"Black Swan" is a devilishly energetic, angelically over-the-top, passionately driven, beautifully choreographed melodramatic masterpiece. The music, rearranged by Clint Mansell, fuels the sheer excitement and intensity of this nightmare tragedy while Natalie Portman is gorgeous and unforgettable in one of the greatest screen performances I have ever watched. The rest of the cast and crew secure this as the year's most daring film and quite possibly the best. The White Swan soars above traditional Hollywood simplicity while The Black Swan gives two middle fingers to cinematic cowardice all while refusing a safety net. "Black Swan" is in a class all by itself because of how perfectly it juxtaposes beauty with violence, sex with horror, good with evil, character with thrills, reality with fantasy, and humanity with perfection. It also creates a hybrid of genres while bending your mind. The only word I could mutter as I left the theater was 'wow.' This examination of dedication to the arts and overcoming your nature is a warning to those who fall too deeply into a performance. It's anything but dismissible.
Darren Aronofsky often does movies that serve as warnings. "Requiem for a Dream" showed the dangers of drug addiction using both legal and illegal drugs and how they destroyed four lives. "The Wrestler" analyzed what a comeback is as well as the cost involved to regain lost fame. "Pi," however, seems to be the most like "Black Swan" because they both analyze the price of perfection. "Pi" attached it to a logical medium, but "Black Swan" takes place in a New York City ballet company. Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is a very sweet, awkward girl living with her mother. She is fragile in her life as she seems to have no real friends but is perfect in technique for ballet. The only person who ever calls her cell phone is her mother, and the other ballerinas in the company mock her. After director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassell) casts off the former prima ballerina in the company, Beth (Winona Ryder), for reasons explained but unreliable, Thomas announces that a new, fresh face will be the lead in their upcoming production of Swan Lake. The catch is that the lead will have to play both the frail White Swan but also her evil twin, the sexy, manipulative Black Swan. As you are most likely aware, Nina is perfect for the White Swan but lacks the raw sexuality needed for the Black Swan.
The movie goes into an interesting direction at this point. It becomes a psychological thriller with an unreliable witness as Nina begins to discover her inner Black Swan. Nina lands the role before meeting Lily (Mila Kunis), but she discovers that Lily is the incarnate for the Black Swan. Nina doesn't strive to be like Lily in obvious ways such as dressing or talking like her but instead has a core change; she masturbates, experiments with a drug, has anonymous sex in a bathroom stall, and becomes disgusted at her room, dressed in pink and white with stuffed animals. In light of becoming the Black Swan, she casts off her baggage as the White and shifts into something evil.
It may seem like I'm giving away too many plot details, but like all great movies, "Black Swan" is all about the journey rather than the destination. We watch like observers in a zoo as Nina becomes something sexual but ugly. I felt pain for this shift because I genuinely liked and pitied the White Swan, but there is never regret in Nina's turnaround in her mind. She loves where she is going because she believes that it is the only way to achieve perfection.
There are so many levels to this film. First of all, Nina sees some bizarre images including her reflection acting differently than she, her face on other bodies, and the glare of her mother's paintings following her. Are these things real? We can assume not, but within the context other questions about what is real and imagined are raised. I've previously mentioned that Nina as our main character is an unreliable witness because what she sees and what takes place may not be the same, but writers Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, and John McLaughlin were brilliant in keeping this focus steady and unflinching. We never see the world according to anyone else, so the question of real and imaginary remains.
The film is a melodrama with excellent reason. Being personally unfamiliar with Tchaikovsky's score for Swan Lake, my sister pointed out to me that the themes as well as the emotional climax of the film were mostly taken directly from Swan Lake and rearranged to fit this different context. Clint Mansell simply does a wonderful job with these themes, making the soundtrack to the movie my favorite of the year as well as an all-time best on my list.
"Black Swan" keeps its energy high throughout the movie and has masterful pacing. When you leave the theater, you don't feel drained but instead energized. It's a wonderful feeling that is rarely felt during movies today, but the flick nails it admirably. It's my favorite movie of the year, and after some debate, it replaced "Inception" as my best of the year. It's bold, unflinching, and has some of the best and most realistic characters I've witnessed in my life. Movies like "Black Swan" (and this year's "Inception" to be fair) just aren't made very often, but when they fully and completely nail every single second, I can't watch them enough times. It's a great film- see it as much as you can.
Rated R for strong sexual content, disturbing violent images, language, and some drug use.
Check your local theater for showtimes.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Top Ten of 2010
Before I make the list, I should tell you that the following critically acclaimed movies will not appear on the list because I have not had the pleasure of watching these:
127 Hours
The American
Another Year
The King's Speech
The Town
The Secret in Their Eyes
The Kids Are All Right
True Grit
I Am Love
Somewhere
Hereafter
Rabbit Hole
Secretariat
With those being listed, here are my choices for the top ten as of now. When everything is released on DVD, I will most likely update the list.
1. Black Swan
"Black Swan" is a devilishly energetic, angelically over-the-top, passionately driven, beautifully choreographed melodramatic masterpiece. The music by Clint Mansell fuels the sheer excitement and intensity of this nightmare tragedy while Natalie Portman is gorgeous and unforgettable in one of the greatest screen performances I have ever witnessed. The rest of the cast secures this as the year's most daring film and quite possibly the best. The White Swan soars above traditional Hollywood simplicity while The Black Swan gives two middle fingers to cinematic cowardice all while refusing a safety net. "Black Swan" is in a class all by itself because of how perfectly it juxtaposes beauty with violence, sex with horror, good with evil, character with thrills, reality with fantasy, and humanity with perfection. The only word I could mutter as I left the theater was 'wow.' This examination of dedication to the arts and overcoming your nature is a warning to those who fall too deeply into a performance. It's anything but dismissible.
2. Inception
A thoroughly engrossing sci-fi epic with several unique and unforgettable passages. The characters are all equally fascinating with a finale that is as tense as anything I've ever watched.
3. The Ghost Writer
It's an excellent thriller based on an excellent novel. It works on several levels, and the performances (mostly Ewan McGregor as The Unnamed Ghost) are memorable. The movie looks great, the score makes it sound great, and the feeling in the end isn't one of being duped but instead something that adds a whole new meaning to the previous context without taking away from it.
4. Leaves of Grass
A wonderful dark comedy with an engrossing performance by Edward Norton. There are many fascinating philosophical questions raised, and the plot is never compromised. It's entirely original, and I can't name a single movie like it.
5. Thee Social Network
Its base concept of how we as people living in an age of technology where nothing can possibly be real if we can't see it works. The movie runs on several noteworthy performances, especially Andrew Garfield. David Fincher makes a fine film overall.
6. The Girl Who Played With Fire
Noomi Rapace continues The Millennium Trilogy with power and substance. It's more of a thriller than the modern masterpiece that is "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," but it works extraordinarily well.
7. Winter's Bone
A very nice, toned-down drama about a girl who must locate her father (or his body), the film remains filled with hope despite its dark nature. Jennifer Lawrence is a notable newcomer as she fuels the entire movie with an unflinching performance. It's not something you may want to watch over and over again, but it's definitely worth at least one viewing.
8. Shutter Island
It's an incredibly engrossing film that shows a new edge to Martin Scorsese. Leonardo DiCaprio gives another fine performance in this wonderful thriller set on an isolated asylum, but the supporting cast is what ultimately makes the movie as wonderful as it is.
9. Toy Story 3
In the front-runner for Best Animated Feature, this story manages to be quite thrilling with a wonderful sense of humor. It works on many levels, but on sheer enjoyment, it's a great one of its kind. It falls short of last year's amazing winner, "Up," but I enjoyed myself.
10. Kick-Ass
Alright, this will most likely be getting the boot after I watch the unseen notables previously mentioned, but as a dark comedy, there isn't much that I could call bad. It has energy, proves that Chloe Moretz is an up-and-coming child actor, and it has a nice, juicy role for Nicolas Cage (who was channeling James Woods' Batman in his comedic performance).
127 Hours
The American
Another Year
The King's Speech
The Town
The Secret in Their Eyes
The Kids Are All Right
True Grit
I Am Love
Somewhere
Hereafter
Rabbit Hole
Secretariat
With those being listed, here are my choices for the top ten as of now. When everything is released on DVD, I will most likely update the list.
1. Black Swan
"Black Swan" is a devilishly energetic, angelically over-the-top, passionately driven, beautifully choreographed melodramatic masterpiece. The music by Clint Mansell fuels the sheer excitement and intensity of this nightmare tragedy while Natalie Portman is gorgeous and unforgettable in one of the greatest screen performances I have ever witnessed. The rest of the cast secures this as the year's most daring film and quite possibly the best. The White Swan soars above traditional Hollywood simplicity while The Black Swan gives two middle fingers to cinematic cowardice all while refusing a safety net. "Black Swan" is in a class all by itself because of how perfectly it juxtaposes beauty with violence, sex with horror, good with evil, character with thrills, reality with fantasy, and humanity with perfection. The only word I could mutter as I left the theater was 'wow.' This examination of dedication to the arts and overcoming your nature is a warning to those who fall too deeply into a performance. It's anything but dismissible.
2. Inception
A thoroughly engrossing sci-fi epic with several unique and unforgettable passages. The characters are all equally fascinating with a finale that is as tense as anything I've ever watched.
3. The Ghost Writer
It's an excellent thriller based on an excellent novel. It works on several levels, and the performances (mostly Ewan McGregor as The Unnamed Ghost) are memorable. The movie looks great, the score makes it sound great, and the feeling in the end isn't one of being duped but instead something that adds a whole new meaning to the previous context without taking away from it.
4. Leaves of Grass
A wonderful dark comedy with an engrossing performance by Edward Norton. There are many fascinating philosophical questions raised, and the plot is never compromised. It's entirely original, and I can't name a single movie like it.
5. Thee Social Network
Its base concept of how we as people living in an age of technology where nothing can possibly be real if we can't see it works. The movie runs on several noteworthy performances, especially Andrew Garfield. David Fincher makes a fine film overall.
6. The Girl Who Played With Fire
Noomi Rapace continues The Millennium Trilogy with power and substance. It's more of a thriller than the modern masterpiece that is "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," but it works extraordinarily well.
7. Winter's Bone
A very nice, toned-down drama about a girl who must locate her father (or his body), the film remains filled with hope despite its dark nature. Jennifer Lawrence is a notable newcomer as she fuels the entire movie with an unflinching performance. It's not something you may want to watch over and over again, but it's definitely worth at least one viewing.
8. Shutter Island
It's an incredibly engrossing film that shows a new edge to Martin Scorsese. Leonardo DiCaprio gives another fine performance in this wonderful thriller set on an isolated asylum, but the supporting cast is what ultimately makes the movie as wonderful as it is.
9. Toy Story 3
In the front-runner for Best Animated Feature, this story manages to be quite thrilling with a wonderful sense of humor. It works on many levels, but on sheer enjoyment, it's a great one of its kind. It falls short of last year's amazing winner, "Up," but I enjoyed myself.
10. Kick-Ass
Alright, this will most likely be getting the boot after I watch the unseen notables previously mentioned, but as a dark comedy, there isn't much that I could call bad. It has energy, proves that Chloe Moretz is an up-and-coming child actor, and it has a nice, juicy role for Nicolas Cage (who was channeling James Woods' Batman in his comedic performance).
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Best Worst Movie - *** out of ****
"Troll 2" was such a spectacularly horrible film that it actually secured a cult following. The sheer frustration of everything involved in the production seemed to secure its status before it even started. The Italian director, Claudio Fragasso, spoke no English and could not communicate at all with the actors. The script, although its final title was "Troll 2," had absolutely no trolls in it but instead goblins. The original title was "Goblin," but the director, who wrote the script with Rossella Drudi (who I don't think I have to tell you didn't speak much English as well) did not understand the difference between trolls and goblins. The costumes, especially the awfully designed creatures, were something to be noticed. Everyone involved were honestly trying to make a good movie which makes it all the more tragic.
George Hardy is a genuinely nice, good man. Even ask his ex-wife; she has nothing bad to say about him. Just to see his enthusiasm when referring to "Troll 2" as 'The Worst Movie Ever Made' makes him seem all the more tragic when he realizes that he truly does want to be an actor, but because of "Troll 2," that dream will never happen. He's a hometown hero, and after going to the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City, he has the feeling that he's something of a cult hero, which is partially true. He would later go to Comic Con and be completely ignored.
The director, Fragasso, would reveal his serious hubris because, to this day, he thinks he made an excellent film. When the other actors mention the comedic elements involved in filming (one actor had to stand in a pot for 14 hours in his own shoes), he calls them "dogs of actors, acting dogs" and talks about how they know nothing and are bad actors. He speaks English reportedly better in "Best Worst Movie" than he did during "Troll 2," but if it tells you anything, whenever he speaks, there are subtitles every time. He's insulted by the numerous questions about "Troll 2" about plot points that make no sense and walks out of a conference, snarling at the actors after they get applause.
Margo Prey, who played Diana Waits in "Troll 2," the mother, spends her time with her aging mother. Margo has many warnings outside of her home, and the place seems to be a fortress. She complains of a high-pitched noise often (although none is picked up on camera) and compares "Troll 2" to "Casablanca." She refuses to go to any conventions, screenings, or meetings with anyone outside of her home. She still wishes to pursue an acting career, but according to IMDb, she hasn't appeared in a single role other than "Troll 2" and "Best Worst Movie."
By now, you're either wondering what "Best Worst Movie" is or have managed to figure it out on your own. For the record, "Best Worst Movie" is a documentary made to chronicle the future of those involved in making "Troll 2," what is often referred to as 'The Worst Movie of All Time.' I did see "Troll 2" before watching "Best Worst Movie," and I truly believe that to be an accurate description of the movie. Where the documentary falters is that the subject matter grows old, but there is a nice arc of fame, loss, and conclusion, even though "Troll 2" is no longer the worst-rated movie of all time on IMDb. Why should we take the infamy from it?
Not Rated.
Buy it here.
Buy "Troll 2" here.
George Hardy is a genuinely nice, good man. Even ask his ex-wife; she has nothing bad to say about him. Just to see his enthusiasm when referring to "Troll 2" as 'The Worst Movie Ever Made' makes him seem all the more tragic when he realizes that he truly does want to be an actor, but because of "Troll 2," that dream will never happen. He's a hometown hero, and after going to the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City, he has the feeling that he's something of a cult hero, which is partially true. He would later go to Comic Con and be completely ignored.
The director, Fragasso, would reveal his serious hubris because, to this day, he thinks he made an excellent film. When the other actors mention the comedic elements involved in filming (one actor had to stand in a pot for 14 hours in his own shoes), he calls them "dogs of actors, acting dogs" and talks about how they know nothing and are bad actors. He speaks English reportedly better in "Best Worst Movie" than he did during "Troll 2," but if it tells you anything, whenever he speaks, there are subtitles every time. He's insulted by the numerous questions about "Troll 2" about plot points that make no sense and walks out of a conference, snarling at the actors after they get applause.
Margo Prey, who played Diana Waits in "Troll 2," the mother, spends her time with her aging mother. Margo has many warnings outside of her home, and the place seems to be a fortress. She complains of a high-pitched noise often (although none is picked up on camera) and compares "Troll 2" to "Casablanca." She refuses to go to any conventions, screenings, or meetings with anyone outside of her home. She still wishes to pursue an acting career, but according to IMDb, she hasn't appeared in a single role other than "Troll 2" and "Best Worst Movie."
By now, you're either wondering what "Best Worst Movie" is or have managed to figure it out on your own. For the record, "Best Worst Movie" is a documentary made to chronicle the future of those involved in making "Troll 2," what is often referred to as 'The Worst Movie of All Time.' I did see "Troll 2" before watching "Best Worst Movie," and I truly believe that to be an accurate description of the movie. Where the documentary falters is that the subject matter grows old, but there is a nice arc of fame, loss, and conclusion, even though "Troll 2" is no longer the worst-rated movie of all time on IMDb. Why should we take the infamy from it?
Not Rated.
Buy it here.
Buy "Troll 2" here.
Golden Globe Nominations and Predictions
For our purposes, I only predicted the movies of this year. The winner is marked with an asterisk (*) before the name, but please keep in mind that the winner isn't who I necessarily think SHOULD win but rather who I think will. I feel as though the Golden Globes almost nailed Drama with the exceptions of forgetting The Ghost Writer and Shutter Island but royally screwed up Comedy/Musical. What happened to well-reviewed films such as Scott Pilgrim vs. The World? Edward Norton's performance in Leaves of Grass? I would take a Steve Carell/Tina Fey Comedy/Musical nomination for Date Night over joint nominations for The Tourist when most critics stated that the movie's biggest problem was the lack of chemistry between the two leads.
At a later date, I will write what I feel the nominations should be and which movies should receive acclaim. For now, enjoy!
Picture- Drama
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King’s Speech
Inception
*The Social Network
Picture- Comedy/Musical
Alice in Wonderland
Burlesque
*The Kids Are All Right
RED
The Tourist
Actor in Drama
Jesse Eisenberg- The Social Network
*Colin Firth- The King’s Speech
James Franco- 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling- Blue Valentine
Mark Wahlberg- The Fighter
Actress in Drama
Halle Berry- Frankie and Alice
Nicole Kidman- Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence- Winter’s Bone
*Natalie Portman- Black Swan
Michelle Williams- Blue Valentine
Actor in Musical/Comedy
Johnny Depp- The Tourist
*Johnny Depp- Alice in Wonderland
Paul Giamatti- Barney’s Version
Jake Gyllenhaal- Love and Other Drugs
Kevin Spacey- Casino Jack
Actress in Musical/Comedy
*Annette Bening- The Kids Are All Right
Anne Hathaway- Love and Other Drugs
Angelina Jolie- The Tourist
Julianne Moore- The Kids Are All Right
Emma Stone- Easy A
Supporting Actor
Christian Bale- The Fighter
Michael Douglas- Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
*Andrew Garfield- The Social Network
Jeremy Renner- The Town
Geoffrey Rush- The King’s Speech
Supporting Actress
Amy Adams- The Fighter
*Helena Bonham Carter- The King’s Speech
Mila Kunis- Black Swan
Melissa Leo- The Fighter
Jacki Weaver- Animal Kingdom
Director
Darren Aronofsky- Black Swan
*David Fincher- The Social Network
Tom Hooper- The King’s Speech
Christopher Nolan- Inception
David O. Russell- The Fighter
Screenplay
127 Hours- Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy
Inception- Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right- Stuart Blumberg, Lisa Cholodenko
The King’s Speech- David Seidler
*The Social Network- Aaron Sorkin
Original Song
*Burlesque X2
Country Strong
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Tangled
Original Score
127 Hours- A.R. Rahman
Alice in Wonderland- Danny Elfman
Inception- Hans Zimmer
*The King’s Speech- Alexandre Desplat
The Social Network- Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Animated Film
Despicable Me
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Tangled
*Toy Story 3
Foreign Language Film
Biutiful (Mexico/Spain)
The Concert (France)
The Edge (Russia)
*I Am Love (Italy)
In a Better World (Denmark)
At a later date, I will write what I feel the nominations should be and which movies should receive acclaim. For now, enjoy!
Picture- Drama
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King’s Speech
Inception
*The Social Network
Picture- Comedy/Musical
Alice in Wonderland
Burlesque
*The Kids Are All Right
RED
The Tourist
Actor in Drama
Jesse Eisenberg- The Social Network
*Colin Firth- The King’s Speech
James Franco- 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling- Blue Valentine
Mark Wahlberg- The Fighter
Actress in Drama
Halle Berry- Frankie and Alice
Nicole Kidman- Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence- Winter’s Bone
*Natalie Portman- Black Swan
Michelle Williams- Blue Valentine
Actor in Musical/Comedy
Johnny Depp- The Tourist
*Johnny Depp- Alice in Wonderland
Paul Giamatti- Barney’s Version
Jake Gyllenhaal- Love and Other Drugs
Kevin Spacey- Casino Jack
Actress in Musical/Comedy
*Annette Bening- The Kids Are All Right
Anne Hathaway- Love and Other Drugs
Angelina Jolie- The Tourist
Julianne Moore- The Kids Are All Right
Emma Stone- Easy A
Supporting Actor
Christian Bale- The Fighter
Michael Douglas- Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
*Andrew Garfield- The Social Network
Jeremy Renner- The Town
Geoffrey Rush- The King’s Speech
Supporting Actress
Amy Adams- The Fighter
*Helena Bonham Carter- The King’s Speech
Mila Kunis- Black Swan
Melissa Leo- The Fighter
Jacki Weaver- Animal Kingdom
Director
Darren Aronofsky- Black Swan
*David Fincher- The Social Network
Tom Hooper- The King’s Speech
Christopher Nolan- Inception
David O. Russell- The Fighter
Screenplay
127 Hours- Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy
Inception- Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right- Stuart Blumberg, Lisa Cholodenko
The King’s Speech- David Seidler
*The Social Network- Aaron Sorkin
Original Song
*Burlesque X2
Country Strong
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Tangled
Original Score
127 Hours- A.R. Rahman
Alice in Wonderland- Danny Elfman
Inception- Hans Zimmer
*The King’s Speech- Alexandre Desplat
The Social Network- Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Animated Film
Despicable Me
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Tangled
*Toy Story 3
Foreign Language Film
Biutiful (Mexico/Spain)
The Concert (France)
The Edge (Russia)
*I Am Love (Italy)
In a Better World (Denmark)
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