And the Oscar for Original Music for 2011 goes to Black Swan and Pyotyr Illyich Tchaikowski. Unfortunately Pyotyr cant be with us tonight but he would like to thank His Imperial Majesty Tsar Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Romanov for his unfailing support and not forgetting his mum Alexandra Andreyevna and dad Ilya Petrovich. Finally to his ex wife Nadezhda Von Meck, Pyotyr would like to say, how dya like them apples baby?

Sorry folks couldnt resist it: in a week where Ricky Gervais has either made a complete arse of himself on prime time TV; or deliciously and unmercifully sent up the whole awards industry, or perhaps both, the idea wouldnt go away. And as we, well I anyway, like nothing more than to take the piss out of the narcissistic mind numbing self absorption of the Golden Globes contenders, it is tempting to imagine that if my scenario was played out for real, someone, somewhere in the audience adorned in a dress costing nigh on the national deficit of Ireland, would complain its not good enough, if we give him an award, the least the guy could do is to turn up.

Black Swan is good: at times very good; both absorbing and shocking at the same time. The emotionally oppressive and physically obsessive atmosphere of the ballet world as one might imagine it, is powerfully and unsettlingly captured with quiet but atmospheric assurance by Director Aronovsky. Better still, Black Swan creates a quite unique atmosphere with originality and wonderful visual style.

So unusual and distinctive is the tone Aronovsky develops that at first one feels a bit lost: it is not at all clear in the beginning quite what sort of film this is: straight drama, unwinding thriller, horror? This is an unusual device which I cannot recall having seen before: instead of drawing us in and sustaining us through the uncertainties and surprises of narrative and plot, Aronovsky plays with our emotional expectations and just when we think we are safely in one or other of the genres above, he hits us with an image or response that makes us wonder again quite what kind of journey he is taking us and his characters on. Once I let him drive the bus so to speak I began to enjoy the ride more and more.


So Black Swan is original in more ways than one which perhaps should not surprise us from the Director of the extraordinary Pi. It is also as assured as the very successful The Wrestler. Interestingly I guess there are parallels between Black Swan and The Wrestler: both inhabit a world where normal emotions are subjugated and inter-personal tensions and explosions to which communities of obsessives are prone, break out violently without warning.

It is a moot point whether it is better to see this film knowing the story of Swan Lake really well or like me; just having a vague awareness of the bare bones of the narrative of perhaps the most famous ballet of all time. That there are parallel and interwoven narratives will hardly be a surprise and I guess this realization probably lies at the heart of Aronovskys unusual approach to narrative tension and suspense mentioned above.

Natalie Portman as Nina is intense and emotionally both vulnerable and unreadable; confused and confusing; explicitly and passionately sexual one minute and ashamed and repulsed by the power of her own visceral passion the next: she brings off a very difficult challenge which is the leitmotif of the narrative itself: how to express both the pure, fragile beauty of the White Swan Queen yet also capture the sinister power and animalism of the Black Swan as well. It is, by its very nature a bravura acting role with at times quite a lot acting going on; but for once in a good way for Aronovsky is not seeking naturalism here, quite the opposite. Just the kind of role the Academy loves so I guess theres an Oscar on its way to the Portman mantelpiece.


Barbara Hershey offers very capable and unsettlingly freaky support as Ninas overpoweringly protective mother living out her own lost career and life disappointments through her beautiful daughter. Mila Kunis is suitably opaque as Lily, Ninas rival for the role of the Swan Queen in the new version of Swan Lake being mounted by a not much more than adequate Vincent Cassel (Mesrine et al) as Thomas Leroy. Winona Ryder pops up briefly but effectively as Thomases previous princess the outgoing Swan Queen: hell hath no fury like a Swan Queen scorned: well at least dumped.

Black Swan is an interestingly tense, at times unsettling and occasionally shocking little film: visually stunning and darkly and cunningly edited. Some of the reactions to the film which will be literally grossed up as the madness of the Oscar season approaches, are a bit fanciful with parallels drawn with Nina in Chekhovs The Seagull and rather more intellectual depth attributed to this reworking of the Swan Lake theme than Arnovskys actual film can seriously sustain. That said: well worth the price of admission.

see also http//www.zettelfilmreviews.co.uk
Apologies as usual for the enforced odd punctuation

Oh, dear. Did you think it was that good? I thought it was a load of hoo-ey. Poor Vincent Cassel, what was he thinking of? The music was good though. He pinched this plot from The Red Shoes, didn't he?

I'm afraid I was sorely disappointed as well.

A very abusive film, - in that I felt it was all about the nature of "abuse." Our Swan Queen is dreadfully treated by her Mother, her industry, her boss - and by herself. The very epitome of an abused woman who feels she has no self worth and no existence outside of other's views of her.
She is the eternal child, the "good little girl" - just look at her bedroom and the way she behaves with her overbearing mother, and fawns for approval and acceptance from the insufferable Tomas...and yet, I didn't feel one ounce of compassion for her.
This was a completely hollow film for me. I didn't give a jot about anyone. I didn't buy Nina's eventual towering performance as the Black Swan - sorry, where did she learn that from? An interrupted attempt at masturbation, a foiled night of debauchery and....she's suddenly so very in touch with the dark side? I don't think so.

I'm sorry I hated this. It promised so much and it set up such a lot - could have been a tour de force, and an important contribution to the understanding of the nature of abuse.
But it was empty. A sham. A waste. Heartless and souless.
What a pity.

( My review focuses on abuse because I work a lot with a voluntary organisation designed to counter abuse in all its many forms. (sexual, domestic, societal)
This film seemed to me to be set up perfectly to make some in depth and important comments about that, but I felt it fell massively short)

x
tc

TC,

I agree.

Jem and TC

I thought I was playing this one down against the massively expensive hype. I can't say I disagree with much of what you both say IF one takes this as seriously as you both do in terms of the emotional content. I have to agree that you both take the film as seriously as it takes itself but for me it's just a slick piece of quasi-horror which is not my genre anyway. On that pretty limited level it worked for me.

I find it hard to take Nina seriously as real person at all.

I certainly would agree with you both that the context offered the opportunity to make a film of some real depth and this is therefore an opportunity lost.

Yes, I think my mistake was to think it was a serious film, because the hype led me to believe that. And with NP being awarded Best Actress you have to think that the people who gave it her also thought it was a worthy honour.

Hmm - I just can't quite make up my mind on this one. So much of the film is very good, but I was also unconvinced by the characterisation in the end. But I thought about it for days afterwards which obviously means it struck a nerve.

Must say I am a huge Aronofsky fan. I love love love PI and only today watched Requiem for a Dream - wow, so unsettling and powerful. I've seen The Fountain 3 times and am entirely seduced by its gorgeous glorious imagery and although the film has flaws there are some scenes that you simply never forget.

Aronofsky's exploration of madness, the quest for perfection and eternity etc rings every bell for me, and some.

Interesting comments which have made me think a bit further and doubt what I watched!
I've also just read a review in the Telegraph and to be honest, I now wonder if I was actually half-asleep when I watched it!
I don't think that I "missed out" on any of the fantasy/psychotic aspects of the movie...I mean I knew it wasn't supposed to be 'real' and that they idea was to doubt all that you saw, and all that Nina was seeing/doing...I did pick up on all that..I just didn't think it was done very well.
I wasn't scared or in suspense at all, I didn't think any of the characters were beilevable - or even unbelievable - the premise was simplistic to say the least, (go out and be bad, so you can play the bad swan!)

I simply don't understand why quite a lot of people - audience and critics - think this film is a tour de force, worthy of awards. And then that makes me think I must have missed something
Very confusing!

I feel a bit like that too, tinyclanger!

I agree as well. The idea that this over-hyped movie is worthy of awards is daft - though the promotional budget including for the Oscars is probably worth twice the cost of a little movie like Winter's Bone. Which sucks.

As I said, the only thing that struck me as interestingly unusual was that Aronofsky played games with genre which was irritating as well as intriguing.

I hope very much that Jennifer Lawrence gets the best actress award for Winter's Bone - far better performance than NP's.

And best picture - give me a break.

regards all

Z

I hope she does too, Zettel. It was an amazing performance But I bet she won't.