Black Swan

I was surprised last year, that Aronofsky has a new film and it's with Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel and the hot Mila Kunis.. And yes, if it's Aronofsky, better to expect, the theme is dark and depressing. It was..

After my Wednesday shift, I decided to watch this film, besides I waited for it and quite surprised that they will show it here. Even I know for Darren films are not only dark but some scenes, well, it also involves nudity, or obscene or how about gruesome scenes.. But geez, I was surprised it will be shown here, than Scott Pilgrim. Anyway..

I went to Trinoma and watched it, even I already invited two of my closest friends to watch it. One well, very busy, and the other one, too far and it will be done on Friday which I know, it will be a hectic day and a damn traffic at down south..

I decided to watch it by myself..

Great thing, I arrived at the perfect time to start..

Nina is an aspiring dancer in a ballet company which hoping to get a big break. Nina by the way is played by great Natalie Portman. Then, her director, Thomas, had set up a new play and it is for the title Swan Lake. He also needs a new lead which was handled before by Beth which is played by surprisingly Winona Ryder.. Thomas played by the way by one of the luckiest actors in the film, Vincent Cassel, the Mesrine dude! hehe

Nina is trying hard to get the role and all of the sudden, got hard when another dancer came in which is Lily.. Played by Mila Kunis.. Damn chick. hehe

Then yes, added to that pressure is Nina's mom who was a former ballet dancer, played by Barbara Hershey and they indeed look like mother and daughter. =)

As Nina auditioned, well, Thomas thought not giving her the role since oh well, she is good being the white swan but so lame being the black swan. However, director changed his mind due to that "small talk" and gave the role to Nina anyways..

Then that made Nina not only happy, but also got mad, mad in the sense of perfecting the black swan dance even she did not know what is the right thing to do. Due to that pressure, she is getting images or events that she thought she is doing of. Getting worried aobut her skin and her habits like scratching, and fear of her mom and other things.. Even her likeness to Lily, even at first she is pissed at her...

Nina was getting paranoid as the performance comes near, and she is getting crazy.. Even the only advice from her colleagues or even the director is to loose her self, and being more sensual and real to herself..

She did not follow that advices especially with the series of events happening to her which she cannot understand, until the performance came in.. She gave her best performance, at first quite nervous but at the black swan part, she was able to pull it off admist of the complications happening to her.. Then at the last one, she was able to finish it and everybody seemed impressed.. Yet her, slowly dying inside, smiling that it's over.. Then cut! =)

As I am a Darren Aronofsky fan, I can say I am satisfied what he has done in that film.. It is depressing but masterpiece of sort of.

Of course there some flaws, like as you see, the story is simple, it only got complicated with what Nina feels and see about her pressure and being paranoid.

Another flaw is hmmmmm yes, performance is great but the emotional bond you can relate, like the one in the Wrestler, you can hope that Mickey Rourke can survive the agony, in this one.. You don't want to root for Nina, because she just need to get hold of herself.. She was able to do it but it was too late. How pity. hehe Or how about in Requiem for a Dream, you just hope you can help any of those 4 characters but well, you can't, there are so addicted it seems.

However, those are the only flaws I can see..

I can say, it's between 2nd or 3rd best film of Darren. In terms of performance, Natalie will go home with an Oscar tomorrow. I mean, I don't think Michelle Williams or Annette Benning will stand a chance against her. They are good actresses but Natalie's performance was just superb.. Not only in her acting but also as a ballet dancer, it is very hard to dance in one scene then get crazy in another scene. That's it.. No other explanation to add.. Definitely, that's her.. It's a long due for her to get an award..

As for other characters, it was well delivered. From Barbara, Winona, and the dancers and of course, Mila Kunis! Yeah! hehe I think that character she played, she played it naturally. =)

And my man, Vincent Cassel, it did not show his difficulty in speaking english.. And how he played that director, great! and added, he got his chances for the 2 chicks! hehe But yes, he was great.

Great thing about the movie, the pace as well.. Like other psychological thrillers, it will work with good editing and many events happening at the same time then cuts out.. It worked in this movie, like the scenes from the bar into Nina's room, I know it was raunchy and hot, but it was artistically done. How about the way she practices and other scenes, the scene which she was visiting Beth.. That was scary. Yikes. hehe

Her paranoia scenes were great as well, and of course well delivered.

Cinematography, geez it was hard to spell but yes, it was good as well. Even in a tight budget, it was realistic and kept with the pacing and the art involves in the film..

Speaking of Art, the dancing part help as well, how ballet works and the difficult training and the process, it was interesting of sorts. Sounds, perfectly fit for the movie and the dancing as well, I mean for the ballet performances..

And it look you thought it was a ballet film, but it was not fully for that. It's because of the feeling of Nina going in that process.. It just fit together in the film, with it's dark elements, it was a fit. Not that much but not that less.. Just fine, not perfect though.

Directing, well, it's Darren Aronofsky, he combined it with a sense of giving the thrills and feeling on how to achieve perfection, in a dark way.

But he should make lighter films, geez, even Pi was dark but has one of the good endings in his films. hehe I hope he can venture to that topic.. A happy life.

He won't win best Director or even the best film, I feel sorry for him because I thought at first, he will win this time for the best Director, but when Inception and other films came in place, it is not his time. Damn. Better luck next time!

But he is good already, actually one of the best movie directors I like. Maybe because his films even it's depressing, but it's great with its other aspects, artistically and creates a deep bond with the viewer..

Great movie and definitely, one in my collection, except for the Fountain. hehe