Customer Reviews

Closure

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I disagree with the opinions of many of the reviewers of this movie; it is better than their two-star rating would imply. Yes, there are weaknesses: background on the characters, particularly the character played by Gillian Anderson and the two most agressive attackers, was sorely lacking. The ability to travel miles through the forest on foot in mere seconds stretched credibility, and personality reversals seemed to occur frequently and with indistinct motivation. Was the daughter actually being molested by her father's associates, or was it merely a possibility? What's up with the abrupt ending? etc...etc...

Despite the shortcomings, many scenes and situations were quite engaging. Anderson's character radiated an intense sexuality and her casual seduction of the security system tech was quite credible. I doubt that the "relationship" would have lasted long without the brutal interlude on their way home from the party, but once forced together by their shared horror and injury, the increasing pathology of their relationship becomes riveting. The gender reversal is a nice touch: she becomes stronger, dominant, and more bent on revenge; he shies away from violence, weak, damaged, and literally impotent.

Eventually, this reversal is reversed, albeit without full justification in my opinion. Her desire for revenge is quickly sated, far short of what was originally planned, while his accelerates dramatically. Another paradox is presented by the rapist/father: he claims to have only raped the Anderson character to distract his cronies from raping his daughter, but he did so with a level of brutality that does not seem consistent with a "fatherly" figure. Then, this brutal rapist/concerned father suffers remorse that leads him to attempt suicide, which will leave his daughter at the mercy of the men from whom he originally sought to protect her. Illogical, but an interesting sequence of events.

Likewise, the abrupt ending. At first I was shocked and disappointed, then I realized that nothing more could have been said or done. Any subsequent plot or dialog would have diminished the power of what occurred.

The mere fact that I felt compelled to spend time analyzing the motivation for these plot and character twists supports my personal conviction that there are moments of high quality in this production. When a movie is entirely bad, there is absolutely no compulsion for analysis. I admit that flaws and contradictions exist in this production, but like a stew made from things of varying appeal...in my opinion, there is enough here to justify the meal.

One final note: I agree with one reviewer in questioning the origination of the idea voiced repeatedly in reviews that the rapist/attackers were "hunters". It is clearly stated in the movie that the three men were out drinking and returning home. Hunting was never mentioned.

Gillian Anderson is becoming more beautiful and interesting as she gets older. The round-faced freshess of her X-Files days is gone, replaced by a sleek steeliness. And in this film she's 180-degrees different from her X-Files character, and for us that's a very good thing, because we see a performance that's tough--aggressive, even--unnerving (and that's even before she and her date are viciously attacked), and yet still vulnerable. Much is communicated through facial expressions and body language, not dialog. Danny Dyer's Adam is a perfect foil to her toughness, being basically a big kid at 23 with a low-paying job and a general innocence and decency that he holds onto through most of the film. The circumstances presented in the film are really just opportunities to explore the characters, as they both deal with the aftermath of brutality in different ways, shifting toward and away from each other, phasing between power and powerlessness, outrage and fear, conscience and brutality--sometimes all within the same scene. In this film what's gripping is less the plot (although there are a couple of nice twists at the end) than the character study of two people whose already-empty lives literally implode and the choices they make in the aftermath. Every moment Anderson and Dyer are on screen is riveting. I stayed up way too late watching this movie because I had to see how their emotional drama played out.

Great directing by Dan Reed, well known for his award winning documentary movies.
In "Closure", he is building up a thriller from an everyday 'regular' situation. Familiar urban environments quickly become grey and monotonous in an unsettling way, people gatherings also transformed: for example, the party scene looks like it is turning into a party of shadows. Equally unsettling is the depiction of muddy and drizzly countryside (the photography is outstanding). The sounds - whistling wind, rustling leaves, characters barely talking, mostly breathing heavily and moaning or yelling and screaming. All characters (both 'good' and 'bad') are alienated from each other, they meet and interact because they happen to be in the same, mostly wrong, places. All are emotionally empty, except for the rage and desperation which give them some short-lived intentionality and purpose. Very good Anderson and Dyer.
There is no closure after watching "Closure". The movie could have been longer than 80 minutes to allow the (very talented) director some space to better develop some of the characters. After watching it last night I was under the immediate impression of the violence depicted, but later on I was even more struck by desolation, sadness and loneliness of the characters' condition.
This is not the movie to relax, but the movie that will make you think.

Gillian Anderson has gone so underground after leaving the series The X-Files,when she does appear in a movie,it ends up being like a surprise.
The last movie she co-starred in was The Last King Of Scotland even if it was small part it was good to see that she is still acting.

Closure which probably opened in the UK but went straight to DVD in the states isn't a bad movie.It's brutal,sexual,masturbation,violent rape scene (not as much as the cult classic "I Spit On Your Grave")and focuses on one woman's quest for revenge and her male (boy toy) going from a scared weakling and finding himself.

This movie is borderline X-rated,so it's not a family movie or even along the lines of Death Wish or The Brave One.It's very sadistic,you don't get to bond with the characters and I don't think you would want to.

The ending will sure enough be a big surprise.

If you looking for a Death Wish than this in NOT the movie for you,better movie in this catergory is "I Spit On You're Grave".Brutal but you understood why the character did what she had to do.

With this movie you kind of wish they had called the authorities and made more like Jodie Foster's "The Accused".

If you're a Gillian Anderson fan it's a watch but not if you are looking for the innocent Gillian Anderson than skip it,her character will make you throw up.The last time she did a movie with a tad of nudity was her first movie "The Turning".This is a 360 degree turn compared to that one.Which will make you either cringe or say,it's about time she starts taking roles of characters that are not like Agent Scully or sane.

This movie was a suprise. Gillian Anderson looks stunningly sexy and remarkably real. This alone is worth the watching of this movie; but plus you get to see her speak with her English accent which is quite interesing in itself. Sidenote: I thought it very strange sychronicity that I was listening to a talk show minutes before about people hitting deer on the road and then this movie had the same thing in it.

This movie is very different, dark, real, it has a strange intuitive feel. I think it expects it's audience to be smart. There are things that are left vague, you have to sorta intuitively feel what is going on. Yet no question there are many suprises as well. Gillian Anderson is really great - she is believable. You see her in a new totally different light, extremely sexy, dominant, and she still is a pro when she uses a weapon as in X-Files. If you are used to her persona (Dana Scully - which I love) this is much different but equally as powerful and impacting.

I don't want to go into what the movie is about but it's not what I expected nor even knew where it was going. I wouldn't mind if the director gave us a Closure part 2 - it would be very interesting indeed to see where the next film would take us, as interesting as how this film leaves us. Just make sure you get all the original characters for part 2 if you do it.

If you like Gillian Anderson I can't imagine you not enjoying this film, seeing her sexier than ever is worth it alone but you also see her in a more vulnerable way than her character on X-Files.

I give it 5 stars for it's uniqueness and realistic acting and scenarios. Remember it's a smart film but also very intuitive - telling you things but not everything. You have to feel it out. It plays very real - in the fact that it's strange, like life. It stirs up emotions within you and what it stirs up stays with you as you wonder about the characters and how things will end. It's a nice looking film. I like that it has silence in it. Sometimes silence says more than dialogue or music.

Now don't get me wrong that this is a masterpiece, it is not - but it is something very special and stands out. I give it 5 stars for it's ability to be so entirely different and unexpected and that is able to draw you in emotionally and visually. I find the length of the film perfect, if it was any shorter it would be not enough to understand it - and any longer, it would lose it's impact. The length of this film was superbly executed. I want more when it's over. I want to know more. About what happens afterward, the characters, the dynamic of the people and the relationships. How the characters feel after everything.

I think this is the sexiest I've seen Gillian Anderson in a film. Which is also a huge plus. And believe me she is sexy and looks very classy. But it's the fact she seems so genuinely English (she did live there when younger) that it is like looking at a different person.

The premise of the movie is strange. This movie is strange, and interesting and leaves you with a strangeness. It makes you wonder what you'd do in such strange circumstances. You just have got to see it. I thought at first to give it 3 stars but when I rewatched parts and as time went by I could see this movie impacted me deeper than I first suspected. Again, it made me realize that the director is hoping you can sort out certain things on your own. Connect dots - make connections, he doesn't explain everything for you in black and white. And any movie that can make you want to watch it again and study the characters so much to me deserves a good rating, but also the way it is presented, is quite good and clever. It leaves you in the role to be a silent observer, just watching; but yet feeling the characters. He lets you get into their head, but only so much. I really don't know what more to say except if you are a fan of Gillian Anderson I think you will be genuinely suprised at her beauty, her depth, and the chemistry between her and the main actor who is strange but likable himself. It's because of this different dynamic that makes it even more interesting.

This is one of the most likeable strange movies I have ever seen. Strange being very good here. Very good indeed. Strange being another very operative word here. Positively so. Also this is not for children, it is a very adult film. This movie just keeps haunting me, and that is why I give it 5 stars, everyone in the movie is effective. I really think they should make a part 2 if they can come up with an interesting story - I would definitiely see it. It could develop the characters a bit more and give us more insight. For in this film we must use our heads and intuition to come up with some answers. Repeated views make things stronger.

The director has made a very unique film that just seems to stay on your mind. Worth a watch, a few times - especially late at night with the lights out and silence all around you. It reminds me of autumn energy which has that mystery with it. Other people write they wonder why Gillian Anderson might have made this movie - I can say because it is impacting, she looks extremely sexy and fun, she looks equally vulnerable and angry as well as smart. Her co-star plays his role wonderfully. It's a shocking film that impacts and haunts especially if you watch it a few times. Also it has the potential for another sequel that I WOULD LOVE TO SEE. Why - because I don't have total closure myself yet. I want more closure.

I will be hoping for Closure 2.

Director heads up!! Get going - make sure you direct it, and it's with all the same characters. : )

This a short and fascinating film. Gillian Anderson is an incredible actress. This film will make you think and cringe. It definately has to be watched at least twice.

This was a good movie with excellent acting, but the topic was one that is very disturbing and difficult to view once, let alone more than that.

I was hesitant at first to pick up Closure. In a time when American (and worldwide) theaters are flooded with mindless and disgustingly pointless torture porn, I feared it would be another one of those sleazy movies that feeds the brain-dead masses eating popcorn and slurping coke while watching someone physically tormented to death. Eventually, being a Gillian Anderson fan, I decided to give Closure a shot. I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, it is a violent movie (nowhere near as bad as I expected it to be though, but maybe I heard too much about it), however it at least offers some kind of reason and explanation for the brutality. The story follows Alice and her much younger lover Adam as they are viciously attacked on her way back from a party. Both emotionally and physically scarred they try to cope with the aftermath. Alice, daughter of a soldier, does not believe in turning the other cheek and wants to seek revenge, while Adam, who seems to be much younger than Alice not only in age, but also in emotional maturity, retreats into drug abuse and his co-dependency on Alice. When Alice learns the identity of their attackers, Adam and her learn what dark vengeance tastes like. The movie is not as straightforward as it may sound with some unexpected turns and in general I think it's a pretty solid piece with great acting and engaging mood.

I chose this movie as a free movie on my Columbia House DVD club account. I expected it to be a bad movie but it had Gillian Anderson in it and I couldn't find anything else to choose as a free movie so I got this. I actually thought it was a good movie. I'm guessing whoever wrote the script must have been a fan of the movie Deliverance. There seem to be some common points in the two films. I could have used a commentary track. You don't really get much for your money. An 80 minute film with no bonus material.

I picked up this movie because I am such a fan of Gillian Anderson.
Since 'X Files' I have only seen her in 'House of Mirth', and 'The Last King of Scotland'.

Just so you're warned, 'Closure' is a violent movie. So you might not want to leave it out for the kids, or watch it say, the night before you are about to swap your apartment with someone on EBay who has a cottage in the English countryside. Because 'Closure'is not quite like 'Holiday' with Jack Black, and Kate Winslet.

Set mostly in rual England, it is the story of a Alice Comfort (Anderson)and her date Adam, an alarm systems manager, played by Danny Dyer, who are brutally attacked on their way home from a party. Both survive, but have very different coping mechanisms. One character regresses, with a child-like dependency on the other, who has become a vigilanty avenger.

From the begining of the movie, Alice is an mysterious woman. She has a paraplegic boss who is obsessed with her, and the party she and Adam attend before the attack is so strange and subtle that I wondered for a minute if what followed was some type of set-up.

Most Hollywood movies that are extremely violent have a way of 'glazing' the violence so that I don't usually feel extremely effected by it. One example is 'The Brave One', with Jodie Foster, which I recently saw in the theater. I felt like I was watching nothing more than a graphic novel brought to life.

The climactic violence of 'Closure' takes place in farmhouse kitchen in the middle of the woods, and there was no glazed feeling. It was gritty, and it was horrible.

I loved the roll of the weather in this movie. Most of the scenes are shot outdoors in late Autumn, early Winter. Everything is cold, and dusky, and smokey. I appreciate movies where the countryside is a truly menacing presence, and one longs for the safety of the city.

Fans of 'Straw Dogs' and the French (possibly Belgian) movie 'The Ordeal' might agree. There is no DVD commentary, and 'Closure' and doesn't apoligize for the violence the characters perpetrate on each other.