BLACK SWAN: Movie Review
BLACK SWAN – Rating: 7 ½
“Black Swan” would have been better titled, “One Crazy Ballerina.” It’s a good movie, but not for everyone. Some reviewers claim it’s the best picture of 2010. That’s in the eyes of the beholder.
The story follows an obsessed ballet dancer who desperately seeks, and wins, a role to play the white swan and black swan in the same production of Swan Lake, but grows increasingly disturbed as strange happenings and manifestations of her imagination take over her life, and the lives of those close to her, including her mother, played by Barbara Hershey.
I predict Natalie Portman will not only be nominated, but will win the Oscar for the role which will define her for the remainder of her career. She is intense, mad, talented and outright weird as she pushes herself beyond limits.
If you don’t like scenes where girls dabble in sex with girls, don’t see this picture. If you don’t like swirling, handheld cameras and constant close-ups, don’t see this picture. As the camera followed her through every step, the viewer feels like a baby in a papoose strapped to her back. Nevertheless, this is one of those roles were the actress becomes the character.
Portman is said to have crammed ballet study for five hours a day for six months to get ready for the part. “Black Swan” will probably be nominated for Best Picture, but it should not win. That should go to “The King’s Speech.” But for sheer movie making and dynamic acting, it’s worth the ticket price.
Jan Siren
Marshall, this is a review that I could have written. I thought that Natalie Portman’s performance was easily good enough to earn her an Oscar nomination (and I think she already has been nominated for a Golden Globe) – I won’t predict beyond that, not having seen enough of her competition – but the picture itself reminded me at several points of the work of Alfred Hitchcock. It seemed a little derivative. Exciting but not great.
“The King’s Speech” will, I predict, get at least three well-earned Oscar nominations – picture, best actor (Colin Firth – amazing!) and supporting actor but I confess not remembering the name of the actor who played “Lionel Logue.” The film was, interestingly, supported by lottery money. The one disappointment for me was that, after all the preparations for “Bertie’s” coronation scene, the coronation itself was portrayed only briefly, in grainy, black and white newsreel footage. I suspect that the producer simply couldn’t afford to re-enact the coronation because the lottery had had a bad year! (Costumes obviously would have been a significant expense.)