C L O S E R

2004 BOMB 98 mins.

It's sad that such a wonderful actress like Natalie Portman can go from one of the best films ever made, Garden State, to this, one of the worst films ever made. This film is lacking horribly in the plot department, jumping months of time, thereby leaving the viewer utterly lost. There isn't much of a story to even keep the viewer's interest. There are two couples. They switch partners. They switch back. Yeah, that's about all it can give.

This film is about nothing but sex. There is no attempt to use innuendo. This film is so blatantly sexual that it is hardly funny. This film is the perfect example of how sexual content can be used to excess. However, this film is all talk and no show. If it's going to be about sex, maybe the constant talking should be backed up with some evidence. I'm not saying showing graphic sex scenes, but I'm just saying it should have some sort of visual evidence to back up all of the disgusting, lurid talk that goes on.

And then there is the only message that I could get out of the film. To me, this film says: "You're supposed to cheat on your significant other. Then, you're supposed to lie about it. The truth is a bad thing. Never tell the truth." I'm sorry, but that just does not make a good message.

This film is a 98 minute long waste of celluloid that I hope is thrust into the vaults of Hollywood, never to be looked at again.