Tão Longe, Tão Perto

This is a film that is very easy to relate to for somebody who grew up living in a small Australian town. Overall, the film is quite a clever play on a simple story line, and it makes you wonder why this theme wasn't explored or performed years ago. The only character in the film who seems oddly out of place is "Pat" (Ewan Stewart). You have to ask why a former Scottish Football Star would end up running a pub in an out of the way Irish fishing village? Again the character "Pat" provides the only sad note in the film as he splits from his screen wife as a result of his filandering ways. His wife played by Niamh Cussack, plays a lead in the film, but is not without some blame for the split in the marriage. Through the film there is the suggestion of romantic interest in another of the lead characters.

Other notable moments in the film that tickled my funny bone are when "Ollie" describes his desire to local Post Mistress to, "take a woman to the celestial heavens and worship her", and those "Church Bells". Overall, I had a really good kack when I saw this film in the cinema. Comedy films aren't generally meant to make you think, they are more meant to entertain. "American Women" or "The Closer You Get" definately entertains. I've certainly seen a lot worse low budget comedies, and for that matter, I've certainly seen some real shockers that have been made on a high budget. The "Closer You Get" is definately good value for money.

It's an interesting premise but the execution is poor. This is a well-made bad film, which is quite frustrating.

If I had to single out anything it's the story. Sometimes a very poor predictable plot will be successful (witness the Full Monty from the same producer) but this time it is devoid of charm and flops badly.

I don't need formulaic traditional three-act structures but the characters need to be solid and true. The three main relationships at the centre of the film offer conflict but no drama because the characters are under-developed and so their actions are unconvincing.

Ideally the accents would be more accessible for an international audience while still being authentic. I say accents but it's really only one actor I had a problem with.

There were a couple of laugh out loud moments in the film and it generated a few smiles but I was surprised to see it described as a comedy on IMDB. I honestly don't think it was written as one.

I'm afraid I can't think of a single reason to see this film and I've really tried to, honestly.

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.

This movie represents the reality of the villages in Ireland. A reality that is very similar to my country, Galicia, the northwest part of Spain and a land that, surprisingly, is very similar in nature to Ireland.

The movie talks about the ambitions and hopes of ordinary people in a village and the idea to go abroad and know the world. But the hopes are most of the times unrealistic and your dreams don´t let you see that what you have closer is what you need.

May be the worst part is the very typical representation of the Spanish sailors (singing "flamenco" with guitars). Most of the sailors of Spain are from the north, a part in which the popular music is not based in the famous "flamenco".