After almost a 6 month hiatus – I’m back in front of the big screen! We have a new addition to the family to blame for my absence. But then she’s so god damn gorgeous I really can’t blame her for anything much. Nevertheless, I have been somewhat distracted by real life over the past few months and so have found myself without the time or the opportunity to escape to a quiet dark cinema to get lost in others’ fictional lives. And so I’m excited about being back watching films and feeling even more unsophisticated than when I last picked up my netbook to pen a review.So my new movie going mate – little Lilliana – and I went to our first movie together last week. Whilst I was feeling like a bad mum for taking a little person to see a movie that definitely isn’t meant for little people, we went to a mums and bubs session and seeing as half the audience was in nappies I didn’t feel quite so guilty. Nevertheless, Black Swan was more scary and confronting than I was expecting, even for a big person!
Black Swan is directed by Darren Aronofsky who is known for his offbeat and quirky films such as Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, and The Wrestler (which I loved!). He doesn’t disappoint with The Black Swan. Much of the more recent hype for this movie has been regarding the five Oscar nominations and Natalie Portman’s much deserved Golden Globe for best actress.
And as of today, I’m stoked to hear that Natalie also won the Oscar for best actress, hopefully inspiring a revival of movie goers for this film.
Natalie Portman plays the role of Nina Sayers, a ballet dancer in an NYC dance company who wins the lead role in “Swan Lake”. Nina is obsessed with ballet and everything that goes with it including structure, discipline, and control. So much so, she’s bordering on obsessive-complusive in much of her behaviour which makes her character development quite uncomfortable to watch at times. Her personality makes her perfect to play the part of the White Swan but she struggles to identify with the other part of her role – the Black Swan – given she seems to lack sensuality, a strong sense of self, and a sense of freedom or liberation.
The movie ultimately explores Nina’s journey to identify with the “black swan” in her. The relationship Nina develops with a fellow dancer named Lily who is the personification of the black swan (played by Mila Kunis) ultimately leaves her completely unhinged.
And in case you were wondering - Natalie Portman does most of her own dancing although she does have a substitute professional dancer for most of the en pointe. As a ballet lover I was hoping to see more dancing but that’s the only criticism I can offer. I thought Black Swan was dark, scary, stormy, freaky and I loved it! And the performances by the two main characters - Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis (whom I recently heard described as ‘the poor man’s Angelina Jolie’!) - were compelling and eerily convincing. It was also great to see Barbara Hershey (of ‘Beaches’ fame) back on the big screen as Nina’s equally obsessed mother. I found the movie to be a chilling insight into the world of professional ballet – part drama, part thriller, with even a little horror mixed in.
Lilliana slept through the entire movie but that’s a ringing endorsement at her age so that’s a thumbs up from both of us. Although the movie did leave me fearing that I may’ve neglected my own “black” side, particularly since becoming a mum. So must run, I’m off to find the black swan in me...
