Black Swan

If you’re thinking that Black Swan is about a bunch of women in tutus and toe shoes, get off your macho high horse and think again! Nina (Natalie Portman) is a dedicated ballet dancer who is given the role as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake and pushes herself to the nth degree to give a performance of perfection. The pressure is as tight as a tourniquet from the direction of her chauvinistic stage director (Vincent Cassel), aspirations and overarching support by her mother (Barbara Hershey) and the flawless talent from the new belle of the Manhattan Ballet Company, Lily (Mila Kunis). Jealousy turns into paranoia when Nina begins losing herself in the role that would make Stanislavski and Nijinsky’s heads spin.

Natalie Portman gives one of the best performances of her career as the overambitious Nina Sayers. She may be under thirty, but she’s worked with everyone from Michael Mann to Mike Nichols. Portman, who did ballet as a child, didn’t forget her positions since she practiced five hours a day during the principal photography of the film. Director Darren Aronofsky knows how to push his actors to the limits and Portman’s performance borders between the ambitious Moira Shearer from The Red Shoes and the psychologically spent Emily Watson from Breaking the Waves.

Barbara Hershey gives one of her most memorable performances in years. After Beaches and Falling Down, it seemed like she fell off the big screen. However, her role as Nina’s overprotective mother is as inevitable and domineering as Piper Laurie’s performance in Carrie. As for Mila Kunis, she has stepped up from the small screen (That 70s Show, Family Guy) and gives a remarkable performance as the seductive and vindictive Lily. The on-screen time between her and Portman is intense and powerful. One performance that dares not to be overlooked is Winona Ryder’s role as a ballet dancer about to retire, as she becomes a role model for Nina and a living nightmare. Ryder gives one her best performances since The Age of Innocence.

The plot may seem simplistic, but Darren Aronofsky is known to take simplistic stories and turn them into modern masterpieces. If you don’t believe me, watch Requiem for a Dream and tell me that it’s not just about people hooked on heroin, or that The Wrestler is not just about some old guy in the ring. Black Swan is an intense and wild trip that makes you wonder if anybody slipped something into your popcorn. In the end, it is the film that leaves you shouting “Encore!” that you mistake your local movie theatre as the Metropolitan Opera House. I was almost considering The Social Network as one of the year’s best films, but I was knocked off my feet and struggling for balance from Black Swan as I consider it one of the most surprising and best films of 2010.

4 out of 4 Stars: ****

Somewhere

At first glance, one might assume that Somewhere is Lost in Translation set in Los Angeles. The short answer is "yes", but the long answer is "no." Set at the legendary Château Marmont Hotel, Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff) is an A-list actor who lives the dream life; partying every night, having strippers on speed dial, and more time in the bedroom than Warren Beatty. His wild life is put on hold when he wakes up and sees his 11-year-old daughter, Cleo (Elle Fanning) and looks after her before she leaves for summer camp. When they're not lounging by the hotel pool, Johnny and Cleo are either playing video games, flying off to Italy, or at the craps tables in Las Vegas. The vague and unanswered questions about Johnny's past and his wife, who we only hear on the other end of the telephone, are insignificant as Coppola focuses on these two people living in the moment as a father and a daughter.

While watching Somewhere, I felt like Johnny in the first fifteen minutes of the film; sitting on my bed and seeming uninterested, except that I didn't have two strippers in my room. Is there something in Somewhere? Yes, there is. What Sofia Coppola succeeds in is bringing the style and mood of the European filmmakers of the Sixties, like Godard and Antonioni, to modern day L.A., where excess and celebrity rule over art and dignity. The last ten minutes of the film are reminiscent of Antonioni's Zabriskie's Point, mixed together with Roeg's Walkabout, minus the exploding buildings and Pink Floyd soundtrack.

Cynics may think of Somewhere as Lost in Translation set in the West Coast, as opposed to Tokyo. However, unlike Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannson playing the roles of two strangers who meet on the other side of the world, Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning wrestle with the transitions of maturity. Johnny attempts at finding comfort away from the excesses that cost him his marriage while Cleo stands out as not being treated like a Hollywood princess by being independent, yet yearning for the stability and love between her parents. Somewhere avoids coming across as an episode of Entourage by focusing on the dark side of fame; it's not drugs or alcohol, but loneliness.

Rating: *** 3 out of 4 Stars

I Love You Phillip Morris

In between the cavalcade of summer blockbuster movies earning millions by the minute (Iron Man 2) and films that make critics cry uncle (Nightmare on Elm Street), there is a beacon of hope for the independent film to thrive this summer. Case in point, I Love You, Phillip Morris, the new comedy starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor. You might be thinking, "Is this guy out of his mind praising a Jim Carrey movie over a film like Robin Hood?" Call me crazy, but I am.

I Love You, Phillip Morris is based on the surreal stranger-than-fiction story of Texas con-artist Steven Jay Russell; an all-around family man who comes out of the closet and into the prison cell due to credit card fraud. In prison, he meets Phillip Morris, and both fall madly in love with each other. The prison-cell courtship between Russell and Morris is not as erotic as Midnight Express, yet not as provocative as Brokeback Mountain. Mind you, there is a great tracking shot of Phillip chasing after Stephen as he gets on the bus that pays homage to Casablanca and Almost Famous. As soon as Steven gets out of jail, he reunites with Phillip and plans to have him live the high life through embezzlement, fraud, and lying his way out of everything.


At first, I was under the assumption that a big star like Carrey would degrade himself in the same style Adam Sandler did with I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry by playing a gay stereotype, but I was dead wrong after the first five minutes. Carrey is not just a comedic dynamo with his slapstick shtick that put him on the map back in the Nineties, he is a true actor by delving into such powerful roles like Truman Burbank and Andy Kaufman. His portrayal of Steven Russell is deeply funny and painful, as he redefines identity crisis with the great lengths he takes to escape the law, his loved ones, and himself. I put my hand to my heart by saying that this is Jim Carrey at his best.

Next to Carrey, Ewan McGregor gives a solid performance Phillip; the doe-eyed southern gentleman who becomes Steven's equal. McGregor doesn't come on strong with his American accent like in The Men Who Stare At Goats, nor does he subject himself to being a caricature versus character; its just right. Along with McGregor, Leslie Mann gives an adorable performance as Carrey's ex-wife, who stands by her man despite his conniving acts.

This crime/comedy/romance/drama/insert genre here film is a wild and hilarious ride mixed with the dark comedy of two people living through the AIDS epidemic of the Eighties and the narcissistic Nineties. Mixed with the satirical edge of Thank You For Smoking and con-artist fun of Catch Me If You Can, Phillip Morris may have be heavy-handed at times with a few cutaways, but it is the performance of Jim Carrey that makes this film hold up as one of the most surprising comedies since Superbad.

***1/2 out of 4 stars

Oscar Picks

The Awards Season is like the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, its exciting, there's tension over choosing which film, and you just want to have a few drinks and hope the damn season is over with. This year's Oscars is Topsy-Turvy with 10 nominations for Best Picture instead of the usual 5. Some say its good to shed light on the films that should have been nominated, while others, like me, think that its a sympathy vote for the films that grossed over hundreds of millions of dollars. Anyway, here are my picks for Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture.

Best Supporting Actress:
Penélope Cruz-Nine
Vera Farmiga-Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal-Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick-Up in the Air
Mo'Nique-Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

There's no contest for Best Supporting Actress since it will definitely go do comedienne, Mo'Nique, and her horrific performance as the physically and mentally abusive mother of Precious. At first, I had my reservations seeing Mo'Nique in a serious film; the last film I saw her in was the forgettable Beerfest and some reality show. But, I'm willing to wash all of that crap away and embrace this once-in-a-lifetime performance she gives.

Runner up: Maggie Gyllenhaal gave such a brilliant performance in Crazy Heart. Her role was not a supporting role per se as it was in The Dark Knight or World Trade Center. Her strength and beauty as a single mother in love with a has-been country musician surprised me, as well as her chemistry with Jeff Bridges.
Best Supporting Actor:
Matt Damon - Invictus
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

The popular vote is that Christoph Waltz and his portrayal as a Nazi in the Tarantino kill-ride Inglorious Basterds will get the gold. The performance that bowled me over last year was Woody Harrelson in The Messenger. His portrayal of an officer who notifies the families of soldiers who died in Iraq was moving, funny, and intense. Next to Natural Born Killers and The People vs. Larry Flynt, The Messenger is Woody's finest hour. Oscar committee, take another look at The Messenger before you decide!

P.S. this is coming from a critic, not a producer looking to be banned from an awards show.

Best Actress:
Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

Sandra Bullock has picked up most of the Best Actress awards this season and will probably win, but I'm putting my money on Gabourey Sidibe for Precious. This 23-year-old Psychology major, who never had any acting work in the past, delivers an amazing performance as a pregnant, illiterate, HIV-positive teenager living in Harlem. At first, I thought Precious was a movie for the sake of getting sympathy, but my prejudices went out the window from the first five minutes of this movie as I was amazed by the raw energy and power Sidibe delivered on screen.

Best Actor:
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
George Clooney - Up in the Air
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Morgan Freeman - Invictus
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker

Like Mo'nique, there's one other actor that is a sure thing at this year's Oscars; Jeff Bridges for his role as Bad Blake in Crazy Heart. To all those cynics who think that Bridges is being awarded the Oscar just for his career, screw you! Bridges gives a heartfelt performance as a boozed out musician trying to turn his career around. Bridges combines his alcohol-laded depression from The Fisher King with his laid back fuck-it attitude from The Big Lebowski in his portrayal of a man who lives his life like a country song. Bridges has scooped up every major award so far and he has room for a richly-deserved Oscar.

Best Director:
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
James Cameron - Avatar
Lee Daniels - Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Jason Reitman - Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds

Beyond the recent controversy over the The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow deserves the Academy Award. If Sofia Coppola couldn't break the glass-roof by being the first woman to win an Oscar, Bigelow should. The guerrilla-styled camera work, heart-pounding suspense, and apolitical plot line blew me away. The Hurt Locker is a shot of fresh air from the parade of Iraq war films that preceded it (Stop-Loss, Redacted, Lions For Lambs). Not since Full Metal Jacket has their been a war movie that has me gripped to the edge of my seat and profoundly moved me at the same time.

Okay, it all comes down to this!

Best Picture:
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

It's been a David and Goliath match between Avatar and The Hurt Locker, but my gut is going for The Hurt Locker. Although Avatar is a visually enticing film, The Hurt Locker is a stripped down look at young men risking their lives for the sake of their fellow man, and for that extra rush of adrenaline. It's not as political as Platoon, nor is it as operatic as Apocalypse Now, which is what makes the film stand out from other films that delve into the difficult subject matter of warfare.

Runner up: There might be a Crash moment and in case there is, I'm going with the Coen Brothers A Serious Man. This darkly funny and stunning portrait of faith and fate is the best film the Brothers Coen have done since No Country for Old Men. If one film can outweigh Avatar and The Hurt Locker, it's A Serious Man.

Well, tune in on Sunday and see if these picks are worth the blog its printed on.

Shutter Island

Shutter Island is the latest film by cinema’s “GoodFella” Martin Scorsese. Set in the middle of the Cold War, federal agents Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are sent to the Ashcliffe Mental Institution on Shutter Island, a remote island beyond the reach of Boston, to investigate in the disappearance of a patient, who murdered her children. Their search conflicts with Teddy’s dreams about his dead wife (Michelle Williams) and the horrors of what he witnessed during World War II. Based on Dennis Lehane’s 2003 novel, this complex thriller will keep you in suspense until the final frame.

Scorsese has always taken a chance on different film genres; comedy (The King of Comedy) suspense (Cape Fear) and musical (the forgettable New York, New York). In the case of Shutter Island, it doesn’t rank at the top of Scorsese’s greatest accomplishments; it falls in between Bringing out the Dead and The Aviator. The film complements Lehane’s novel with accurate detail; especially, with Scorsese at the helm and Robert Richardson’s haunting cinematography.

The drawback to adapting Shutter Island is that the performances seem constricted. Leonardo DiCaprio has his moments of tapping the nerves, but mostly repeats his performance from The Departed. Mark Ruffalo gave his best performance as Inspector Dave Toschi in David Fincher’s Zodiac, and one would assume that he would repeat his suave, yet flamboyant, performance in Shutter Island. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Ben Kingsley delivers a solid performance as Dr. John Cawly as his calm presence infuses with a sadistic tone in his voice, but its nothing compared to his wild performance in Sexy Beast. The irony is that it’s the supporting cast, comprised of Max von Sydow, Patricia Clarkson, and Jackie Earle Haley that compensate for the so-so performances by the leading cast.

On the plus side, Shutter Island is a film-geek’s film; the shot of the agents being driven up the slopes of the island mirrors that of the opening shot of Jack Nicholson’s car driving through the mountain pass in The Shining. Also, the mix of dreams and reality within the mental institution strike similar chords to Sam Fuller’s Shock Corridor and David Lynch’s Eraserhead. Shutter Island is an impressive visual thrill ride, yet is not in the same league as Scorsese’s epics like Taxi Driver or GoodFellas.

3 out of 4 stars

V-Day

Okay, all I've been hearing about this week are Valentine's Day films people "should" and "shouldn't" see. In all seriousness, I can't stand romantic films. Sometimes they work, but most of the time, they just make me want to grab the nearest bucket to throw up in. I might as well join the club and compile the list of films I would sit down with my loved one and watch on National Hallmark Day.

Play It Again, Sam/Annie Hall

Although he is not my favorite director, Woody Allen really shined in the Seventies with his cinematic love letters to Diane Keaton. Directed by Herbert Ross, Play It Again, Sam is the 1972 classic that satirizes the Playboy magazine bachelor life as Woody tries to channel the suaveness of Humphrey Bogart while trying to fill the romantic void. It's a fine mix of reality vs. imagination. One of the best scenes is the morning after Allen and Diane Keaton have sex and Keaton asked what Woody was thinking about during sex, and he replies "Willie Mays."

Annie Hall is Allen at his best when he questions and reminisces about his past flames (Carol Kane, Shelley Duvall and, most importantly, Diane Keaton). Allen and Keaton are like a house on fire as they both stimulate each other with weird conversations, cabaret singing, and debating over the joy of sex with or without marijuana. It makes you wonder if your girlfriend is having an out of body experience while you're trying to satisfy her.

High Fidelity

Based on Nick Hornby's bestselling novel, the film follows John Cusack and his conflicting love affair between his obsession with music and his ex-girlfriend, who he tries to get back. For Cusack, it doesn't sound like a stretch, since he made of name for himself as the desperate lover in the 80s flicks, Better Off Dead and Say Anything, but this is totally different. With Stephen Frears directing and Cusack having to deal with "the musical moron twins" (Todd Louiso and Jack Black, who gives a stellar performance of a Marvin Gaye classic), the film is not in the "chick flick" pile since any guy can sympathize and channel his codependency frustration with a mix tape and a stack of vinyl.

Lost in Translation

The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree with Sofia Coppola carrying her family name with her 2003 film, Lost in Translation. While in Japan filming a whiskey commercial, Bill Murray tries to grab a hold of his life as an actor and husband 5,000 miles away from home, but his vacation takes a turn when he befriends Scarlett Johansson, a young woman questioning her rush into marriage, and they both journey out into the hectic streets of Tokyo. A bittersweet story blended with a sublime cast and awesome soundtrack (turn it up when you hear The Jesus and Mary Chain) , Translation is a brilliant film that gives you hope in finding an equal in a world where you feel out of place.

Friends

Before you start thinking about Jennifer Aniston and that cheesy show....it's not, I repeat, "NOT" the "Friends" you're thinking about. Friends is a 1971 gem by Lewis Gilbert that follows two confused and lovestruck teenagers that run away from their troubled families and live in seclusion in the south of France. Despite its controversial depiction of teenage sex, its softcore compared to the films that followed this one (Last Tango in Paris, La Luna, Kids). With Elton John's music mixed with the road-trip cinematography that mirrors that of Harold and Maude, Friends is a beautiful and rare film that throws away the conventional standards of romantic films with something unique and pure.