View From The Couch

CLOSER (2004). How much one enjoys Closer fully depends on how charitable one feels toward the four characters at the center of Mike Nichols’ lacerating film. These men and women, originally created by scripter Patrick Marber for his stage play of the same name, are alternately petty, vicious, narcissistic, perverse, illogical and frustrating. Viewers not interested in shifting through the rubble of these people’s immorality in an effort to locate some common truths will have no use for this picture, surely the most divisive film about modern relations since Eyes Wide Shut. Others willing to dig deeper in an attempt to understand (if not always empathize with) these recognizably flawed human beings will be rewarded not only with some choice dialogue and a quartet of finely etched portrayals but also with a heady buzz that will remain long after the movie’s over. Set in London, the movie centers on two British males and two American females – all strangers when the story opens. Dan (Jude Law) is a caddish obituary writer who falls for sweet-natured stripper Alice (Oscar nominee Natalie Portman); Anna (Julia Roberts) is a moody photographer who ends up attached to dermatologist Larry (Clive Owen, also Oscar-nominated). With time jumps that will catch the daydreaming viewer off guard, the film tracks their evolving – or should that be devolving? – relationships, as Dan chases Anna, Larry sniffs around Alice, and all four characters take the notion of “brutal honesty” to such an extreme that their words suddenly qualify as deadly weapons. Many will criticize the film because the characters’ motivations don’t always make sense and their actions aren’t often in their own best interests. And that differs from real life exactly how? The only extras on the DVD are nine theatrical trailers and the music video for Damien Rice’s “The Blower’s Daughter.”

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1/2

KAGEMUSHA (THE SHADOW WARRIOR) (1980). As was the case with Orson Welles and several other great directors throughout film history, Akira Kurosawa often found it difficult to receive financing for his movies – never mind that he was already acknowledged as a world-class filmmaker for such early classics as Rashomon and The Seven Samurai. But the fact that Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas were both huge admirers proved fortuitous, as their clout made it possible for the legendary director to secure funds for this sprawling epic. Running a full three hours, this ambitious undertaking focuses on a 16th century crook (Tatsuya Nakadai) whose likeness to the powerful warlord Shingen Takeda is so striking, he’s ordered to serve as his body double. But when the warlord is killed, the thief must convince everyone that he’s the real Shingen in an effort to prevent other armies from discovering the truth and taking advantage of the moment. Kagemusha was Kurosawa’s first large-scale effort in quite some time, and the rust occasionally shows. It’s best, then, to view the picture as a warm-up for the director’s subsequent epic production, the undisputed masterpiece Ran. Extras in the two-disc DVD set include audio commentary by author Stephen Prince (The Warrior’s Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa), a 48-page booklet, a documentary on the making of the film, a discussion with Coppola and Lucas on their involvement as executive producers, and a series of Suntory Whiskey commercials featuring Kurosawa on the set of the film.

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VERA DRAKE (2004). If you missed the recent run of Vera Drake at the Manor Theatre, then take comfort that the movie is just now making its home video debut. Writer-director Mike Leigh’s films can often be tagged as mellow melodramas – works that illustrate humankind’s emotional whiplashes without feeling the need to either sentimentalize or sensationalize them – and this recent Oscar nominee for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress follows suit. Imelda Staunton portrays the title character, a saintly housekeeper in 1950s England who performs abortions on the side. Vera views it strictly as a humanitarian gesture – she doesn’t even accept payment for her services – but since the law doesn’t share her benevolent outlook (abortions would remain illegal in that country for another decade), this frail woman suddenly finds herself Public Enemy Number One. Leigh’s greatest asset as a storyteller is his honesty, his willingness to toss matters out into the open and let audience members draw their own conclusions. So while it’s safe to say that Leigh stands behind Vera, he also refuses to turn her into a martyr. Abortion has been a divisive issue for a long time now, and Vera Drake honors that struggle by refusing to cheapen the debate. The only extras on the DVD are theatrical trailers.

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