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Closer (film)
Encyclopedia
Closer is a 2004 romantic drama film written by Patrick Marber
, based on his award-winning 1997 play of the same name
. It was produced and directed by Mike Nichols
and stars Natalie Portman
, Julia Roberts
, Jude Law
and Clive Owen
. The film, like the play on which it is based, has been seen by some as a modern and tragic version of Mozart
's opera Così fan tutte
, with references to that opera in both the plot and the soundtrack. Owen starred in the play as Dan, the role assumed by Law in the film.
The film was recognized with a number of awards and nominations, including Oscar
nominations and Golden Globe wins for both Portman and Owen for their performances in supporting roles.
) and a young man (Jude Law
) see each other for the first time from opposite sides of a street in London
. The girl looks in the wrong direction as she crosses the street and is hit by a taxicab right in front of the young man. He rushes over; she smiles at him and says, "hello, stranger". He takes her to a hospital, where she is treated and released. Afterward, on the way to his office, they stop by Postman's Park
. Here they introduce each other: she is 20 years old and has just arrived in London
from the United States
where she had been stripping
for a living; he's Dan Woolf, an unsuccessful aspiring British
writer who is on his way to work, where he writes obituaries
for a national newspaper. Before he leaves her and goes to work, he asks her for her name and she answers Alice Ayres. They soon start a relationship. A year later, Dan is straying. He has written a novel based on Alice's life and while being photographed to publicize it, he flirts with the American photographer Anna Cameron (Julia Roberts
). Anna shares a kiss with Dan before finding out that Dan and Alice are in a relationship. Alice arrives and borrows Anna's bathroom, leaving Anna and Dan alone again. Dan takes the chance to try to persuade Anna into having an affair with him, but is cut short by Alice's return. Alice asks Anna if she can have her portrait taken as well. Anna agrees and Alice asks Dan to leave them alone during the photo shooting. While being photographed, she reveals to Anna that she overheard them, and is photographed weeping. Alice does not reveal what she overheard to Dan, even as he spends a year stalking
Anna, who resists.
Another year later, Dan enters a cybersex
chat room
and randomly meets Larry Gray (Clive Owen
), a British dermatologist
. With Anna still on his mind, Dan pretends to be her, and using the pretense that they will be having sex, Dan convinces Larry to meet at the aquarium (where Anna told Dan she often went). Larry goes to the meeting place where by coincidence Anna is. Feeling foolish, Larry apologizes but is confused by the situation. Anna tells Larry that a man who had pursued her, Dan, was most likely to blame for the setup. Soon, Anna and Larry become a couple and they refer to Dan as "Cupid
" as their inside joke. Four months later, at Anna's photo exhibition, Larry meets Alice, whom he recognizes from the tearful photograph that is one of many being exhibited. Larry knows that Alice and Dan are a couple from talking to Anna and they flirt. Meanwhile, Dan convinces Anna to become involved with him. A year passes, and Dan and Anna have been cheating on their partners with one another, even though Anna got married to Larry during the affair. Dan and Anna both decide to confess to Alice and Larry and are prepared to leave to be with one another. Larry confesses he had slept with a woman on his business trip, only to find out Anna has been having an affair. As Larry and Anna argue she reveals that she thought he would hit her when he found out - something Larry takes offense to. Alice leaves Dan without telling him anything about where she is going.
Alice goes back to stripping to support herself while staying in London, being still in love with Dan. One day, Larry runs into her accidentally at the strip club and realizes that he knows her, even though she is wearing a pink wig. He asks her if her name is Alice, knowing full well who she is, but no matter how much money he gives her, she keeps telling him her name is "Jane Jones." He asks her to come home with him so he can look after her, but she refuses. The line of questioning becomes pornographic, albeit without any explicit nudity
, when Larry asks Alice, "what does your cunt
taste like?" Alice replies with a smile, "heaven
". Larry then demands, "Alice, tell me something true". Alice replies, "lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off...but it's better if you do". The full irony
of Alice's response is not apparent until the conclusion of the film. On the other hand, after four months living together with Dan, Anna meets Larry again to obtain divorce; Larry tries to convince her to come back with him, but she refuses, so he refuses in turn to sign for divorce unless she makes love with him for the last time, and Anna accepts. Once back home, Dan asks Anna about her meeting with Larry and understands what's happened; unable to forgive her, he breaks up the relationship.
A year or so later, Dan goes to Larry's office, asking him to let Anna come back to him, as she is now with Larry again. The office that Larry and Anna had sex in is now fully furnished and Larry is successful with his private practice. He tells Dan that Anna secretly doesn't want to be happy, and that she never turned the signed divorce papers in to her lawyer. Larry says to Dan love needs compromise and suggests to him that he try to get Alice back, but Dan doesn't know where she actually is. Larry tells him not only where to find Alice, but also that he and Alice had sex. Alice takes Dan back and she decides to take them both to America as a surprise vacation. They get a hotel room near Heathrow Airport, happy to be back together. Alice notes that four years ago today is the day when they first met on that London street. They reminisce, then Dan can't help himself and asks her whether she had a one-night stand with Larry, which she initially denies. When he insists on the truth, she suddenly tells him that she doesn't love him anymore and goes on to say that she did have sex with Larry that night he found her working at the strip club. Dan then reveals that Larry had already told him about the one-night stand but that he's already forgiven her. She is angry that he tricked her and insists that it's over and tells him to leave. He refuses, but she tells him that if he doesn't go voluntarily she will call security. He does not believe this, and so she picks up the phone. He grabs her arm and questions her angrily about why she slept with Larry. She eventually says it's because Dan wasn't there, they continue to argue, and she spits in his face. Dan almost hits her but refrains. She encourages him to hit her and he does. She looks at him in shock.
After Dan hits her, Alice returns to New York alone. Passing through the immigration checkpoint on her way back into the United States, it is revealed through a shot of her passport
that her name is indeed Jane Rachel Jones (the name she had given Larry in the strip club) and that she had lied about her name for the duration of her four-year relationship with Dan. Back in London, Dan returns to Postman's Park. To his surprise, he notices the name "Alice Ayres
" on a tile that is dedicated to a girl "who by intrepid
conduct" and at the cost of her young life saved three children. The final scene shows Alice/Jane walking on Broadway towards W 47th St
, approaching a red "do not walk" pedestrian light; with passers-by staring at her, stunned at her beauty. A scene symmetrical with the opening scene, where Alice/Jane and Dan are staring at each other on the streets of London.
and on location in London
.
's opera Così fan tutte
, with references to that opera in both the plot and the soundtrack. The soundtrack also contains songs from Jem
, Damien Rice
and Lisa Hannigan
, Bebel Gilberto
, The Devlins
, Prodigy
and The Smiths
.
The music of Irish
folk
singer Damien Rice
is featured in the film, most notably the song "The Blower's Daughter," whose lyrics drew many parallels with the themes present in the film. The opening notes from Rice's song "Cold Water" are also used repeatedly, notably in the memorial park scenes. Rice wrote a song titled "Closer" which was intended for use in the film but was not completed in time.
shows a 69% positive rating based on 188 reviews. Another review aggregator, Metacritic
, shows a 65% positive rating based on 42 reviews. Roger Ebert
, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times
, said of the people involved with the film, "[t]hey are all so very articulate, which is refreshing in a time when literate and evocative speech has been devalued in the movies." Peter Travers, writing for Rolling Stone
, said, "Mike Nichols’ haunting, hypnotic Closer vibrates with eroticism, bruising laughs and dynamite performances from four attractive actors doing decidedly unattractive things." Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times
wrote, "[d]espite involved acting and Nichols' impeccable professionalism as a director, the end result is, to quote one of the characters, a bunch of sad strangers photographed beautifully." The New York Times
’ A.O. Scott wrote, "[u]nlike most movie love stories, Closer does have the virtue of unpredictability. The problem is that, while parts are provocative and forceful, the film as a whole collapses into a welter of misplaced intensity."
, but theater count was increased after the film was released. The film was domestically a moderate financial success, grossing $33,987,757. Huge success followed in the international market, where the film grossed an additional $81,517,270, accounting for over 70% of its worldwide gross, which turned to $115,505,027. The film was produced on a budget of US$27 million.
The film won the following awards:
The film was nominated for the following awards:
in 2005 and Blu-ray
on May 22, 2007.
Patrick Marber
Patrick Albert Crispin Marber is an English comedian, playwright, director, puppeteer, actor and screenwriter.-Early life and education:...
, based on his award-winning 1997 play of the same name
Closer (play)
Closer is the third play written by English playwright Patrick Marber. The play was premiered at the Royal National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre in London in 1997, and made its North American debut at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway on 25 January 1999....
. It was produced and directed by Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols is a German-born American television, stage and film director, writer, producer and comedian. He began his career in the 1950s as one half of the comedy duo Nichols and May, along with Elaine May. In 1968 he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film The Graduate...
and stars Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman
Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
, Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
, Jude Law
Jude Law
David Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989...
and Clive Owen
Clive Owen
Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991...
. The film, like the play on which it is based, has been seen by some as a modern and tragic version of Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's opera Così fan tutte
Così fan tutte
Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti K. 588, is an opera buffa by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart first performed in 1790. The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte....
, with references to that opera in both the plot and the soundtrack. Owen starred in the play as Dan, the role assumed by Law in the film.
The film was recognized with a number of awards and nominations, including Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nominations and Golden Globe wins for both Portman and Owen for their performances in supporting roles.
Plot
In the opening scene, a girl (Natalie PortmanNatalie Portman
Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
) and a young man (Jude Law
Jude Law
David Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989...
) see each other for the first time from opposite sides of a street in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The girl looks in the wrong direction as she crosses the street and is hit by a taxicab right in front of the young man. He rushes over; she smiles at him and says, "hello, stranger". He takes her to a hospital, where she is treated and released. Afterward, on the way to his office, they stop by Postman's Park
Postman's Park
Postman's Park is a park in central London, a short distance north of St Paul's Cathedral. Bordered by Little Britain, Aldersgate Street, King Edward Street, and the site of the former head office of the General Post Office , it is one of the largest parks in the City of London, the walled city...
. Here they introduce each other: she is 20 years old and has just arrived in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where she had been stripping
Stripper
A stripper is a professional erotic dancer who performs a contemporary form of striptease at strip club establishments, public exhibitions, and private engagements. Unlike in burlesque, the performer in the modern Americanized form of stripping minimizes the interaction of customer and dancer,...
for a living; he's Dan Woolf, an unsuccessful aspiring British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
writer who is on his way to work, where he writes obituaries
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
for a national newspaper. Before he leaves her and goes to work, he asks her for her name and she answers Alice Ayres. They soon start a relationship. A year later, Dan is straying. He has written a novel based on Alice's life and while being photographed to publicize it, he flirts with the American photographer Anna Cameron (Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
). Anna shares a kiss with Dan before finding out that Dan and Alice are in a relationship. Alice arrives and borrows Anna's bathroom, leaving Anna and Dan alone again. Dan takes the chance to try to persuade Anna into having an affair with him, but is cut short by Alice's return. Alice asks Anna if she can have her portrait taken as well. Anna agrees and Alice asks Dan to leave them alone during the photo shooting. While being photographed, she reveals to Anna that she overheard them, and is photographed weeping. Alice does not reveal what she overheard to Dan, even as he spends a year stalking
Stalker
-In media:* Stalker , a 1995 dark ambient album by Lustmord & Robert Rich, inspired by the film* Stalker , an episode of the American television series CSI...
Anna, who resists.
Another year later, Dan enters a cybersex
Cybersex
Cybersex, also called computer sex, Internet sex, netsex, mudsex, TinySex and, colloquially, cybering, is a virtual sex encounter in which two or more persons connected remotely via computer network send each other sexually explicit messages describing a sexual experience...
chat room
Chat room
The term chat room, or chatroom, is primarily used by mass media to describe any form of synchronous conferencing, occasionally even asynchronous conferencing...
and randomly meets Larry Gray (Clive Owen
Clive Owen
Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991...
), a British dermatologist
Dermatology
Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin and its diseases, a unique specialty with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist takes care of diseases, in the widest sense, and some cosmetic problems of the skin, scalp, hair, and nails....
. With Anna still on his mind, Dan pretends to be her, and using the pretense that they will be having sex, Dan convinces Larry to meet at the aquarium (where Anna told Dan she often went). Larry goes to the meeting place where by coincidence Anna is. Feeling foolish, Larry apologizes but is confused by the situation. Anna tells Larry that a man who had pursued her, Dan, was most likely to blame for the setup. Soon, Anna and Larry become a couple and they refer to Dan as "Cupid
Cupid
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
" as their inside joke. Four months later, at Anna's photo exhibition, Larry meets Alice, whom he recognizes from the tearful photograph that is one of many being exhibited. Larry knows that Alice and Dan are a couple from talking to Anna and they flirt. Meanwhile, Dan convinces Anna to become involved with him. A year passes, and Dan and Anna have been cheating on their partners with one another, even though Anna got married to Larry during the affair. Dan and Anna both decide to confess to Alice and Larry and are prepared to leave to be with one another. Larry confesses he had slept with a woman on his business trip, only to find out Anna has been having an affair. As Larry and Anna argue she reveals that she thought he would hit her when he found out - something Larry takes offense to. Alice leaves Dan without telling him anything about where she is going.
Alice goes back to stripping to support herself while staying in London, being still in love with Dan. One day, Larry runs into her accidentally at the strip club and realizes that he knows her, even though she is wearing a pink wig. He asks her if her name is Alice, knowing full well who she is, but no matter how much money he gives her, she keeps telling him her name is "Jane Jones." He asks her to come home with him so he can look after her, but she refuses. The line of questioning becomes pornographic, albeit without any explicit nudity
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
, when Larry asks Alice, "what does your cunt
Cunt
Cunt is a vulgarism, primarily referring to the female genitalia, specifically the vulva, and including the cleft of Venus. The earliest citation of this usage in the 1972 Oxford English Dictionary, c 1230, refers to the London street known as Gropecunt Lane...
taste like?" Alice replies with a smile, "heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
". Larry then demands, "Alice, tell me something true". Alice replies, "lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off...but it's better if you do". The full irony
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
of Alice's response is not apparent until the conclusion of the film. On the other hand, after four months living together with Dan, Anna meets Larry again to obtain divorce; Larry tries to convince her to come back with him, but she refuses, so he refuses in turn to sign for divorce unless she makes love with him for the last time, and Anna accepts. Once back home, Dan asks Anna about her meeting with Larry and understands what's happened; unable to forgive her, he breaks up the relationship.
A year or so later, Dan goes to Larry's office, asking him to let Anna come back to him, as she is now with Larry again. The office that Larry and Anna had sex in is now fully furnished and Larry is successful with his private practice. He tells Dan that Anna secretly doesn't want to be happy, and that she never turned the signed divorce papers in to her lawyer. Larry says to Dan love needs compromise and suggests to him that he try to get Alice back, but Dan doesn't know where she actually is. Larry tells him not only where to find Alice, but also that he and Alice had sex. Alice takes Dan back and she decides to take them both to America as a surprise vacation. They get a hotel room near Heathrow Airport, happy to be back together. Alice notes that four years ago today is the day when they first met on that London street. They reminisce, then Dan can't help himself and asks her whether she had a one-night stand with Larry, which she initially denies. When he insists on the truth, she suddenly tells him that she doesn't love him anymore and goes on to say that she did have sex with Larry that night he found her working at the strip club. Dan then reveals that Larry had already told him about the one-night stand but that he's already forgiven her. She is angry that he tricked her and insists that it's over and tells him to leave. He refuses, but she tells him that if he doesn't go voluntarily she will call security. He does not believe this, and so she picks up the phone. He grabs her arm and questions her angrily about why she slept with Larry. She eventually says it's because Dan wasn't there, they continue to argue, and she spits in his face. Dan almost hits her but refrains. She encourages him to hit her and he does. She looks at him in shock.
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
that her name is indeed Jane Rachel Jones (the name she had given Larry in the strip club) and that she had lied about her name for the duration of her four-year relationship with Dan. Back in London, Dan returns to Postman's Park. To his surprise, he notices the name "Alice Ayres
Alice Ayres
Alice Ayres was an English nursemaid honoured for her bravery in rescuing the children in her care from a house fire. Ayres was a household assistant and nursemaid to the family of her brother-in-law and sister, Henry and Mary Ann Chandler...
" on a tile that is dedicated to a girl "who by intrepid
Intrepid
Intrepid can refer to:intrepid [ɪnˈtrɛpɪd]adjfearless; daring; bold [from Latin intrepidus, from in-1 + trepidus fearful, timid]intrepidity , intrepidness nintrepidly adv- People and organizations :...
conduct" and at the cost of her young life saved three children. The final scene shows Alice/Jane walking on Broadway towards W 47th St
47th Street (Manhattan)
47th Street is an east-west running street between First Avenue and the West Side Highway in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Traffic runs one way along the street, from east to west, starting at the United Nations Headquarters....
, approaching a red "do not walk" pedestrian light; with passers-by staring at her, stunned at her beauty. A scene symmetrical with the opening scene, where Alice/Jane and Dan are staring at each other on the streets of London.
Cast
- Julia RobertsJulia RobertsJulia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
as Anna Cameron - Jude LawJude LawDavid Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989...
as Dan Woolf - Natalie PortmanNatalie PortmanNatalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
as Alice Ayres/Jane Jones - Clive OwenClive OwenClive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991...
as Larry Gray - Nick Hobbs as taxi driver
- Colin StintonColin StintonColin Stinton is a Canadian-born actor who immigrated to the United States in 1952, and now lives in London. He often portrays fictional American politicians, lawyers and government agents. He recently played Neal Daniels in The Bourne Ultimatum...
as customs officer
Filming
Closer was filmed at Elstree Film and Television StudiosElstree Studios
"Elstree Studios" refers to any of several film studios that were based in the towns of Borehamwood and Elstree in Hertfordshire, England, since film production begun in 1927.-Name:...
and on location in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Music
The main theme of the film follows MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's opera Così fan tutte
Così fan tutte
Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti K. 588, is an opera buffa by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart first performed in 1790. The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte....
, with references to that opera in both the plot and the soundtrack. The soundtrack also contains songs from Jem
Jem (singer)
Jemma Griffiths , better known as Jem, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her debut album, Finally Woken, includes elements of rock, new wave-styled electronica and trip-hop...
, Damien Rice
Damien Rice
Damien Rice is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion....
and Lisa Hannigan
Lisa Hannigan
Lisa Margaret Hannigan is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. For several years she was a member of Damien Rice's band before beginning her solo career in 2008. She has been the recipient of various award nominations and critical praise both in Ireland and the USA...
, Bebel Gilberto
Bebel Gilberto
Bebel Gilberto is a Brazilian popular singer often associated with bossa nova. She is the daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha. Her uncle is singer/composer Chico Buarque...
, The Devlins
The Devlins
The Devlins are an alternative rock band originating from Dublin, Ireland. Their most recognized songs are Waiting, featured in remix form on the 2002 Six Feet Under soundtrack, but originally from their 1997 release Waiting; and World Outside, which was included in the 2004 drama Closer and also...
, Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
and The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
.
The music of Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer Damien Rice
Damien Rice
Damien Rice is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion....
is featured in the film, most notably the song "The Blower's Daughter," whose lyrics drew many parallels with the themes present in the film. The opening notes from Rice's song "Cold Water" are also used repeatedly, notably in the memorial park scenes. Rice wrote a song titled "Closer" which was intended for use in the film but was not completed in time.
Critical reaction
The film received generally positive reviews from critics. The review summary site Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
shows a 69% positive rating based on 188 reviews. Another review aggregator, Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, shows a 65% positive rating based on 42 reviews. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, said of the people involved with the film, "[t]hey are all so very articulate, which is refreshing in a time when literate and evocative speech has been devalued in the movies." Peter Travers, writing for Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, said, "Mike Nichols’ haunting, hypnotic Closer vibrates with eroticism, bruising laughs and dynamite performances from four attractive actors doing decidedly unattractive things." Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
wrote, "[d]espite involved acting and Nichols' impeccable professionalism as a director, the end result is, to quote one of the characters, a bunch of sad strangers photographed beautifully." The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
’ A.O. Scott wrote, "[u]nlike most movie love stories, Closer does have the virtue of unpredictability. The problem is that, while parts are provocative and forceful, the film as a whole collapses into a welter of misplaced intensity."
Box office
The film was released on December 3, 2004 in North America. Closer opened in limited releaseLimited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
, but theater count was increased after the film was released. The film was domestically a moderate financial success, grossing $33,987,757. Huge success followed in the international market, where the film grossed an additional $81,517,270, accounting for over 70% of its worldwide gross, which turned to $115,505,027. The film was produced on a budget of US$27 million.
Awards and nominations
The film won the following awards:
| Year | Award | Category – Winner(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | BAFTA Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Clive Owen Clive Owen Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991... |
| 2005 | Golden Globes | Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Clive Owen Clive Owen Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991... |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Natalie Portman Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel... |
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| 2005 | Las Vegas Film Critics Society Las Vegas Film Critics Society The Las Vegas Film Critics Society is a non-profit organization, composed of selected print, television and internet film critics in the Las Vegas metropolitan area.... |
Best Supporting Actor – Clive Owen Clive Owen Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991... |
| 2004 | National Board of Review National Board of Review Awards 2004 The 76th National Board of Review Awards, honoring the best in film for 2004, were given on 1 December 2004.-Top 10 films:#Finding Neverland#The Aviator#Closer#Million Dollar Baby #Sideways#Kinsey... |
Best Acting by an Ensemble – Jude Law Jude Law David Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989... , Clive Owen Clive Owen Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991... , Natalie Portman Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel... and Julia Roberts Julia Roberts Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide... |
| 2004 | New York Film Critics Circle New York Film Critics Circle Awards 2004 The 70th New York Film Critics Circle Awards, honoring the best in film for 2004, were given in December 2004 by the New York Film Critics Circle.Sideways won 3 awards: Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress... |
Best Supporting Actor – Clive Owen Clive Owen Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991... |
| 2004 | San Diego Film Critics Society San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2004 The 9th San Diego Film Critics Society Awards, given by the San Diego Film Critics Society, honored the best in film for 2004.-Winners:*Best Actor:**Jim Carrey - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind*Best Actress:**Imelda Staunton - Vera Drake... |
Best Supporting Actress – Natalie Portman Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel... |
| 2004 | Toronto Film Critics Association Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2004 The 8th Toronto Film Critics Association Awards, honoring the best in film for 2004, were held on 16 December 2004.-Winners:*Best Actor:**Paul Giamatti – Sideways*Best Actress:**Imelda Staunton – Vera Drake... |
Best Supporting Actor, Male – Clive Owen Clive Owen Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991... |
The film was nominated for the following awards:
| Year | Award | Category – Nominee(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Academy Awards Academy Awards An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers... |
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Clive Owen Clive Owen Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991... |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Natalie Portman Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel... |
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| 2005 | American Screenwriters Association The American Screenwriters Association The American Screenwriters Association is a professional association organized for educational purposes, including the promotion and encouragement of the art and craft of screenwriting.... |
Discover Screenwriting Award Discover Screenwriting Award 2004 The 4th Discover Screenwriting Award, given by the American Screenwriters Association, honored the best screenwriter of 2004.Discover Screenwriting Award:*Paul Haggis - Million Dollar Baby**David Magee - Finding Neverland... – Patrick Marber Patrick Marber Patrick Albert Crispin Marber is an English comedian, playwright, director, puppeteer, actor and screenwriter.-Early life and education:... |
| 2005 | BAFTA Awards | Best Screenplay – Adapted – Patrick Marber Patrick Marber Patrick Albert Crispin Marber is an English comedian, playwright, director, puppeteer, actor and screenwriter.-Early life and education:... |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Natalie Portman Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel... |
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| 2005 | Broadcast Film Critics Association Broadcast Film Critics Association The Broadcast Film Critics Association is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada , representing approximately 250 television, radio and online critics.... |
Best Acting Ensemble – Jude Law Jude Law David Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989... , Clive Owen Clive Owen Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991... , Natalie Portman Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel... , and Julia Roberts Julia Roberts Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide... |
| Best Supporting Actor – Clive Owen Clive Owen Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991... |
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| Best Supporting Actress – Natalie Portman Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel... |
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| 2005 | Golden Globes | Best Director – Motion Picture – Mike Nichols Mike Nichols Mike Nichols is a German-born American television, stage and film director, writer, producer and comedian. He began his career in the 1950s as one half of the comedy duo Nichols and May, along with Elaine May. In 1968 he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film The Graduate... |
| Best Motion Picture – Drama | ||
| Best Screenplay – Motion Picture – Patrick Marber Patrick Marber Patrick Albert Crispin Marber is an English comedian, playwright, director, puppeteer, actor and screenwriter.-Early life and education:... |
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| 2005 | Online Film Critics Society Online Film Critics Society The Online Film Critics Society is a professional association for film critics who publish their reviews, interviews, and essays on the Internet.The OFCS was founded in 1997... |
Best Screenplay, Adapted – Patrick Marber Patrick Marber Patrick Albert Crispin Marber is an English comedian, playwright, director, puppeteer, actor and screenwriter.-Early life and education:... |
| Best Supporting Actor – Clive Owen Clive Owen Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991... |
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| Best Supporting Actress – Natalie Portman Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel... |
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| 2005 | Satellite Award Golden Satellite Awards 2004 The 9th Golden Satellite Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 2004, were presented by the International Press Academy on January 23, 2005.-Best Actor - Drama: Don Cheadle - Hotel Rwanda*Kevin Bacon - The Woodsman... |
Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Drama – Clive Owen Clive Owen Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991... |
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Drama – Natalie Portman Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel... |
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| Best Film Editing – John Bloom John Bloom (film editor) John Bloom is a British film editor with nearly fifty film credits commencing with the 1960 film, The Impersonator. He is the brother of actress Claire Bloom.... and Antonia Van Drimmelen |
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| Best Screenplay, Adapted – Patrick Marber Patrick Marber Patrick Albert Crispin Marber is an English comedian, playwright, director, puppeteer, actor and screenwriter.-Early life and education:... |
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| 2005 | Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... |
Choice Movie Actress: Drama – Natalie Portman Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel... |
Home media
Closer was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in 2005 and Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
on May 22, 2007.