Summary: A ballet dancer, Nina (Portman) wins the lead in "Swan Lake" and is perfect for the role of the delicate White Swan - Princess Odette - but slowly loses her mind as she becomes more and more like Odile the Black Swan, daughter of an evil magician.
Erm, well we all know Aronofsky can do psychological thriller (Pi was amazing!) but there's something not quite right about this. Not to say it's bad, not at all, but it reminds me of too many things to truly WOW me.
I don't really know how to explain, Portman was convincingly psychologically disturbed, Cassel as the company direct was moody and confusing, Kunis pulled off the Nemesis/best friend part well and Barbara Hershey and Ryder probably could have been cut but were OK. I mean really the plot is really explained above, the film slowly blurs the the edges of Nina's psyche making you question reality, moving more and more towards full out body horror but forever trying to hold onto Nina's fragile sanity.
I found myself questioning everything but still found it all a little predictable. There are issues of performance anxiety, sexuality, repression and confrontation and to be completely honest it all feels a little too French. The themes echo of Cache, The Piano Teacher and Natalie but Aronofsky is trying to hard to mainstream it and it never really gets under your skin. The pacing was good but the focus on Nina's inner psyche was not as intense as it should have been and it all ends up falling abit flat.
I admit, I am awkwardly sitting on the fence with this one, it's never gonna make my all time favourite film list but it was visually impressive, the cinematography was gritty and edgy and there was actual film grain! Yes, I know these qualities are becoming more European traits but it was nice to see a film take a step back from the big budget digital productions. The style, in many ways, reminds me of Diva which is so beautiful I watch it about once every 6 months.
Overall: Could have been a European masterpiece but something got lost in translation. 3.5 out of 5.
Monday, 31 January 2011
Friday, 28 January 2011
Blue Valentine (2010). Dir: Derek Cianfrance
Summary: The film depicts a married couple, Dean Pereira (Gosling) and Cindy Heller (Williams), shifting back and forth in time between their courtship and the dissolution of their marriage several years later.
To quote the Wedding Singer 'Love stinks', I hate to buy into the female stereotype but when it comes to relationship films I always yearn for a happy ending but this one keeps you guessing til the end. Cindy (Williams) is a disillusioned Mom who works as Nurse, frustrated with how her life has turned out. Cindy's bitterness, due to her lost ambitions, results in her taking her anger and dissatisfaction out on her doting husband Dean (Gosling) which is where this story begins.
Firstly Gosling is brilliant as the naive Dean, his emotional journey is gut wrenching. Throughout Dean clings on to the belief that true love will conquer all and that everything will work out in the end. His efforts to convince Cindy (Williams) of his love and devotion are not classically chivalrous but you always feel that he has a good heart and is trying to do anything within his power to convince her of this.
William as Cindy is harder to like, not because of poor acting but because of the character. Cindy is cold, selfish and angry, she fights against Dean every step of the way, always looking for a flaw or a regret rather than beauty and hope. I found it hard to have any sympathy for Cindy especially as the film develops and you realise that all her anger stems from her own actions.
Although the film is very much Cindy's journey it is very much Dean's role that holds it together and provides the emotional connection. Throughout the time shifts in the film both actors deal with the changes in their characters well but I do honestly believe that Gosling as Dean takes on a bigger and more successfully orchestrated challenge than Williams' as Cindy.
Overall: It's not an easy watch but I loved this. Gutted Gosling did not get a nomination. 4.5 out of 5.
To quote the Wedding Singer 'Love stinks', I hate to buy into the female stereotype but when it comes to relationship films I always yearn for a happy ending but this one keeps you guessing til the end. Cindy (Williams) is a disillusioned Mom who works as Nurse, frustrated with how her life has turned out. Cindy's bitterness, due to her lost ambitions, results in her taking her anger and dissatisfaction out on her doting husband Dean (Gosling) which is where this story begins.
Firstly Gosling is brilliant as the naive Dean, his emotional journey is gut wrenching. Throughout Dean clings on to the belief that true love will conquer all and that everything will work out in the end. His efforts to convince Cindy (Williams) of his love and devotion are not classically chivalrous but you always feel that he has a good heart and is trying to do anything within his power to convince her of this.
William as Cindy is harder to like, not because of poor acting but because of the character. Cindy is cold, selfish and angry, she fights against Dean every step of the way, always looking for a flaw or a regret rather than beauty and hope. I found it hard to have any sympathy for Cindy especially as the film develops and you realise that all her anger stems from her own actions.
Although the film is very much Cindy's journey it is very much Dean's role that holds it together and provides the emotional connection. Throughout the time shifts in the film both actors deal with the changes in their characters well but I do honestly believe that Gosling as Dean takes on a bigger and more successfully orchestrated challenge than Williams' as Cindy.
Overall: It's not an easy watch but I loved this. Gutted Gosling did not get a nomination. 4.5 out of 5.
Thursday, 20 January 2011
127 hours (2010). Dir: Danny Boyle
Summary: A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.
So you know what's gonna happen, everyone seems to know whats gonna happen, your gonna sit there and wait for it to happen but you don't know when it's gonna happen, you feel awkward with the impending sense of doom but it goes on and on and on and on, then it happens and it's like OH MY GOD!
I'm sure this is how most viewers felt as the film begins with shots of water I was screaming in my head 'Your wasting it!'. Every second Aron (James Franco) is getting ready I was screaming 'Tell someone where your going' or 'Why are you by yourself!'. It's not the acting, it's not the isolation, it's not the directing but it's the suspense that gets you.
Other than the suspense the film is not fantastic. James Franco acting begins very much Californian surfer dude/Adrenalin junkie which stops you from empathising with him to begin with but he does get better the more dehydrated and delusional he gets. The main problem I have with this film is it feels wrong. It should be a journey of one mans fight for survival, an emotional and mental battle but it mostly comes off as some weird mix of a stereotypical horror backpacker movie mixed with Alive. The directing is choppy and immature and straight after the screening I really felt that Danny Boyle had taken a step backwards in his career and gone back to The Beach. I love Danny Boyle (28 days later & Sunshine are 2 from my very long list of favourite films) but I was disappointed.
Overall: Ok but the only thing saving it is a delusional, dehydrated Franco and the suspense from the well known spoilers. 2.5 out of 5.
So you know what's gonna happen, everyone seems to know whats gonna happen, your gonna sit there and wait for it to happen but you don't know when it's gonna happen, you feel awkward with the impending sense of doom but it goes on and on and on and on, then it happens and it's like OH MY GOD!
I'm sure this is how most viewers felt as the film begins with shots of water I was screaming in my head 'Your wasting it!'. Every second Aron (James Franco) is getting ready I was screaming 'Tell someone where your going' or 'Why are you by yourself!'. It's not the acting, it's not the isolation, it's not the directing but it's the suspense that gets you.
Other than the suspense the film is not fantastic. James Franco acting begins very much Californian surfer dude/Adrenalin junkie which stops you from empathising with him to begin with but he does get better the more dehydrated and delusional he gets. The main problem I have with this film is it feels wrong. It should be a journey of one mans fight for survival, an emotional and mental battle but it mostly comes off as some weird mix of a stereotypical horror backpacker movie mixed with Alive. The directing is choppy and immature and straight after the screening I really felt that Danny Boyle had taken a step backwards in his career and gone back to The Beach. I love Danny Boyle (28 days later & Sunshine are 2 from my very long list of favourite films) but I was disappointed.
Overall: Ok but the only thing saving it is a delusional, dehydrated Franco and the suspense from the well known spoilers. 2.5 out of 5.
Monday, 17 January 2011
Conviction (2010). Dir: Tony Goldwyn
Summary: The film is based on the true story of Betty Anne Waters (Hilary Swank), an unemployed single mother who exonerated her brother Kenneth "Kenny" Waters (Sam Rockwell) who was convicted in 1983 of murdering Katharina Brow.
So I have a soft spot for Sam Rockwell, he was robbed last year for Moon and I love Confessions of a dangerous mind, because of this I probably had higher hopes for this one than I probably should have. I was expecting Dead Man Walking but instead I got a washing up Gone Baby Gone. The story is confused to say the least, you begin getting into Kenny's (Rockwell) story; his brushes with the law, his smart ass attitude and his troubled youth, you then flit to Betty Anne (Swank); struggling with law school, working long hours at a low paid job and juggling family life and then to Betty Anne and Kenny's shared childhood of neglect and strife, ENOUGH ALREADY.
The film wants to focus on Betty Anne (Swank) and while your hoping for this to develop into a Jake Gyllenhaal Zodiac performance it just sort of fizzles out. I would have been much happier watching Kenny's (Rockwell) prison story or a story about their troubled childhood but the film just plods along with nothing much to say. As most films of this type there is a twist which, in this case, would have been a much better story angle to turn into a film!
I stalled on both Rockwell and Swank; Rockwell rehashing his role from The Green Mile with a little of Moon and Swank reminding me of her deadpan underacting of the Black Dahlia. There is an impressive supporting cast that is wasted; Clea DuVall, Julietee Lewis and Melissa Leo, yet there was no escaping the hammy performances of Minnie Driver or Peter Gallagher.
Overall: maybe watch if it's on the box but a waste of £6.20. 1 out of 5.
So I have a soft spot for Sam Rockwell, he was robbed last year for Moon and I love Confessions of a dangerous mind, because of this I probably had higher hopes for this one than I probably should have. I was expecting Dead Man Walking but instead I got a washing up Gone Baby Gone. The story is confused to say the least, you begin getting into Kenny's (Rockwell) story; his brushes with the law, his smart ass attitude and his troubled youth, you then flit to Betty Anne (Swank); struggling with law school, working long hours at a low paid job and juggling family life and then to Betty Anne and Kenny's shared childhood of neglect and strife, ENOUGH ALREADY.
The film wants to focus on Betty Anne (Swank) and while your hoping for this to develop into a Jake Gyllenhaal Zodiac performance it just sort of fizzles out. I would have been much happier watching Kenny's (Rockwell) prison story or a story about their troubled childhood but the film just plods along with nothing much to say. As most films of this type there is a twist which, in this case, would have been a much better story angle to turn into a film!
I stalled on both Rockwell and Swank; Rockwell rehashing his role from The Green Mile with a little of Moon and Swank reminding me of her deadpan underacting of the Black Dahlia. There is an impressive supporting cast that is wasted; Clea DuVall, Julietee Lewis and Melissa Leo, yet there was no escaping the hammy performances of Minnie Driver or Peter Gallagher.
Overall: maybe watch if it's on the box but a waste of £6.20. 1 out of 5.
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