Black Swan Scores Four Golden Globe Nominations

             As if we didn't already expect it, Black Swan, MoviePig's pick of the year, was just nominated for four Golden Globes.   The nominees were announced this morning by Katie Holmes, Josh Duhamel and Blair Underwood.  MoviesPig predicts that Darren Aronofsky will snag best director and Natalie Portman will win best actress in a drama, but it is a toss up for best picture between Black Swan and The King's Speech.  You know who MoviesPig is rooting for, but the critics seem to love The King's Speech.  Mila Kunis was also nominated for best supporting actress, but her performance was not powerful enough to make the race a blowout.  You will just have to tune in on Sunday, January 16th on NBC to find out.  For a complete list of the nominees click here.

Black Swan (2010)

      

            Black Swan is a 2010 film directed by the amazing Darren Aronofsky and stars Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis.  The film was released Friday, December 3rd.  The first thing one would notice about this film would be the cinematography.  The fact that Aronofsky shot the whole movie on handheld camera was perfect for this subject matter. The quick cuts from shot to shot were disorienting to the viewer, but a necessary evil to best tell this tragic tale.  The bouncing close-up shots enhanced the intensity of Nina’s spiral downfall and the cold color pallet gave the film a very dark feel.  Portman’s performance was extraordinarily believable and an unbeatable portrayal of a self-destructive personality.  I have no doubt that Portman will earn an academy award for this spectacular display.  It is very admirable that Ms. Portman did all of her own dancing.  The writing and dialogue in the film also set a whole new standard.  Every line is so succinct that there is not an unnecessary word in the whole movie.  It also cannot go without saying that the dialogue is so blunt and vulgar that it adds a pinch of humor to the mix. The strongest point of the film was the last 25 minutes during opening night of Swan Lake.  Nina’s psychotic episodes become so intense that she loses control.  I was on the edge of my seat until the very end.  I was worried that the ending would not do this excellent film justice, but the film could not have concluded any better.

            I had anticipated the release of this film for a long time and I was not disappointed.  I had some reservations that film would be too much about the dancing, but it really is not. The strengths outweigh the weaknesses a million times over.  Black Swan has so much depth that it takes the viewer into a completely different world that it did not know existed.  It is a dark and somewhat twisted thriller that will give you a new admiration for what it takes to be a ballet star.  The entire movie is an exhilarating rollercoaster ride that will keep you spinning even days later.  My heart and stomach still have yet to recover from the sheer thrill, even twelve hours later.  I would love to experience this film over and over again.  Black Swan is a must see and the best film I have ever seen. “You won’t know what hit you” (Travers 127).       

 

ACTING: 10

CINEMATOGRAPHY: 10

STORY: 10

ORIGINALITY: 10

REPLAY VALUE: 10

OVERALL RATING: 10/10