was really interesting but just as he was building up a good swagger he would be given these self-concious lines and the illusion of reality fades.

The script is awful. It has this quick snappy-dialogue which works in bland sitcoms but eats away at your belief in the story. You want to overload the script with irony and touche-retorts then write an episode of Friends. When people should be getting angry they suddenly stop and hug each other. You've been cheating with me for years...you bastard, wait, give me a hug, that will make me feel better. buh?! The details are tacky - the way Julia "void" Roberts goes about her business as a photographer, merrily snapping away without any care, is totally absurd. For Taxi Driver Robert de Niro drove a taxi on weekends in New York for some time to become natural in it. He did this whilst he was filming in Rome on another film during the week. Julia thought holding the camera the right way up was sufficient. This woman has personally won an oscar, Martin Scorsese has never won one individually..and people say there is a God.

The rant continues...

Natalie "wet blanket" Portman turns away for 2.5 seconds and suddenly whips her head back around to reveal 108 tears on her face (this made me burst out laughing as it reminded me of a Naked Gun/Police Squad moment), Clive "whimpering" Owen gurgling "i love you" to Portman after a dance is cringeful.

Essentially what Im saying is..I didnt like it. But then again when the film you watch before it is this one. then its a hard act to follow:


The pic in my last journal was this film. I bought it for 3 today on DVD, check it out, its an emotional, realistic study of modern relationships. Unlike Closer..


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In other news..Im growing a moustache.