All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Everybody in this film is a nut job...but not in a 'cool, interesting' kinda way, in a 'trying to hard to be crazy for attention purposes' fashion. The story is ridiculous and the scenarios are just utterly boring. It seems disjointed, perhaps intentionally, but combined with the fact that there is no opportunity to build any kind of empathy with any of the characters there is nothing to engage the viewer's interest. It's clear from the cover and the first few scenes what the big shocker is, and when it happens (or any other sex scene for that matter) it's just dishwater dull. If you have the opportunity to watch this, don't. I have nothing more to say about this tripe but IMDb is insisting on another two lines in the review, so here they are.

I rarely walk out of films but I walked out of this one. It gets off to a great start. It's set in the Canary Islands, one of the most beautiful places in the world and the cast is just as beautiful. One of France's top stars heads the stellar cast and the story is intriguing and immediately gripped me. But, alas, about 45 minutes into the film the most disgusting scene occurred in a cab with Ma Mere, the Mother, her hunky teenage son and Mother's best girlfriend. The son asks the girlfriend for a kiss and she assures him that the only place she will kiss him is on his ass and then makes a comment about how poopy his butt is. Then, as if that isn't enough, she proceeds to demand he bend over and drop his pants so she can insert her finger up his ass in order for her and Ma Mere to sniff it. This is when I walked, telling my film bud he was on his own and true to form the poor guy sat through the rest of this sordid mess until the equally disgusting finish. How one of France's most beautiful and talented actresses got talked into this sewer is beyond me but the poor girl must have just been dumped by her lover and been in an awful state of depression to even consider being involved in a loathsome project such as this.

There are some that put this film in their Top Ten list for 2005, but I greatly hesitate to list it along with films such as 2046 and A History of Violence.It is a women's film. By that, I do not mean you will see it on Lifetime, but it stars women who are in full control of their sexuality. It celebrates that sexuality like no film I have seen.Christophe Honoré (Love Songs) adapted an unfinished Georges Bataille novel and directed this film starring Isabelle Huppert (The Piano Teacher, The Bedroom Window, The School of Flesh, I Heart Huckabees) as a mother who has a child to raise after the untimely death of his father.Pierre (Louis Garrel) has spent his time in a religious boarding school, so mom enlists the aid of her friends to expose his to her debauched lifestyle. Rea (Joana Preiss) and Hansi (Emma de Caunes - The Science of Sleep) do their best to erase all that religious training exposing him to not only regular sex, but some sadism as well.The Elle Magazine fans who voted Louis Garrel one of their 15 Sexiest Men this year will not be disappointed at all at what they see. The rest, who are more interested in Isabell, Emma, and Joana will also be very pleased.I am sure we all wish we had a mom like Hélène.

A cinematic version of a world Michel Houellebecq would be familiar with: despondent, cynical middle-aged has-beens lounging around Gran Canaria with its alien landscape beaches and urine-stained town centre in pursuit of sex, irrespective of its foul, loveless origin.Trying to find their way inamongst this existential trash-compactor are a handful of young-uns. Principally we are 'concerned' with Pierre (Louis Garrel) fighting the Oedipal constraints of his life with great breastbeating melodrama. Garrel looks like Bjørn Andresen, the boy-object of desire from Visconti's Death in Venice, and the film has the same fixation with choleric, seaside end-of-days as well as the same wobbly snap-zooms.I think Huppert sticks out awkwardly in this film, but that could very well be the role she needs to fulfil. Once again, sensible critical appraisal of her contribution is very difficult. As for the rest of the cast, full marks for commitment in a project that has the look but not the coherence or poise to do itself justice. 5/10