Black Swan (2010)

Trailer

(4 Feathers)

No one should expect anything less than excellence from Darren Aronofsky. Although not every film can be a star, (The Wrestler) he has plenty more behind him that have blown audiences away not just with direction, but with new ideas in film making and editing. Of course, it doesn`t hurt when you choose a lead actress like Natalie Portman either.

This movie made my skin crawl, made me physically and mentally uneasy and kept my attention throughout. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys thinking during a movie. If you liked Machete, great. You can like this movie too, but for completely different reasons which inhabit the opposite hemisphere of your brain.

1. It`s shot beautifully with the camera flying around the stage and dancers so fluidly that you`d swear it were on a track or done in post-production. All the coverage of the ballet aspect of the movie combines nicely with the inner hallucinations to keep you interested, especially for those who can`t watch more than 5 minutes of ballet in one sitting.

2. The actors are fantastic. Even Mila Kunis is bearable (for once). I know. Unbelievable, right? She was boring on That 70`s Show, lackluster even in voice form on Family Guy, how does she pay for her life? Train that girl for a few months in ballet, slap on some makeup and she is ready for the stage. She played a very believeable bitch character, which would`ve been done better by Rachel McAdams, but still, did alright. It probably didn`t hurt either that she was willing to lez out with Natalie Portman. Let`s be careful not to forget that in the movies, going gay is usually a good career move. People want to see an actor challenge himself (as if making out with either Mila Kunis or Natalie Portman would be a challenge for anyone) and when we get to see them going at it, our primal selves are excited and so then our more advanced selves think "oh my, I`m so naughty" and we tell ourselves we`re excited because of the actors` committment. Bullshit. Everyone likes a girl on girl scene. Even the gays. Moving on.

The ballet director, Vincent Cassel, is also excellent in this movie. He embodies all of the sexiness of French culture and everything Americans hate about it as well. He manipulates, gropes and fucks his way through the dancers` lives with a sly French smile on his face the entire time.

Also, Portman`s mother, Barbara Hershey, was very nice to watch. She was a cross between Mommie Dearest`s Faye Dunaway and Carrie`s Piper Laurie. Very crazy, very intense and everyone wants to smack her. Loved it.

3. The music adds so much tension and warmth to the movie, a common landmark in Aronofsky`s films, especially with the intense theme from Requiem for a Dream. So many people ripped that music for themselves since seeing Requiem and have used it for everything from trailers to soap commercials.

OK, you`re probably thinking, why is he being so nice and positive towards this movie? Isn`t he usually more of an asshole? I felt we needed a fresh, positive start for 2011. That being said, from now on you may continue to expect the same quality of disparagement and pure hate that you have all come to know and love.

- B