Yes, I know I'm months late seeing this film, but despite it's critical acclaim I had rightly pre-judged it as as even worse than a chick flick - an edgy chick flick.
I had put off seeing the movie because her ladyship didn't want to see it ("too heavy"), and then only saw it today because yesterday a friend (that's you, Tom) suggested this blog had fallen severely short by not including a review of it.
I had put off seeing the movie because her ladyship didn't want to see it ("too heavy"), and then only saw it today because yesterday a friend (that's you, Tom) suggested this blog had fallen severely short by not including a review of it.
The tortured expressions on Natalie Portman's face were like watching highlight reels of that other arch-whiner, Kristen Stewart. With her painfully vacuous facial non-events, Stewart all but ruins the already preposterous notion that teens who can't fit in must become vampires. But we're talking about Natalie Portman's painful vacuosity here.
Dance movies: everything from Footloose, Dirty Dancing, and Flashdance, to Glee and Step Up, all seem to employ the same "battle against adversity" plot, and rely on the viewer a) liking the dance style in question, b) liking the music, and c) being prepared to put up with wall-to-wall angst.
Now it may be chauvinistic to lambast an entire genre of movie in one sweep, but that's what sweeps are for.
Now it may be chauvinistic to lambast an entire genre of movie in one sweep, but that's what sweeps are for.
I like ballet - honest. In fact, I was just this morning looking at the brochure for SF Ballet's upcoming season, picking out which performances I'd like to see. I like the spectacle, the attending as well as the dance itself.
But Black Swan was repetitive - Vincent Cassel going on and on about how Portman's character is great as the White Swan, but never lets herself go enough to get into the Black Swan. And then the next 15 minutes shows Portman punishing her body and mind, forcing herself into the darker side of the character. Keep repeating that cycle until Portman explodes.
Just like the blood and lust in Twilight, I have a theory that what really attracted many people to Black Swan was the titillating edginess of the language, the blunt words and sex, all against the backdrop of the otherwise demur ballet scene. Whatever it was, it didn't move me.
Just like the blood and lust in Twilight, I have a theory that what really attracted many people to Black Swan was the titillating edginess of the language, the blunt words and sex, all against the backdrop of the otherwise demur ballet scene. Whatever it was, it didn't move me.
So, that's that. Billy Elliot is still the only dance movie I really like. Yes, it's as rags to riches as the rest, but it's funny too.
No comments:
Post a Comment