The Oscars is one of the few award shows I watch. The rest are kind of...eh. The nominations are out today, so here's my thoughts on them.
Best Actor: I'd really like to see Jesse Eisenberg win for the Social Network. He was outstanding. I also liked Colin Firth in The King's Speech, but my vote is for Eisenberg.
Supporting Actor: I love Christian Bale, but I didn't see The Fighter. I hear he's the front runner for this, so that's great. Jeremy Renner was good in The Town, which I did see, so I'd say it's between these two. My money's on Bale.
Best Actress: Natalie Portman. Hands down. She has to win this year.
Supporting Actress: I'm going with Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit. Helena Bonham Carter did a great job in The King's Speech, so I'd be OK with that, too.
Animated Film: I loved How To Train Your Dragon, but you can't go wrong betting on Pixar. And, it was the superior film, so, I think it'll be Toy Story 3.
Art Direction: Inception. I liked the look of that film.
Cinematography: I'm a huge Roger Deakins fan, he always elevates the Coen Bros. movies with his wonderful camera work. So, Roger Deakins for True Grit.
Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland. Not a great film, but the technical side of it was good.
Directing: I vote David Fincher for The Social Network. He made a story that could have been really boring enthralling and intense.
Music (Score): I really liked Trent Reznor's score for The Social Network, but Inception's was better. I'm also surprised that Black Swan's score wasn't nominated- it was great.
Music (Song): I didn't see any of these, but I bet it'll be the one from Country Strong.
Best Picture: Inception was my favorite film of last year, but this is about what I think will win, not what I liked. Since I voted for David Fincher for directing (The Social Network), I think it'll win best picture, too. Best Director and Best Picture usually go hand in hand.
Those are the ones I have opinions about, the rest are the technical ones like sound editing that no one cares about. There's actually stuff to root for this year...so, I'm really excited. Go Social Network!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Trailer Park: Scream 4
There's a new Scream trailer out. Yes, I know they're calling it Scre4m, but I refuse. As a side note, I'm really tired of movies trying to be cute by jamming the number of the film in the title. It's lazy and stupid. It's like they're trying to hide the fact that this is the fourth time they're cramming the same movie down your throats. Which brings me to Scream 4. And yes, it's the same as all the other Scream movies. The plot (of all of them) goes like this:
Boring Character #1: Hey did you kill those people?
Boring Character #2: Nope.
Boring Character #3: It was me! *Credits* There. I just saved you two hours. You're welcome. The trailer emphasized all the stupid cliches from the first few, and even managed to say "What's your favorite scary movie?" 100 times in 2 minutes. That's kind of impressive, I guess. Impressive that they made me sick of that line already and I haven't seen the movie yet. God forbid they try something new, but whatever. This is Hollywood we're talking about and this is another bad movie. By the way, does it look to anyone else like Ghostface is wearing a black Snuggie? It's gotta be hard to run in that thing.
Boring Character #1: Hey did you kill those people?
Boring Character #2: Nope.
Boring Character #3: It was me! *Credits* There. I just saved you two hours. You're welcome. The trailer emphasized all the stupid cliches from the first few, and even managed to say "What's your favorite scary movie?" 100 times in 2 minutes. That's kind of impressive, I guess. Impressive that they made me sick of that line already and I haven't seen the movie yet. God forbid they try something new, but whatever. This is Hollywood we're talking about and this is another bad movie. By the way, does it look to anyone else like Ghostface is wearing a black Snuggie? It's gotta be hard to run in that thing.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Black Swan- Nina and her Mom
I read an article on the internet today. It was about the relationship between Nina and her mother in the film Black Swan. That article had an interesting theory I wanted to talk about. So, if you haven't seen that movie yet- see it. Spoilers ahead.
I really wanted to write more about this in my initial review, but there was so much to cover I kind of passed over it. I think Nina and her mother's relationship was pivotal to understanding the rest of the film. In this article I read, the author says that he thinks Nina's mom was sexually abusing her. When I saw the movie, that was not my reaction to their relationship. I admit it was weird, and there was possibly more going on than what the film showed. I thought that Nina's mom was simply a control freak. She was living out her failed dreams of a dancing career through her daughter, a thing many parents do. It was as if Nina's mom was keeping her like a toy ballerina, like one of those wind up ones. She wasn't letting Nina grow into her own person.
I do think the sexual abuse idea has weight. It would explain why Nina went bat shit insane over the course of the movie. It would explain why she didn't have any close relationships outside of her mother and why she seemed repulsed at the idea of sex. The movie doesn't really go into it, which I think is a good thing. The truth is, I liked that you really don't know the full nature of their relationship. It makes it that much creepier. You know that Nina's mom is a controlling force in her life, and yeah, there's probably more there, but that's not the focus of the movie. Nina's deteriorating mental state is. I did have an interesting theory of my own while watching the movie about those two. I wondered if Nina's mom never existed at all, or had died at some point earlier. Like in the movie Psycho, Nina may have been imagining her mom and trying to please her "ghost" by being a ballerina like her mom wanted to be. Is that crazy? Maybe, but you never see Nina's mom interact with anyone other than Nina. The only time she even goes out of the house is to her daughter's performance at the end WHERE SHE FUCKING DIES. So yeah, Nina's mom may have been in her head too. I'm really glad the movie doesn't attempt some explanation of this, because it would have become too convoluted if it did. It gives you enough to understand the plot, but doesn't spell everything out for you. One of the reasons I love this film so much is because of that, it's open for interpretation.
I really wanted to write more about this in my initial review, but there was so much to cover I kind of passed over it. I think Nina and her mother's relationship was pivotal to understanding the rest of the film. In this article I read, the author says that he thinks Nina's mom was sexually abusing her. When I saw the movie, that was not my reaction to their relationship. I admit it was weird, and there was possibly more going on than what the film showed. I thought that Nina's mom was simply a control freak. She was living out her failed dreams of a dancing career through her daughter, a thing many parents do. It was as if Nina's mom was keeping her like a toy ballerina, like one of those wind up ones. She wasn't letting Nina grow into her own person.
I do think the sexual abuse idea has weight. It would explain why Nina went bat shit insane over the course of the movie. It would explain why she didn't have any close relationships outside of her mother and why she seemed repulsed at the idea of sex. The movie doesn't really go into it, which I think is a good thing. The truth is, I liked that you really don't know the full nature of their relationship. It makes it that much creepier. You know that Nina's mom is a controlling force in her life, and yeah, there's probably more there, but that's not the focus of the movie. Nina's deteriorating mental state is. I did have an interesting theory of my own while watching the movie about those two. I wondered if Nina's mom never existed at all, or had died at some point earlier. Like in the movie Psycho, Nina may have been imagining her mom and trying to please her "ghost" by being a ballerina like her mom wanted to be. Is that crazy? Maybe, but you never see Nina's mom interact with anyone other than Nina. The only time she even goes out of the house is to her daughter's performance at the end WHERE SHE FUCKING DIES. So yeah, Nina's mom may have been in her head too. I'm really glad the movie doesn't attempt some explanation of this, because it would have become too convoluted if it did. It gives you enough to understand the plot, but doesn't spell everything out for you. One of the reasons I love this film so much is because of that, it's open for interpretation.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
2010 Top 10 TV Shows
Since every critic is doing this, and I've found that I'm quite fond of making lists and writing about stuff I like, I've decided to make a list of my top 10 favorite TV shows of 2010. Here we go!
10. Human Target (Fox)
I really hope this show makes it. It's clever, has a sense of humor, it's got some fun action scenes and a really good cast. Another thing I like about it is its stand alone quality. It's a show I can watch for fun and not have to remember stuff that happened three seasons ago. That stuff is good too, but it gets tiring. Kinda like homework.
9. Breaking Bad (AMC)
This show gets crazier with every episode. The thing I love about it is that Bryan Cranston's Walt makes moves that propel him a lot further ahead then he should be. You'd think he'd take baby steps into the world of drug selling, but he plunges in head first with no intent of coming out clean. There's great chemistry between Cranston and Aaron Paul, who plays Walt's partner. I think this is the glue that holds the show together.
8. Justified (FX)
Justified is a western that pretends to be a cop show. Which is awesome. It has entertaining stories, action, and really sharp dialogue. My favorite episode this season is when they talk down a hostage taker with a bucket of fried chicken. Oh yeah, that happens.
7. Dexter (Showtime)
Season 5 of Dexter was really good. I was a bit let down in the finale. I'd hoped that the Deb/Quinn angle about finding out the truth about Dexter would have yielded more, but maybe they're saving it for next season. Johnny Lee Miller, Peter Weller, and Julia Stiles were great additions to the cast this season. Can't wait to see what they do next.
6. Sons of Anarchy (FX)
I actually doubted the show some this season. The first two seasons were strong, but this season...it felt like they were stretching some plot lines. But then, damn, the season finale. The finale made the whole season work for me. It was very satisfying, and contained one of the most brutal kills I've seen all season. Awesome.
5. The Vampire Diaries (The CW)
This show isn't Twilight. Really, it's not! I like this show because of the fast paced way they resolve things. When something gets mentioned in an episode, you can be sure that they'll resolve it without making you wait a long time or not resolving it at all. (Lost, I'm looking in your direction). Watch the show for Ian Sommerholder's portrayal of Damon Salvatore.
4. Lost (ABC)
There was a lot of nerd backlash over the finale of Lost. I'm surprised and unashamed to admit that I really liked it. Yeah, we didn't learn everything about Dharma Island that we wanted. But how often in real life does someone pull you aside and explain why everything is the way it is? You suck it up and move along, people. That's what I got out of Lost anyway, and that's just fine with me. I still think this was a really great show.
3. Supernatural (The CW)
This season was the Apocalypse season. I think the show has never been better or darker. It was supposed to be the final season, but they decided to go for another one. This happens a lot in TV when a network doesn't want a show to end because it makes money. This can be bad, but on the other hand, we get more Supernatural. It still amazes me how dark this show is- and how nothing ever works out for these characters. That's good drama.
2. 24 (Fox)
24 has declined in quality slightly, hitting the same themes over and over. So, the show had to end. This season went out with a bang, though. My favorite scene was when Jack storms former President Logan's motorcade, in full body armor with an assault riffle. Logan says: That's Jack Bauer!!! Which is the appropriate response. Followed by shitting yourself. This was a sad year- I had two shows I loved dearly end. And within a few days of each other.
1. True Blood (HBO)
In an episode this season, after making a speech about eating children, a vampire pulls out a dude's spine. On national television. This is possibly the most awesome, horrifying thing I have ever seen. And that's why True Blood gets the number one spot. The show seemed to be trying to top itself this year. Every episode had something wackier and more violent than the previous one. But Vampire King Russell ripping out that guy's spine...I'm still shocked about it. I really can't wait for the DVDs.
There's my list! Honorable mentions go to Caprica (Syfy), The Walking Dead (AMC), and the Hawaii 5-0 remake (CBS). All were great shows, but they didn't quite make it. I doubt 2011 will have programming as good as 2010, but we'll see. Stay tuned!
10. Human Target (Fox)
I really hope this show makes it. It's clever, has a sense of humor, it's got some fun action scenes and a really good cast. Another thing I like about it is its stand alone quality. It's a show I can watch for fun and not have to remember stuff that happened three seasons ago. That stuff is good too, but it gets tiring. Kinda like homework.
9. Breaking Bad (AMC)
This show gets crazier with every episode. The thing I love about it is that Bryan Cranston's Walt makes moves that propel him a lot further ahead then he should be. You'd think he'd take baby steps into the world of drug selling, but he plunges in head first with no intent of coming out clean. There's great chemistry between Cranston and Aaron Paul, who plays Walt's partner. I think this is the glue that holds the show together.
8. Justified (FX)
Justified is a western that pretends to be a cop show. Which is awesome. It has entertaining stories, action, and really sharp dialogue. My favorite episode this season is when they talk down a hostage taker with a bucket of fried chicken. Oh yeah, that happens.
7. Dexter (Showtime)
Season 5 of Dexter was really good. I was a bit let down in the finale. I'd hoped that the Deb/Quinn angle about finding out the truth about Dexter would have yielded more, but maybe they're saving it for next season. Johnny Lee Miller, Peter Weller, and Julia Stiles were great additions to the cast this season. Can't wait to see what they do next.
6. Sons of Anarchy (FX)
I actually doubted the show some this season. The first two seasons were strong, but this season...it felt like they were stretching some plot lines. But then, damn, the season finale. The finale made the whole season work for me. It was very satisfying, and contained one of the most brutal kills I've seen all season. Awesome.
5. The Vampire Diaries (The CW)
This show isn't Twilight. Really, it's not! I like this show because of the fast paced way they resolve things. When something gets mentioned in an episode, you can be sure that they'll resolve it without making you wait a long time or not resolving it at all. (Lost, I'm looking in your direction). Watch the show for Ian Sommerholder's portrayal of Damon Salvatore.
4. Lost (ABC)
There was a lot of nerd backlash over the finale of Lost. I'm surprised and unashamed to admit that I really liked it. Yeah, we didn't learn everything about Dharma Island that we wanted. But how often in real life does someone pull you aside and explain why everything is the way it is? You suck it up and move along, people. That's what I got out of Lost anyway, and that's just fine with me. I still think this was a really great show.
3. Supernatural (The CW)
This season was the Apocalypse season. I think the show has never been better or darker. It was supposed to be the final season, but they decided to go for another one. This happens a lot in TV when a network doesn't want a show to end because it makes money. This can be bad, but on the other hand, we get more Supernatural. It still amazes me how dark this show is- and how nothing ever works out for these characters. That's good drama.
2. 24 (Fox)
24 has declined in quality slightly, hitting the same themes over and over. So, the show had to end. This season went out with a bang, though. My favorite scene was when Jack storms former President Logan's motorcade, in full body armor with an assault riffle. Logan says: That's Jack Bauer!!! Which is the appropriate response. Followed by shitting yourself. This was a sad year- I had two shows I loved dearly end. And within a few days of each other.
1. True Blood (HBO)
In an episode this season, after making a speech about eating children, a vampire pulls out a dude's spine. On national television. This is possibly the most awesome, horrifying thing I have ever seen. And that's why True Blood gets the number one spot. The show seemed to be trying to top itself this year. Every episode had something wackier and more violent than the previous one. But Vampire King Russell ripping out that guy's spine...I'm still shocked about it. I really can't wait for the DVDs.
There's my list! Honorable mentions go to Caprica (Syfy), The Walking Dead (AMC), and the Hawaii 5-0 remake (CBS). All were great shows, but they didn't quite make it. I doubt 2011 will have programming as good as 2010, but we'll see. Stay tuned!
Monday, January 3, 2011
2010 Top 10
It's that time of year again. The time when we look back over the year and think about which movies we liked best...so we can disagree with The Academy in a month or so when they don't pick what we liked. Some people have been ragging on 2010 by saying it hasn't been a great year for movies. Looking back on this list, I have to disagree. There are plenty movies on here that I really liked. I think people might not be seeing the RIGHT movies. Anyway, here's the list. As Hannibal from the A-Team might say, I love it when a plan comes together.
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
These films have gotten progressively better over the last decade. The kids have really grown into their roles and developed some great acting abilities. The supporting cast is perfect as well, most of them being exactly how I imagined them when I read the book. I'm not sure if I'm ready to see it go, since the last Harry Potter film ever opens this summer.
9. The Last Exorcism
I was surprised by how much I liked this. It's a horror movie that shows restraint, and understands that scary doesn't mean shoving gore down your throat for 90 min. Instead, it uses tension to build the suspense, and it works well. This film feels like a time bomb that's going to go off, but you don't know when. Also, I really related to the main character's struggle with faith.
8. True Grit
A fine addition to the already awesome library of Coen Brothers movies. Great performances, great dialogue. It's a satisfying revenge tale. Not my favorite of their films, but good none the less. Jeff Bridges will probably be up for another Oscar for this.
7. The Town
Who knew Ben Affleck could direct? Not only that, but he stars in this too...and actually pulls it off. This is easily the best performance of his career. It looks like he's matured quite a bit and now may grow into a decent film maker. There's a lot that works here.
6. Toy Story 3
I never though I'd get emotional over a cartoon about toys who come to life...but here we are. The message of this film is that we all grow up, and when we do, we have to put away childish things. Excuse me, there's something in my eye.
5. Shutter Island
Shutter Island is a great mystery. And I love a mystery. Throughout this film, I knew something was wrong...way wrong...but I couldn't put my finger on it. A lot of people have bashed this, saying they figured it out...but I remember people saying that about the Sixth Sense. Which I also enjoyed, so...eh. I loved the hell out of this. I read the book too, which is also awesome.
4. Kick Ass
There's a little girl in this who kills a bunch of adults by herself. That alone makes this list worthy. It's funny that people protested this because it has a lot of violence towards children. It's funny though, because parents are always afraid kids will emulate the movies. Here's one that realistically (sort of) shows what happens if you were to try something like that, and they hate it. Hippocrates. This film is a rush, and a lot of fun to watch.
3. Black Swan
Natalie Portman gives the performance of her career here. I really hope she gets an Oscar for it. I love movies like this. Movies that are the kind of thrillers that make you question your reality. This film really rattled me...which is saying something because I rarely get rattled by movies anymore. I hate to be one of those nerds that raves about a film few have seen, but this is one that really earns it.
2. The Social Network
The cultural relevance of this film is what made it work for me. The fact that people are watching a movie about Facebook while many are on Facebook in the theater...if that's not art, I don't know what is. The movie itself is really amazing too. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it's damn entertaining.
1. Inception
I was blown away by this. I thought about it for days afterward. I love that it's open ended, and leaves it up for interpretation. I have my theories as to what the end means, and I'm sure everyone else does, too. I think this movie is similar to The Matrix and Dark City (both of which I like) but I think it works better. I really hope it gets a best picture nod, but because it came out in the summer...I doubt it. Anyway, I loved this movie, and it gets my vote as best of the year.
The worst movie of 2010 is Robin Hood. The one with Russell Crowe. It was just that it was a remake no one asked for, didn't offer us anything we hadn't seen in a Robin Hood movie before. And they called it a prequel, for some reason. I remember hearing that originally this was called Nottingham and was going to be told from the Sheriff's point of view. The studio apparently freaked out at the originality of that idea and decided to make it like every Robin Hood we've ever seen. So, it gets the stamp of worst movie of the year. I mean, I'm sure there were worse movies. I didn't see that one with Katherine Heigl where she gets baby poop on her face. I'm sure that's worse. I can't really watch movies I know ahead of time are going to be horrible, but I thought they might make something fun out of Robin Hood. They didn't.
So, there's my list. I hope 2011 throws some good movies our way, but we'll have to see. Until then, I'll see you at the movies.
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
These films have gotten progressively better over the last decade. The kids have really grown into their roles and developed some great acting abilities. The supporting cast is perfect as well, most of them being exactly how I imagined them when I read the book. I'm not sure if I'm ready to see it go, since the last Harry Potter film ever opens this summer.
9. The Last Exorcism
I was surprised by how much I liked this. It's a horror movie that shows restraint, and understands that scary doesn't mean shoving gore down your throat for 90 min. Instead, it uses tension to build the suspense, and it works well. This film feels like a time bomb that's going to go off, but you don't know when. Also, I really related to the main character's struggle with faith.
8. True Grit
A fine addition to the already awesome library of Coen Brothers movies. Great performances, great dialogue. It's a satisfying revenge tale. Not my favorite of their films, but good none the less. Jeff Bridges will probably be up for another Oscar for this.
7. The Town
Who knew Ben Affleck could direct? Not only that, but he stars in this too...and actually pulls it off. This is easily the best performance of his career. It looks like he's matured quite a bit and now may grow into a decent film maker. There's a lot that works here.
6. Toy Story 3
I never though I'd get emotional over a cartoon about toys who come to life...but here we are. The message of this film is that we all grow up, and when we do, we have to put away childish things. Excuse me, there's something in my eye.
5. Shutter Island
Shutter Island is a great mystery. And I love a mystery. Throughout this film, I knew something was wrong...way wrong...but I couldn't put my finger on it. A lot of people have bashed this, saying they figured it out...but I remember people saying that about the Sixth Sense. Which I also enjoyed, so...eh. I loved the hell out of this. I read the book too, which is also awesome.
4. Kick Ass
There's a little girl in this who kills a bunch of adults by herself. That alone makes this list worthy. It's funny that people protested this because it has a lot of violence towards children. It's funny though, because parents are always afraid kids will emulate the movies. Here's one that realistically (sort of) shows what happens if you were to try something like that, and they hate it. Hippocrates. This film is a rush, and a lot of fun to watch.
3. Black Swan
Natalie Portman gives the performance of her career here. I really hope she gets an Oscar for it. I love movies like this. Movies that are the kind of thrillers that make you question your reality. This film really rattled me...which is saying something because I rarely get rattled by movies anymore. I hate to be one of those nerds that raves about a film few have seen, but this is one that really earns it.
2. The Social Network
The cultural relevance of this film is what made it work for me. The fact that people are watching a movie about Facebook while many are on Facebook in the theater...if that's not art, I don't know what is. The movie itself is really amazing too. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it's damn entertaining.
1. Inception
I was blown away by this. I thought about it for days afterward. I love that it's open ended, and leaves it up for interpretation. I have my theories as to what the end means, and I'm sure everyone else does, too. I think this movie is similar to The Matrix and Dark City (both of which I like) but I think it works better. I really hope it gets a best picture nod, but because it came out in the summer...I doubt it. Anyway, I loved this movie, and it gets my vote as best of the year.
The worst movie of 2010 is Robin Hood. The one with Russell Crowe. It was just that it was a remake no one asked for, didn't offer us anything we hadn't seen in a Robin Hood movie before. And they called it a prequel, for some reason. I remember hearing that originally this was called Nottingham and was going to be told from the Sheriff's point of view. The studio apparently freaked out at the originality of that idea and decided to make it like every Robin Hood we've ever seen. So, it gets the stamp of worst movie of the year. I mean, I'm sure there were worse movies. I didn't see that one with Katherine Heigl where she gets baby poop on her face. I'm sure that's worse. I can't really watch movies I know ahead of time are going to be horrible, but I thought they might make something fun out of Robin Hood. They didn't.
So, there's my list. I hope 2011 throws some good movies our way, but we'll have to see. Until then, I'll see you at the movies.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Black Swan
The opening scene of Black Swan is perfect. In it, our heroine Nina (Natalie Portman), dances by herself. There's no crowd, no instructor, no parents. Just Nina, dancing alone in a black void. It's a perfect intro to the movie and her character. It says that Nina is stuck in an endless pirouette, a dance that she will never escape.
I love movies like Black Swan. Movies like Fight Club , The Matrix, or The Sixth Sense. They're the kind of thrillers that make you question your reality. Because, in the end, reality is only an interpretation of what our brain sees. We trust that our brain is reliable, and is giving us accurate information, but we only see things from our own perspective. What we consider "normal" may be completely different from what someone else thinks it is.
The story is that Nina is a dancer in NYC. She has just landed the lead role in a production of Swan Lake. However, she has to play two roles- a pure White Swan and its ugly twin, the Black Swan. Her instructor thinks she is perfect for the White Swan, because her dancing is technically flawless. He doesn't know if she can play the more evil/rebellious Black Swan, because he thinks she isn't feeling it. What is awesome about this, is that the story of Swan Lake brilliantly echoes what's going on in Nina's life. Throughout the film she tries to surrender herself to the Black Swan. Because she's been so sheltered her whole life, it's not something that comes naturally to her. By the film's end, you can really see how becoming the Black Swan is both liberating her and killing her at the same time. Some people just can't handle their dark side.
Aside from all the internal struggle stuff, there's more going on here. This film is also about the crazy amounts of pressure that gets put on athletes. They put themselves through so much striving for perfection, but any sane person will tell you that perfection is impossible. You should only try to be your best. That's not a message that sports (or anything competitive) tells you. They usually tell you to win at all costs, and if you don't, you're not trying hard enough. It's sad, because you have to wonder how many screwed up athletes there are trying to achieve something they can't.
On the technical side of things, the film looks amazing. I read somewhere that director Darren Aronofsky shot the whole movie was shot with a hand held camera. Normally I would say that's not a great idea- I find the "shaky camera" stuff to be very distracting. However, I didn't even notice it here, so that's another thing about how good this film is. The score is great too, and I also read that it is a variation of the actual Swan Lake score, which is the production they're doing in the film. The cast is great, too. Natalie Portman easily gives the best performance of her career. Mila Kunis does a great job playing Lily, the rebellious counterpart to Nina's character. Winona Ryder is also fantastic as a dancer who is retired before she's ready, as dancers apparently don't get long careers.
This film is fantastic. It plays out kind of like a dark and twisted fairy tale. That's interesting, because the original fairy tales we know were dark and twisted before being watered down for children. I really have no complaints at all, and would argue that this is one of the best films of the year.
I love movies like Black Swan. Movies like Fight Club , The Matrix, or The Sixth Sense. They're the kind of thrillers that make you question your reality. Because, in the end, reality is only an interpretation of what our brain sees. We trust that our brain is reliable, and is giving us accurate information, but we only see things from our own perspective. What we consider "normal" may be completely different from what someone else thinks it is.
The story is that Nina is a dancer in NYC. She has just landed the lead role in a production of Swan Lake. However, she has to play two roles- a pure White Swan and its ugly twin, the Black Swan. Her instructor thinks she is perfect for the White Swan, because her dancing is technically flawless. He doesn't know if she can play the more evil/rebellious Black Swan, because he thinks she isn't feeling it. What is awesome about this, is that the story of Swan Lake brilliantly echoes what's going on in Nina's life. Throughout the film she tries to surrender herself to the Black Swan. Because she's been so sheltered her whole life, it's not something that comes naturally to her. By the film's end, you can really see how becoming the Black Swan is both liberating her and killing her at the same time. Some people just can't handle their dark side.
Aside from all the internal struggle stuff, there's more going on here. This film is also about the crazy amounts of pressure that gets put on athletes. They put themselves through so much striving for perfection, but any sane person will tell you that perfection is impossible. You should only try to be your best. That's not a message that sports (or anything competitive) tells you. They usually tell you to win at all costs, and if you don't, you're not trying hard enough. It's sad, because you have to wonder how many screwed up athletes there are trying to achieve something they can't.
On the technical side of things, the film looks amazing. I read somewhere that director Darren Aronofsky shot the whole movie was shot with a hand held camera. Normally I would say that's not a great idea- I find the "shaky camera" stuff to be very distracting. However, I didn't even notice it here, so that's another thing about how good this film is. The score is great too, and I also read that it is a variation of the actual Swan Lake score, which is the production they're doing in the film. The cast is great, too. Natalie Portman easily gives the best performance of her career. Mila Kunis does a great job playing Lily, the rebellious counterpart to Nina's character. Winona Ryder is also fantastic as a dancer who is retired before she's ready, as dancers apparently don't get long careers.
This film is fantastic. It plays out kind of like a dark and twisted fairy tale. That's interesting, because the original fairy tales we know were dark and twisted before being watered down for children. I really have no complaints at all, and would argue that this is one of the best films of the year.
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