Closer (2004)
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A complex web of infidelity and deception unfolds among four people in London.
The story
During a busy morning in central London, writer Dan Woolf meets a beautiful American woman, Alice Ayres, after she is hit by a car. Their initial encounter leads to a burgeoning connection. One year later, Dan has written a novel based on Alice's life and meets a photographer, Anna Cameron. As the characters navigate their overlapping lives and desires, the boundaries of their relationships become increasingly blurred. The narrative explores the complexities of intimacy and the consequences of the choices they make in the face of attraction and deception.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After meeting Alice Ayres following a car accident in London, writer Dan Woolf becomes obsessed with her. A year later, while promoting a novel based on her life, Dan flirts with photographer Anna Cameron. They eventually begin a clandestine affair that lasts a year, even after Anna marries Larry Gray. Amidst this web of lies, Dan also engages in a cybersex relationship with Larry, pretending to be Anna. The truth eventually surfaces, leading to a series of betrayals: Anna and Dan leave their partners for each other, while Alice's true identity as Jane Jones is revealed to be a secret she kept from Dan but shared with Larry. The film concludes with a final confrontation between Dan and Alice, and a revelation that Alice's identity was a fabrication, while Dan discovers her name on a memorial in London.
- First release year
- 2004
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mike Nichols
- Writers
- Patrick Marber · writer
- Cast and characters
- Julia Roberts · Anna Cameron; Jude Law · Daniel "Dan" Woolf; Natalie Portman · Alice Ayres / Jane Jones; Clive Owen · Larry Gray
- Genres
- romantic drama; erotic drama
- Themes
- infidelity; deception; identity
- Tone and mood
- intense; erotic
- Premise and plot tags
- romance; drama; based on a play
- Source material / true-story basis
- Patrick Marber's 1997 play
- Content notes
- erotic
- Reception
- The film received favorable reviews and was noted for its strong performances and direction.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 67% · scale: percentage · review count: 207; Metacritic · score: 65 · scale: 100 · review count: 42
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · nomination · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film is inspired by the opera Così fan tutte.; Cate Blanchett was originally cast as Anna.; The band Panic! at the Disco used quotes from the film in their debut album.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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