The Closer You Get (film)
| The Closer You Get | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Aileen Ritchie |
| Written by | William Ivory |
| Story by | Herbie Wave |
| Produced by | Uberto Pasolini |
| Starring | Ian Hart Seán McGinley Niamh Cusack Ruth McCabe |
| Cinematography | Robert Alazraki |
| Edited by | Sue Wyatt |
| Music by | Rachel Portman |
Production company | Redwave |
| Distributed by | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Countries | United Kingdom Ireland |
| Language | English |
The Closer You Get is a 2000 comedy film written by William Ivory, directed by Aileen Ritchie and starring Ian Hart, Seán McGinley, Niamh Cusack and Ruth McCabe.[1]
Plot
The Closer You Get (2000) is an Irish romantic comedy set in a small rural village in Ireland.
The story follows a group of lonely local men who are frustrated because all the young women have left their village for better opportunities. Tired of being single and ignored, they come up with a wild plan: they send a fake letter to a women’s magazine pretending to be a desperate bachelor asking for help finding a wife.
The magazine publishes the story, and suddenly women from all over start writing letters to the men in the village. Excited and hopeful, the men prepare for potential romance — but things get complicated when real emotions, insecurities, jealousy, and misunderstandings get in the way.
At the center is Alfie, a shy mechanic who struggles with confidence and genuine connection. As the story unfolds, the film explores themes of loneliness, masculinity, pride, and the difference between fantasy and real love.
Cast
- Ian Hart as Kieran
- Seán McGinley as Ian
- Niamh Cusack as Kate
- Ruth McCabe as Mary
- Ewan Stewart as Pat
- Pat Shortt as Ollie
- Cathleen Bradley as Siobhan
- Sean McDonagh as Sean
- Risteárd Cooper as Father Hubert Mallone
- Maureen O'Brien as Dollie
- Pat Laffan as Giovanni
- Britta Smith as Mrs. Duncannon
- Deborah Barnett as Ella
- Frank Laverty as Brian
- Dessie Gallagher as Mickey
Reception
The film has a 32% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 19 reviews.[2] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film two stars out of four.[3] Ben Falk of the BBC awarded the film two stars out of five.[4]
References
- ^ McCarthy, Todd (February 27, 2000). "The Closer You Get". Variety. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- ^ "The Closer You Get". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (March 3, 2000). "The Closer You Get". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- ^ Falk, Ben (September 8, 2000). "The Closer You Get (2000)". BBC. Retrieved December 8, 2025.