Closure DVD: Review By Dodd

Do you ever sit around and wander whatever happened to Gillian Anderson? Lord knows I don't, but I am sure that others do. This especially includes those X-Files fans that had dreams of running away in a UFO with Agent Dana Scully. It seems that after playing Scully, Anderson's classy and natural beauty did not fit in well with the atmosphere that was superficial Hollywood. So what is a woman to do? Grab starring roles in Europe of course! After all, the UK did give us Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson, both of whom are stunning and talented without globs of makeup and anorexia. Gillian Anderson's migration to UK cinema was even mocked in Michael Winterbottom's recent comedy Tristram Shandy. One of Anderson's latest overseas project is the unsettling thriller Closure (Straightheads is the British title).

Anderson stars as Alice, a 40ish business woman who allows Adam (Danny Dyer) into her home to install a voyeuristic monitoring system. While twentysomething Adam is doing his work, Alice takes a fancy to the younger lad and forms a romantic relationship with him cougar-style. She even asks him to accompany her wealthy boss's business get together in his mansion in the woods. However, the evening turns into more than just socializing. While returning from the party, Adam and Alice are attacked by mysterious hunters for no reason leaving Alice raped and Adam beaten nearly to death.

As the two of them slowly recover from their trauma, they grow further apart emotionally and physically. Alice comes to find out that her emptiness may result from the need to get revenge when she coincidentally discovers the identity and location of one of their attackers. With a hesitant Adam at her side, she occupies her late father's nearby cottage in the woods, and prepares a firearm for a vengeance strategy. What the two of them discover, each in their own disturbing little way, is that revenge is a dish that can taste either bitter or sweet.

It is difficult to determine if Closure is necessarily a film that works or completely misfires. My judgment would be somewhere in limbo. What certainly does work is the film's insistence on not holding back. Not since Last House on the Left have I seen a revenge movie that makes us cringe at the sight of normal people being driven to do terrible things. There is graphic violence involved, but it doesn't seem gratuitously unnecessary. We are shown first hand the pain and suffering these two characters must go through, and then asked to somewhat empathize with them as they carry out their pent up rage to the fullest extent. As nasty as this is, it is easy to empathize with these characters.

What does not work here is the film's short running time that hardly gives us time to understand the characters prior to their traumatic experience. Perhaps this is intended to give us the impression of suddenly walking into the lives of two strangers, but I yearned for more time with these characters to better understand their feelings. The film also wastes time asking us to empathize with one of the villains by attempting to give good reason for an act of rape. It certainly takes a lot to justify an act of rape, and this particular plot device is far from convincing.

There are no special features included on this disc.

Widescreen. The direction here is very hypnotic and artsy. There is a lot of voyeurism involved here as the film makes us watch things we do not want to see.

5.1 Dolby Surround. The soundtrack is more of a quieter, soothing one that does not dramatize the scenes with booming chords.

The case is a standard case with one disc included. The front cover pictures Anderson and Dyer, with Anderson looking into the scope of a rifle. It almost makes this thriller look more like an espionage movie.

Closure is a movie that has its ups and downs, but I certainly do not regret seeing it. For many, this may be a rough viewing as it doesn't hold back on graphic material. However, I couldn't help but commend it on its mature use of violence. Being that the movie is only so-so and does not include special features, I can only recommend this as a rental.

Questions? Comments? Just want to talk movies? Drop me a line at dodd@movieweb.com