Closer (2004)

Relationships, as any therapist will tell you at a cost of $135 an hour, are hard. A couple, to stay together, must construct and adhere to a complex structure of honesty, half-truths, and outright delusions. The two intersecting couples of Closer (2004), through no fault or merit of their own, manage to pin themselves into emotional corners. The only way out is to take apart the very system of beliefs that they have relied upon to sustain them, as individuals and in their pairings. Passion, rage, lust, tenderness, betrayal, acceptance, and ultimately love are the keys to a truth that is just as likely to imprison as it is to set free. Adapted for the screen from a play by Patrick Marber, Closer contains fireworks that—though largely internal—make for lingering special effects. For the flesh fiend viewers out there, Closer features plenty of scenes worth wanking over, including a scantily-clad Natalie Portman, who an hour in is wearing a wig and stripping at a club. Her ass looks amazing in a thong and we even get a quick nip shot from behind her skimpy bra. It's a shame that legendary director Mike Nichols didn't give her the direction needed to shed her little threads, but it's a small problem for a film that is quite entertaining from beginning to end. People with a proclivity for nudity will find much to be desired, but Mr. Skin can fully recommend this flick for its superb performances, effortless style, and hot actresses. It'll make you close, for sure!