Closer (2004)

Four people, a few years, and almost nobody in Closer says a kind thing without an angle. Mike Nichols films Patrick Marber’s play like a series of sharp little ambushes, and the time jumps skip every happy stretch, so you only see couples forming and couples coming apart. It’s honest and exhausting, and by the end it’s hard to root for anyone. The craft is excellent, though. Clive Owen is the standout as Larry, a man who starts out awkward and turns into the most dangerous talker in the room. Natalie Portman gives Alice a guarded sadness behind the bright smile. Jude Law plays Dan as charming and weak in equal parts, a writer who keeps borrowing other people’s lives. Julia Roberts is the coolest of the four, a photographer who watches everything and commits to nothing. Every argument cuts. It made $116.7 million worldwide on a reported $27M. A 6.8 because the acting is surgical and the people are hard to spend time with. $974 says you reread your last few texts tonight looking for a hidden insult.

What works: Clive Owen and Natalie Portman are outstanding, and the dialogue is sharp enough to make every scene feel like a duel.

What doesn’t: Nearly every character is cold or cruel, and the time jumps skip the warm parts, so it’s hard to care who ends up with whom.

Who it’s for: Grown-ups who love talky stage adaptations and don’t need anyone on screen to be likable.