I expected to hate it, and particularly to hate Portman, but it’s good, and Portman is very good.   Nuanced, which I’d forgotten she can do.   I still think she has bitchface but she won me back over a bit here.   Julia Roberts is not terribly credible as this home-wrecking beauty, and Jude Law is a bit damp in his role (although I think that’s the point), but…Clive Owen.   Wow.   He’s totally handling my next break-up.   I thought sure he’d be overrated the way everyone was fawning on him in the reviews, but he’s excellent.   Overall, good, pretty tight, doesn’t go on too long, a little stagey but not distractingly so.   (1/5/05)

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