The Closer You Get

Even though my most favorite movies are thrillers and drama's, I must say that from time to time I can really look forward to a comedy. Life is more than misery or thrills alone, there should be time for laughter as well, so why should my choice of movies be any different? But when looking for comedies, I do have certain standards. I hate toilet humor and the story may be silly, but still has to be of a decent quality. If I'm honest, than I must say that I don't find that too often. The latest (often American) comedies are all full of those dreaded jokes about pee, vomit, sperm,... and too often I end up very disappointed in them. That's also the reason why I prefer British comedies. I like their, often very dry, humor and their jokes don't necessarily have to be about some kind of bodily function.

"The Closer You Get" is situated in an isolated village in Ireland. Because the girls in their village aren't to their taste, a bunch of young man send an ad to the Miami Herald, inviting fit and enticing American women between the ages of 20 and 21, to come to the local dance. But when the girls they all hoped for don't come and the local girls seem to have more success with men from outside the village, the local men start to realize that some of their 'own' girls might not be that bad after all. Others however chose different solutions like ordering a lot of porn...

Like so often with comedies, I'm sure that there are many people who don't like it all that much. Humor is one of the most difficult parts of the entertainment business and not everybody has the same taste. Personally I had a really good laugh with this movie, but when I see some other comments on this website, it's getting very clear to me that not everybody thinks about it like that. I guess this is a comedy that will appeal most to the people who love the typical British humor, so if you aren't into that kind of jokes, you better don't give this movie a try. If you are looking for a very special, deep or touching story, than this isn't the best movie for you either. The story is quite simple, but efficient. It doesn't really know any extreme highs or lows, but it works. The characters are believable, the situations are still recognizable...

All in all this is a very decent comedy with some good acting and an OK story. But most important is the amount of laughter that it offers and for me that was more than enough. I had a really good time with this movie and that's why I give it a 7.5/10.

I saw "The Closer You Get" at a school screening recently and I must say that it didn't surprise or challenge me. I wasn't expecting "Citizen Cane" in Ireland but I was hoping for some genuine moments of humanity and of course some silly banter. But the comic moments seemed perfunctory and forced and the dramatic moments didn't quite have the gravity that they needed. The story takes place in a small sea side town in Ireland where the male inhabitants decide to invite beautiful women from America over to their town so they can get some foreign variety in their lives. The women get a hold of this news and cleverly play off the men's futile effort.

Sadly "The Closer You Get" only a few minutes to introduce the plot then we have to sit through over an hour and a half for the bland execution. I really wanted to get to know these colorful characters better in the first act so that I could follow them through this silly plot.

It's official now. We have this Irish small town comedy genre on our hands and there's no end in sight. It was fresh at first but come on people we need some variety in plot structure by now. I guess these Irish films are more sincere and have their hearts in all the right places, which is more than I can say for those pesky teen flicks. But when you've watched "The Commitments," "The Matchmaker," "The Full Monty," and "Waking Ned Divine," there innocuous charm quickly becomes annoying. I give "The Closer You Get" a six out of ten.

A beautiful and worthy film, set in a small and fairly isolated village in Ireland, yet, like the village and its inhabitants, the film is also, sadly, rather forgettable. The people living in this tiny community, whilst optimistic, charismatic and full of life, also realize the dead-end nature of their situation. The men long to travel and meet beautiful women in exotic places. They put an ad in an American publication hoping to attract women to join them for a local dance, but the women fare rather better by attracting the local Spanish fishermen.

The movie could easily have degenerated into Hollywood-style unbelievability but it resists the temptation. The characters, their lives, and how they develop are convincing and moving. The title refers to missing what is important (in love and life) when it is under your nose.

A lovely feelgood movie.

I liked it...kind of Waking Ned Devine part two..not heavy but worth while if you're into Irish films. The accents are sometimes hard for Americans to understand but not a big problem. Maybe a little predictable but good character developement, and there are some characters!!

Gentle Celtic productions are very much in vogue at the moment. What with Waking Ned, Ballykissangel and the late Hamish Macbeth. The Closer You Get is a gentle tragi-comedy with a heart-warming if unsurprising ending. All the performances are very strong, particularly from the ever-magnificent Ian Hart and Niamh Cusack, but you can't help feeling that you've seen it all before. If you're feeling in need of a pick-me-up on a Saturday afternoon, then go see, but otherwise wait for the next series of Ballykissangel!