Issue date: 12/1/04 Section: Arts

While Jude Law once showed promise as a young actor in small films like "Gattaca" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley," lately he seems unable to play characters that aren't Jude Law. "Closer," opening Dec. 3 is no exception. The collective brilliance of Julia Roberts and Law's movie stardom, eclipse a potentially revealing and honest film.

Based on a London stage production, "Closer" attempts to take an insightful and revealing look at modern relationships. Some may champion the film as perceptive and biting, but the characters are base, immoral and selfish.

Two couples, the successful and older Clive Owen and Julia Roberts and inexperienced, younger Natalie Portman and Jude Law redefine conventional relationship boundaries.

Despite being responsible for the most vulgar dialogue of the film, Owen as Larry delivers the most enjoyable performance. The scene-stealer gives a dynamic performance, fluctuating from devious, to angry, to funny. He could easily charm the pants off of anyone.

As Alice, Portman proves herself a reliable and endearing actress yet again. Her manipulative, yet vulnerable Alice plays well against Owen's cheeky Larry. Yet Alice's random and charming persona is reminiscent of her equaling endearing character from "Garden State."

However, separating Alice from Sam, is the purposeful infliction of pain on others. Alice the stripper is cunning and crafty, deceiving the entire audience for a minor and pointless surprise ending. A chance encounter between the sprite from New York and London obituary writer, Law, leads to a reckless romance.

Law eventually pens a novel, detailed Alice's past a stripper. While posing for a portrait, Law falls hard and fast for photographer Anna, Roberts.

Roberts and Law carry on an affair, despite their romantic entanglements with Portman and Owen. In a predictable twist, Owen and Portman take to bed in hopes of revenge.

However, when Owen encounters the baby-faced Portman in a strip club, the following private lap dance proves the most entertaining and provocative. Portman sheds her child star image along with her lingerie.

Physical attraction rather than love prevails throughout this movie and is best displayed in this memorable scene.

With ridiculous ease, the characters change beds and partners. Law shows little remorse as Portman breaks down in his arms.
The two have shared a three-year relationship, in which Law has been seeing Roberts for one year. During this time Roberts has married Owen, despite her affair.

While the filmmakers are trying to challenge viewers, they repulse us instead. There is little more than lust tying these four together. Each professes their love, but display very little.

As Portman says in the film, "Where is this love? I can't see it, I can 't touch it, I can't feel it." Audiences will be murmuring the same thing.

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