Pure DWTS – DWTS Fans, Let’s Talk “Black Swan”
Have any of you seen “Black Swan”?? If so, how did you like it? I am dying to see this movie! I keep hearing so many good reviews on it including this one which has a little mention on “Dancing With The Stars” in it from Caledoniannmercury.com.
It’s not your typical dance movieThink dance in mainstream culture since the ‘90s, and the following may well come to mind: Strictly Ballroom, Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars, Diversity on Britain’s Got Talent, Billy Elliot, various street dance movies both here and in the States, and umpteen clubbing anthems with flashy videos featuring breakdancers.
Black Swan is a drama – billed as a “psychological thriller” by producers – which touches on big themes: power, sex, control, doubt, family, discipline, sacrifice, rebellion. Ballet fans will love it, but those who think Sadlers Wells is an equestrian operation should also be hooked. Pigeonholing Black Swan as a dance movie is rather like calling The Merchant of Venice a play about giving blood.
It’s Darren Aronofsky’s best movieThe Wrestler was memorable for Mickey Rourke’s performance, and to a lesser degree Marisa Tomei’s, Requiem for a Dream displayed a flashy, original visual style, The Fountain flopped, but everything (performances, visual style, script) comes together for Aronofsky in Black Swan. He really hits his stride here.
It’s an Ensemble PieceJust as ballet requires a company, Aronofsky scores here in his casting with Hannah and Her Sisters star Barbara Hershey’s controlling mother, Winona Ryder’s fading starlet, Mila Kunis as Portman’s rival Nina and a creepy turn from Vincent Cassel as the artistic director. This film is not all about the star.
Having said that….To say it’s Natalie Portman’s best role when the competition includes playing Ashton Kutcher’s “friend with benefits” in No Strings Attached, doing the whole “Hi…You Must be Darth” chatting up as Padme in the Star Wars prequels and V for Vendetta doesn’t say that much. But all the actory cliches are true here – The Role No One Else Could Play, The Role Which Will Define Her Career, The Performance of a Lifetime etc. If Natalie Portman doesn’t walk away with the Best Actress Academy Award, it would feel like larceny. She and Aronofsky talked about the role for around ten years and the discipline, poise, preparation and change of character required for a principal ballerina in Swan Lake is all up on screen in her performance.
Cor. That soundtrack.There’s a reason Swan Lake has been shown on telly every Christmas since before the days of Morecambe and Wise, has been given the all-male treatment by Matthew Bourne, a few golf courses and an interpretation based on the marriage breakdown of the Prince and Princess of Wales and now this twist from Aronofsky. Yes, the story of the swan and the evil sorcerer is powerful, and the dancing is beautiful but Tchaikovsky’s music never loses its hold.
The ballet, Black Swan and The Wrestler all have something else in common.A very strong ending. That’s as much of a spoiler alert as you’re getting.
So, is this review true? Here is some of what the DWTS cast has tweeted on it;
Just saw BLACK SWAN and I'm so impressed! It was incredible….wonderful performances, beautifully shot…WOW! but very dark!!
— Carrie Ann Inaba (@carrieanninaba) November 30, 2010
Wow just saw a screening of Black Swan … Amazing film !!! Loved it ! Natalie portman should get a nod .
— Derek Hough (@derekhough) November 18, 2010
Black swan again so stoked!
— Lacey Schwimmer (@LaceySchwimmer) December 30, 2010
Black Swan round 2 was even better! I actually got to see the real story! Beautiful!
— Lacey Schwimmer (@LaceySchwimmer) December 30, 2010
Just got out of Black Swan. Read the script a while back and loved it but the movie left me speechless!! Impressed … http://tmi.me/4o2OE
— Cheryl Burke (@CherylBurke) December 20, 2010
If you’ve never heard on this new dance movie, you can more at IMDB. Thanks to Heidi for her help with this post!! 😉
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Celebrity DWTS News . Celebrity DWTS News said: Pure DWTS – DWTS Fans, Let’s Talk “Black Swan”^ http://bit.ly/fILoeo Have you seen it? Is it good? […]
Hi Vogue: Ok, I’ll get right to the point…we hated it. I expected to enjoy it to some extent, since I love Natalie but this story line is so depressing that we just didn’t glean much else. One of our friend’s got up about 1/3 of the way through and just walked out and the rest of us wished we had joined him by the end of it. I will preface the fact that I don’t care for deeply dark film especially witnessing peoples psychosis to the point of their demise and this was that and more, so had I known that to it’s full extent, I probably wouldn’t have gone. More people have had the opposite reaction obviously than we did, so let me know your opinion on it when you do finally go. It just wasn’t my cup of tea…but Natalie WAS very convincing.
Thanks so much Joan!!! You are the first that I’ve heard that didn’t like it. I will be sure to tell you when I see this.
I’d like to see “Black Swan,” but I haven’t yet because I think I’ll need to be in the right frame of mind for it. I’ve heard it’s very twisted, and I’m not usually into those kind of movies, but I definitely want to check this one out.
i think black swan is an excellent movie and i really want to see it again.
it has nothing to do with dwts and little to do with dancing. glad dwts cast members like it, though.
Well. No. I didnt like it much either. A lot of it is filmed with a hand-held camera, so it is jerky and disjointed. All the ballarinas look exactly alike so in the beginning it is hard to tell them apart. Natalie Portman seems to have one expression – a serious frown.
Having said all of that, the supporting cast is excellent. Winona Rider absolutely steals a scene even though she is in the blurry background. Mila Kunis is wonderful and the director is someone you can easily dislike for his personality. Barbara Hershey is amazing.
There are some very creepy parts I had to look at through my fingers. It is a thriller, and you began to wonder what is real and what is not.
So, I would say it is a successful movie, but I still didnt like it much.
Thanks Guys! Interesting mix bag of reveiws and thoughts so far. I didn’t realize it had a “thriller” way to it and that it was sort of “twisted”.
I saw Black Swan last night. It is Amazing and a really good psychological drama. Natalie Portman rocked it and is a lock for the Oscar and Mila Kunis (who I only knew as Meg in Family Guy and Jackie in That 70s Show) deserves an Oscar nod as well (but I think Barabra hersehy who plays natalie’s mom in the film is probably getting the nomination). The movie is captivating and it really has an ending you will neot forget. My favoritem ovie this year was “The King’s Speech” (great flick) but Black Swan is equally as captivating. The dancing is a big part of Black Swan but not as big a part as one would expect but it is great too. The only actor I didn’t like in it was Wynona Ryder, who seemed a little out of place in my opinion.
Thanks so much Vin! I’m anxious to see this!! 😉
Did anybody else see the SNL skit spoofing Black Swan with Jim Carrey? It was hysterical.
Yes, it was too funny!!! I bet it would be funnier though after I see the movie.