Question: Did Alice tell Dan the truth at the end? Did she really stop loving him that moment and for what? It wasn't the fact he played her, not telling that she new, because she told him it was over before he told her he knew.
Answer: Earlier in the movie, Alice said, "I'm the one who leaves. I'm supposed to leave you. I'm the one who leaves." To me, this implies that she likes to control relationships. Dan has begun asking questions about Larry. She realises that he will not leave the issue alone. Even though he insists that the truth does not matter to him, he will not stop questioning her. Therefore, she ends the relationship before *he* can possibly end it someday. She wants to leave him before he can possibly change his mind and leave her. Over time, her encounter with Larry might have bothered him more and more.
Question: Is there a symbolic reason why Alice and Anna are both American? Or was it just a coincidence with the choice of actresses?
Answer: I think it mostly has to do with the casting of Natalie Portman and Julia Roberts. In the original play, there's no mention of Alice or Anna being American.
Answer: This is not an official answer, but my interpretation is that them both being American makes them interchangeable, in a way. Whether Dan or Larry is involved with Alice or Anna, both men have issues that cannot be totally helped by a relationship with either woman. Although, Larry and Anna only spent a night together.
Question: Before they break up and Larry comes home, was Anna planning on leaving him that night and telling Larry the truth? Or did it just happen because of Larry's confession?
Answer: She was planning on leaving Larry. Notice how he questioned her about her appearance - she claimed to have had a bath, but was dressed again. She initially told him that she went out to buy milk. Then she explained that Dan had been at the house. Most likely, she got dressed because she was ready to leave their home in a hurry.
I think that Anna didn't know what she wanted.
Question: Hopefully this is not a silly question. What is the meaning of the title "Closer"?
Answer: No such thing as a silly question. The title refers to the central theme of the film and the play upon which it is based: Knowing the truth doesn't bring us closer together. It is meant to be ironic, truth offers clarity but actually drives people further apart.
Question: Were the cigarettes in the film real or fake (prop, puff, or herbal)? I ask because I know that Natalie Portman was not a smoker before the making of this film started.
Answer: Actors are usually required to use movie prop cigarettes or herbal cigarettes that don't contain tobacco or nicotine. These usually contain marshmallow root, passion flower, cloves, or jasmine. While some actors might be smokers, prop cigarettes protect other actors and crew from second-hand smoke, especially during long filming sessions. There is debate about how much safer herbal cigarettes are compared to tobacco.
Question: How did Alice get her waitressing job? Would she need some sort of paperwork or license with her fake name?
Answer: "Alice," whose legal name was later revealed to be Jane Jones, had a valid passport. She could have used that to get the job and said she preferred being called "Alice." An employer is not going to discuss an employee's credentials with anyone. Being that she was an American, she may also have been working illegally and was paid "under the table," getting less money than a regular employee.
Question: Why does Dan tell Anna that Alice is "un-leaveable"? What stops him from leaving her if he wants to?
Answer: He apparently feels that Alice "needs" him too much, so maybe he can't bring himself to leave yet. Later, when he does end their relationship, he points out how Anna "doesn't need" him. I find this interesting because he actually shows "needy" behavior toward Anna. He does what he complained about Alice doing.
Answer: Anna says that Alice has "had quite a life" (after she read Dan's book that was based on Alice). Presumably Alice has been through difficult situations: abuse, neglect, etc. She considers herself a "nobody" and enjoys lying as a form of control. Which is why she never told Dan her real name, or everything about herself. She could never trust anybody completely. She also says "I'm the one who leaves." She prefers to leave men before they can leave her.