A pair of saucy movies open in the area this week. First up is “Closer,” an adaptation of Patrick Marber’s play about two couples in London whose relationships start to intersect in sleazy and often painful ways. Actors Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen get to revel in the picture’s nasty wordplay.

At the art house is “Sideways,” which just led the Independent Spirit Awards with six nominations and is a strong Oscar contender. A recently divorced man played by Paul Giamatti and his washed-up actor buddy played by Thomas Haden Church set off on a bachelor-style road trip of California’s wine country. There they mull over the nature of their failures and put their friendship to the test.

I’m Jon Niccum with Screen Scene.

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