Posts tagged film
The Fighter – Movie Trailer
Dec 28th
Mark Wahlberg stars in Paramount Pictures’ inspirational docudrama exploring the remarkable rise of Massachusetts-born, junior welterweight title winner “Irish” Micky Ward. A determined pugilist whose career in the ring was shepherded by his loyal half-brother, Dicky (Christian Bale) — a hard-living boxer-turned-trainer whose own career in the ring was nearly sent down for the count due to drugs and crime — perennial underdog Irish Micky rebounded from a disheartening series of defeats to win both the WBU Intercontinental Lightweight title and the WBU Light Welterweight title thanks to a fierce combination of determination and hard work. David O. Russell directs from a script by 8 Mile’s Scott Silver and Paul Attanasio (The Bourne Ultimatum).
Black Swan – Movie Trailer
Dec 23rd
A psychological thriller set in the world of New York City ballet, BLACK SWAN stars Natalie Portman as Nina, a featured dancer who finds herself locked in a web of competitive intrigue with a new rival at the company (Mila Kunis). A Fox Searchlight Pictures release by visionary director Darren Aronofsky (THE WRESTLER), BLACK SWAN takes a thrilling and at times terrifying journey through the psyche of a young ballerina whose starring role as the duplicitous swan queen turns out to be a part for which she becomes frighteningly perfect. BLACK SWAN follows the story of Nina (Portman), a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her retired ballerina mother Erica (Barbara Hershey) who zealously supports her daughter,s professional ambition. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side with a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.
“Black Swan” Ode to a Ballerina
Dec 22nd
“Ode to a Ballerina”
BLACK SWAN is a psychological thriller about the world of ballet, an art form that has been around since 1581 and is probably not everyone’s cup of tea.
However, if you admire beauty in any form, would you prefer green or pekoe, plain or cream and sugar with yours?
Directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, and Winona Ryder, it is about one ballerina’s desire to dance the lead in a bold new production of “Swan Lake” and her pursuit of perfection in order to obtain the role.
Nina Sayers is a young ballerina whose technique is flawless, and as she tells her mother on the morning of the first day of rehearsal at the beginning of a new season, “He promised to feature me more this season.”
She is talking about Thomas Leroy, the director of the company, and he wants to open the season with a production of “Swan Lake” in which the star ballerina will dance both the roles of the white Swan Queen and the Black Swan.
Thomas tells Nina that if he was only casting the White Swan, the role would be hers, but a private encounter in his office with Nina convinces him to take a chance and cast Nina as the star of the production.
Can she handle the pressure?
Can she ignore the jealousy of the other dancers?
Can she measure up to the director’s expectations?
Now, naturally there are up-and-coming dancers involved, as well as other dancers who are past their prime, including Nina’s own mother, who gave up her promising career as a ballerina in order to have Nina.
And in a nod to the mythology of “Swan Lake” itself, the audience is forced to ask is the story real or is it surreal? However, in the case of the finished production, the surrealism works. And the music is not so bad, either.
Keep in mind that there is already a great deal of Oscar buzz about this wondrous and glorious film about a wondrous and glorious art form.
BLACK SWAN is a mythical ode to a ballerina which shows that being obsessed with the pursuit of perfection can lead to tragic results, and to paraphrase the words of Keats, “That is all you know and all you need to know.”
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”
