Black Swan playing in SA? (San Antonio, Cameron: theatre, luxury, living)
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"Prayers for rain in the hurricane season"
(set 15 days ago)
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Mhmm, it will be playing like any other movie starting Friday.
lol @ the Nicole Kidman comment. I am no fan of plastic surgery and she has chosen some roles that to me seem beneath her. I consider her a wonderful actress.
Well, we went and we saw. Sigh. Now take this with a grain of salt because most people like it. For me, it was like anticipating sex with a hot person and then it turning out not anywhere as good as you thought it would be.
Well, we went and we saw. Sigh. Now take this with a grain of salt because most people like it. For me, it was like anticipating sex with a hot person and then it turning out not anywhere as good as you thought it would be.
Just saw it tonight. I found the film underwhelming, too.
I'll try to explain my opinion in the least spoilerish way I can.
I've seen better ballet films. I've seen better horror films. I've seen better mental illness films.
awww boooo....dont you hate when you arent really digging a film where it seems everyone finds it to be incredibly fantastical and a masterpiece??? Thats how I felt about Avatar...bleh.
awww boooo....dont you hate when you arent really digging a film where it seems everyone finds it to be incredibly fantastical and a masterpiece??? Thats how I felt about Avatar...bleh.
Completely agree! I am not an Avatar fan at all. Everybody is into it and yet I just found it to be bleh and boring.
I still want to see Black Swan and hope it is a good film.
Status:
"Prayers for rain in the hurricane season"
(set 15 days ago)
3,385 posts, read 2,182,708 times
Reputation: 1521
Black Swan is sure to disappoint those expecting a conventional film with a happy Hollywood ending. It is more of a roller coaster ride that abruptly careens off the track directly into the closing credits.
It is an art film but not one about the art of ballet other than using it as a backdrop. There is no single rival or rival team that must be beaten to finally win a competition, no depiction of a novice that trains hard to develop into a professional contender, nor is there a tough teacher or environment that at once must be overcome but which also teaches hard but necessary lessons.
There is no comprehensive insight into or a celebration of the world of ballet other than to focus on the pains of perfection which seem to be symptomatic of society at large today. The film could have used any other industry whose origins are historical but which has been transformed by the current climate of demanding performance to the detriment of the performer.
If beauty can be found in grueling torment and pain then it certainly can be appreciated here though it is doubtful that any other industry could have offered this balance of “equally elegant and ugly” if I may borrow the lyrics of the song “Hooting & Howling” by Wild Beasts.
Black Swan is not a horror film but a psychological thriller. There is no monster out to get the protagonist which must be defeated in the end. It is more about the monster within each of us that surfaces when thrust into a competition we did not plan on entering but are determined to win once we realize we are contenders even if we have already won and there are really no other contenders.
Black Swan startles in moments which do not leave the audience screaming in fright or in suspense of what might come in the next scene but instead has the viewer squirming and cringing of what they have just seen.
It is not a film about mental illness either. There are no doctors, patients, or group therapy scenes; no clinical settings whatsoever. There is no family which does not understand or a friend on the inside who does and helps in the healing process. It certainly is not a mental health awareness campaign that intends to act as a public service announcement.
It features an innocent girl who has dreams beyond the one she is already living out and has her turn into a self absorbed and ambitious woman that only few will sympathize with and most will even call shallow. In this way it reminds me of Romola Garai’s character in Real Life of Angel Deverell which I also thoroughly enjoyed but remains inaccessible to mainstream audiences.
The ending is reminiscent of the 1940’s gangster flic White Heat where James Cagney’s character goes out in flames screaming, “Made it, Ma! Top of the world!” Although in Black Swan, Natalie Porman’s self-immolation is a silent one whose flames arise from an inner passion and whose sole language is one of frenzied body movements that are perfect yet devastating.
Most will not appreciate this film because it lacks a conflict which climaxes midway before all the loose ends are neatly tied by film’s end. It will leave the general audience dissatisfied if they desire typical resolution. If that is the case I would instead recommend Little Fockers which was a good movie if one wants a fair mix of humor and drama which it offers both in spades.
There is not much of a plot in Black Swan but rather it is a day or season in the life of one person. Black Swan is for those with more subtle appreciations for beautiful cinematography, cautionary tales that reveal something about our own inner nature, and a commanding performance in which one wonders how much Natalie Portman has in common with the role she was playing for she was absolutely impeccable. If one enjoys movies on LMN or Sundance then this will be a treat.
Mila Kunis did not overplay her part as a supporting actress but it was thoroughly believable. Barbara Hershey's is the only character which the audience might sympathize with at moments and then turn around and disapprove of. Vincent Cassel was a welcome addition and has a considerably greater role than his limited ones in Elizabeth and The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc. I only wish that Winona Ryder had been given more screen time.
I wasn't expecting the happy ending and don't normally care for happy endings. I knew what was going to happen at the end because I had read about it. Knowing what was going to happen made me want to see it more. I also heard how Portman trained for this role and that also made me want to see it. It felt to me that the film tried too hard to be different and arty. I wasn't impressed. I figured I would like the film since the same guy that directed this also directed the Wrestler. I was wrong but like I said before take my review with a grain of salt since most people rave about this movie.
I wasn't expecting the happy ending and don't normally care for happy endings. I knew what was going to happen at the end because I had read about it. Knowing what was going to happen made me want to see it more. I also heard how Portman trained for this role and that also made me want to see it. It felt to me that the film tried too hard to be different and arty. I wasn't impressed. I figured I would like the film since the same guy that directed this also directed the Wrestler. I was wrong but like I said before take my review with a grain of salt since most people rave about this movie.
Compare this response with the detailed response that Merovee wrote. I'm not saying one person is better than the other here, but simply that Mer took the time to really examine and explore the themes of the movie rather than slap a sticker on it as Carlita did. Writing that the 'same guy' who directed, as well as a number of other turns of phrase within the review tell me that perhaps these are not the words of an arthouse film lover.
Basically, when I'm reading a review of the newest popcorn action flick, sure I'll take the middling general consensus. When it comes to film like Black Swan, I want my reviews chock full. If you didn't like it, tell me why, but do so with respect to the craft of the film.
The director's name is Darren Aronofsky. He's a genius.
Compare this response with the detailed response that Merovee wrote. I'm not saying one person is better than the other here, but simply that Mer took the time to really examine and explore the themes of the movie rather than slap a sticker on it as Carlita did. Writing that the 'same guy' who directed, as well as a number of other turns of phrase within the review tell me that perhaps these are not the words of an arthouse film lover.
Basically, when I'm reading a review of the newest popcorn action flick, sure I'll take the middling general consensus. When it comes to film like Black Swan, I want my reviews chock full. If you didn't like it, tell me why, but do so with respect to the craft of the film.
The director's name is Darren Aronofsky. He's a genius.
BN
Forgive me for not saying things the way you see fit
Black Swan is better than The Wrestler. After watching The Wrestler I felt, "What was the point of watching that?"
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