Black Swan (2010) Dir. Darren Aronofsky

Intense, gripping, horrific, creative and moving. These are the words to describe Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller set in the world of New York ballet. Natalie Portman has certainly matured from previous mediocre performances; her lead role in Black Swan proves she is an immensely talented actress.

She plays Nina Sayers, a member of an elite ballet company – Hugely ambitious Nina lives with her overbearingly loving mother whom also used to practice as a ballerina. When creative director, Thomas (played by Vincent Cassell) lets lead Ballerina, Beth (played by the erratic but wonderful, Winona Ryder) go, he decides to give the leading role to Nina in Swan Lake. The entire film is seen through Nina’s perspective and we learn early on, she isn’t a reliable source for her reality.

Black Swan literally jolted me out of my seat on a number of occasions, the filming defiantly had a Aronofsky’s signature on it – Similar in style to Requiem for a Dream. Nina spirals into a world of paranoia and hallucinations. The arrival of Lily (played by Mila Kunis), a hedonistic member of the group intensifies Nina’s paranoia. The scene when Lily and Nina go out clubbing certainly wouldn’t mesh well with audiences whom suffer from epilepsy – The disco lights provide the audience with glimpses as to what is going on, it’s erratic and intensely hypnotic to endure.

Having seen The Wrestler, there are many similarities, primarily both films focus on the body and what it has to succumb to if one practices an art such as ballet and wrestling. The sheer horror of the Black Swan is it’s focus on the human body, scenes of Nina’s mother cutting her daughters nails to hearing Nina’s bones creek as she practices. Self-harm is also a huge theme of the film and is dealt with very sensitively.

Winona Ryder didn’t get much over twenty minutes of air time but her performance was perfection – Aronofsky’s casting is brilliant, Ryder is the ideal actress for the role of the retired, manic and self destructive Beth. The sequence when Nina visits Beth in hospital to return her possessions is one of the most horrific sequences of the film.
The film also focuses on growing up and sexuality, there is a steamy sequence between Lily and Nina but it’s not random or merely placed in to provide some cheap thrills for Hollywood audiences. Its appropriate and Portman’s performance will shock and move you beyond belief.

The character of Nina is so well composed and believable- The strive for the perfect performance is central to the film. The last act is the most powerful; we witness Swan Lake happening first hand. The shots of the cheering audience’s and the bright lights on stage make the audience come to understand Nina and her strive for the perfect performance.

Many of the sequences of Black Swan paid homage to the classic film, The Red Shoes (1948), particularly the opening sequence of Nina dancing solo on a blacked out stage – The destructive relationship between Nina and Thomas is also similar to The Red Shoes.

The music of the film is exquisite and adds to an incredible build up towards the end of the film – Even though long shots were a favorite with Black Swan when dancing was concerned, one can’t ignore the sheer amount of practice that Portman has put into the film.

This will be a favorite at award ceremonies to come– Natalie Portman can expect a huge amount of success from her performance here. Black Swan is in many ways a flawless Aronofsky feature – It’s a must see. Just don’t expect an easy viewing experience.

The Peddler (2009) Dir. Eduardo de la Serna, Lucas Marcheggiano, Adriana Yurcovich

One of my favorite films from the London Film Festival so far has got to be The Peddler – Filmed mostly in documentary style, apart from the scenic long shots, this is a film about handcrafted filmmaking. Daniel Burmeister is a seventy something filmmaker who travels around remote villages in South America and offers to make a movie in less than a month, using local residents as his cast. Choosing one of the half-dozen trusty genre scripts he’s been using for years, Burmeister sets about scouting locations, recruiting “actors” and spreading the word about his project. An act of bringing the community together as much as a creative venture, the filmmaking process elicits varying degrees of curiosity, commitment and problem solving.

Burmeister has a genuine charm, which draws the audience in instantly – The Peddler is a reminder that filmmaking is accessible and budget is not everything – For Burmeister filmmaking is a way of life. He earns very little from his films but enjoys and embraces the unexpected nature of his future.

Throughout the film Burmeister discusses his childhood, his strict unsupportive father and how he feels this links in to why he is a filmmaker – He takes pride in his work, he doesn’t take it too seriously and he has a genuine, warm charm that enraptures the audience.

The most engaging sequence is during the screening of the film, the villagers gather around the modest venue and the camera takes a long shot of the screen – We witness the back of the audience’s heads and their facial expressions during the screening. The Peddler is a witty, charming and honest film that reminds all of us the importance of handcrafted filmmaking.

Click HERE to view The Peddler's website where they mention my name and review!

Never Let Me Go (2010) Dir. Mark Romanek

The London Film Festival opened with Never Let Me Go – Adapted into a film from Japanese-British born, Kazuo Ishiguro, the film is a remarkable display of British talent.

The story is told through the narration of Kathy H (Carey Mulligan) and the film follows the life of three students, Ruth (Keira Knightley), Kathy H and Tommy (Andrew Garfield) at Hailsham, an elite eerie English boarding school.

Ruth is attractive and intelligent, Kathy H is more caring and subdued and Tommy is awkward and sensitive. The film focuses on the love triangle that occurs between the three friends – The world in which they live is also problematic, sci-fi England in a way. The children of Hailsham are clones, merely existing to become donors for people with life threatening diseases.

The realization of their fate never prompts anger or protest amongst the three characters, instead, sadness and woe overcomes them. Carey Mulligan gives an exceptional performance; her eyes are beautifully emotive and ideal for her role.

Once the three friends reach eighteen they are sent to the ‘Cottages’, the film is divided into three sections but opens with the present day sequence. The ‘Cottages’ are an opportunity for Hailsham youths to intermingle with ‘ordinary’ life – It is here when Kathy H decided to apply to become a Carer.

One of the most amusing sequences is when they are venture to a coffee shop, their hesitation and confusion with the menu is extremely touching.

The three friends separate for a couple of years and we follow the life of Kathy H, who has become a carer for donors, a melancholy life where she is merely floating through till she has to become a donor herself.

Throughout the film the shots of the British countryside are stunning along with the film’s score – Andrew Garfield also gives a brilliant performance as the somewhat eccentric mannered youth. The child actors are also impressive.

Never Let Me Go is interesting as it focuses heavily on a love relationship and rather little on the issue of injustice – The director that gave us cult classic, One Hour Photo, Mark Romanek succeeds creating eerie sequences.

One in particular is Keira Knightly when she is lying on the operating bed for the last time and she ‘completes’ – This is a euphemism created by Ishiguro, which means death.

There is something particularly horrorific witnessing a thin Knightley during a donor operation – One has to wonder what she has left to give from her thin body. The lighting is eerie and it’s one of the most powerful sequences of the film which concentrates on the idea on an injustice world.

Never Let Me Go’s only flaw and possible strength could be how the characters are oddly accepting of their situation, Kathy H seems like a sort of character that would be take a stand. Perhaps the absence of the character’s fight for their life is what makes the film endearing? It encourages issues such as; powerless, emotional, love stricken youths which makes the film a definite tearjerker.

Never Let Me Go opens nationwide sometime in January 2011.

8/10

Director: Mark Romanek
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley
Runtime: 103 mins
Country: UK

54th BFI London Film Festival 2010

The time of year has come around yet again - Please click here to see full list of films.

The Other Guys (2010) Dir. Adam McKay

The film begins following super cops Highsmith and Danson (Samuel L Jackson and Dwayne Johnson) on a ludicrous high speed chase through Manhattan.

The opening action scene differs from most comedies due to the special effects, these are great to witness but somewhat unfitting for the genre. Highsmith and Danson are the ultimate cops, real life heroes, in awe with their star status.

There is something extremely endearing seeing Samuel L Jackson play a comical cop role like this, it’s almost a homage to his role in Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and at the same token, pokes fun at it.

They are also as one may have guessed from the title, not central to the film. When Danson and Highsmith meet an unfortunate end in the film, odd couple partnership of Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) and Alan Gamble (Will Ferrell) step in to replace them. The relationship between the two cops is meant to be the engine that drives this particular train. Hoitz is a typical alpha-male with anger issues, his career collapsed after accidentally shooting Derek Jeter in the foot. Gamble is a mild tempered forensic accountant transferred from the fraud division to the major crime detective squad for reasons unknown. Gamble is content within his position, loves to stay in the comforts of the office, doing paperwork.

The Other Guys is never unfunny for long. Once we’ve established our two protagonists through a bizarre and amusing lion and tuna metaphor, it is generally fun just to watch them blunder their way through the rest of the movie. Wahlberg’s character is the short-fused catalyst for his first big trip out of the office. Their dynamic warmly satirizes the eighties buddy cop cliche, but more often is simply a vehicle for short-form character sketches.

Ferrell and Wahlberg have never confessed to be pioneers of comedy but their performance in The Other Guys worked well. Don’t expect much for plot, the real talent lies within the central characters. Eva Mendes also gives a great yet short performance as Gambles beautiful wife. The Other Guys is never unfunny for long but it’s not the most sophisticated comedy I have seen this year but it certainly isn’t the worst.

Fish Tank (2009) Dir. Andrea Arnold

Newcomer Katie Jarvis plays Mia, a loud mouthed, angry fifteen year old living with her alcoholic mother and younger sister in a council estate in Essex. Arnold tackles the issue of 'Broken Britain' sensitively and honestly without the overly emotional and dramatic nature that we see with Shane Meadows. She has the cleared eye social realism window as the iconic, Ken Loach exhibits.

Filmed in a documentary style, the audience warms to Mia as the film progresses, we see the helplessness of her situation and begin to admire her loner status. Her world begins to get shaken up when her mother has a new boyfriend. Michael Fassbender plays Connor O'Riley, an intelligent and charismatic man who sparks a connection between Mia and himself.

On one hand, Mia has not known love all her life so when Connor begins giving her attention and positive encouragement, Mia is intrigued and tries to make sense of this. On the other hand, Connor himself is not the typical hero of the film, we learn he has a wife and child and his relations with Mia begins as a disillusioned father - daughter one.

At home, Mia's little sitter watches American programs such as MTVs Cribs and Sweet Sixteen which is clearly a well thought out sequence to outline the problem with society. Whilst spoilt teens get bought huge parties and cars for their birthday's, Mia is desperately trying to live and make sense of love and purpose.

The good bye sequence between Mia and her mother towards the end of the film is the most interesting sequence - Mia's mother is dancing to one of Mia's cd's, Mia approaches her and starts to mirror her dance movements, whilst they stare lovingly into each others eyes, Mia's sister starts mirroring them too.

This mirroring can be interpreted as the mirroring of life styles. Is their hope for Mia's future? Or will she too turn out to be like her mother? Unemployed with a drinking problem.

Whilst Mia packs her things up - Her sister cheekily asks her if she is going away to the 'special school' to which Mia replies "Nah, you can have my place" initiating that her sister will grow up to be a troubled teen as she has. This brings the audience to understand these characters and how they see the world.

Jarvis gives the film extreme depth - She is certainly an actress to look out for in the very near future.

The Unconvential Truth of The Twlight Series

The Twilight Series has encouraged a heavy amount of hype, primarily with teenage girls. Lusting over two very different portrayals of the ideal man.

Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) is the blood sucking, soulless guy. Feminine in appearance, lean in build and he plays hard to get with Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) throughout the series. He is the broken man. The emo.

Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) in contrast has muscles, he is tanned and makes his feelings about Bella strong and clear from the beginning.

These two leading men can be compared to male stars from the past. Edward Cullen as the bisexual icon, James Dean and Jacob Black mirrors the masculine in every shape and form, Marlon Brando.





Teen flicks such as Mean Girls, Cruel Intentions and She's All That often sexualise the female body - The camera often pans from bottom to top on the leading lady's body. We see this in the sequence in She's All That when Laney Bloggs (Rachael Leigh Cook) has just had a revolutionary make over and as she walks down the stairs, the camera adopts the view point of Zack Siler (Freddie Prinze Jr).

Therefore the audience instantly adopts a hetero sexual male voyeuristic view point of the female being the hunted. Metaphorically, the male is merely at opposite ends of the camera, being the hunter.

The Twilight Series has flipped over this tradition that occurs in teen flicks and for that matter, all mainstream films. Ironically, plot wise, Bella Swan is constantly being hunted by the blood sucking hunters however, the underlining messages of the film are extremely different from this notion.

The camera sexualises the two leading men instead of Bella or any other of the female counter parts. The constant slow motion shots of Edward entering a room, is the camera adopting Bella's view point.

Edward Cullen is also extremely feminine and Bella is certainly not the archetype of the idealised feminine character. Her style is casual and somewhat dull, she is very much in the background.

The character of Edward Cullen challenges audience's notion of the ideal male and furthermore, The Twilight Series has reflected that sexuality in the twenty-first century is versatile and constantly evolving. We are entering into yet another sexual revolution and the film industry seems to be picking up on this.

Everybody's Fine Dir. Kirk Jones (2009)

Despite the film clearly failing with it's mission of mirroring About Schmit - Everybody's Fine is a warm-hearted, easy viewing film to endure. Frank Goode (Robert De Niro) is a recently retired and widowed father who decided to go on a trip to visit each of his children once they all miraculously cancel on him for their annual dinner.

As Frank travels, he realises that his kids have been telling him a false story about their lives — Happily married advertising executive Kate Beckinsale is far from living in domestic bliss, big-shot dancer, Drew Barrymore is actually a bisexual waitress with a child .

The movie continues on this with rest of his children, growing less gripping each time yet it continues to be an enjoyable film due to De Niro's emotional performance.

The real tragedy occurs when Frank discovers what has happened to his youngest son - The ending is somewhat unsatisfying but leaves room for the audience to continue enjoying their lazy Sunday afternoon with the family.

A cup of tea and some digestives are recommended during viewing.

Shutter Island Dir. Martin Scorsese (2010)

Martin Scorsese was inspired by three things prior to making Shutter Island:

1. B-Movies
2. Alfred Hitchcock
3. Good Cinematography

These are all evident with this feature - I was hesitant to see this film, the trailer and the overall marketing of the film proposed the vision that Scorsese had sold himself out to Hollywood, to the mainstream.

How wrong I was - Indeed, Scorsese does follow with the tradition of thrillers with this feature, there is the antagonist, private detective, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo Dicaprio) and the protagonist being the institution, Shutter Island. Or so it seems at first glance.

The film is particularly successful in delivering the sensitive nature of mental health care in the fifties. The horror of the fifties mental health system is a political message in Shutter Island - As well as this, the political message of an ex-war veteran is one of the more current issues that the film focuses on.

Teddy Daniels is a broken man, bruised and clearly still haunted by the horror he witnessed at war. Without giving too much away, there are many twists in the film, the ending is particularly touching leaving not even the slightest crumb of comfort to the audience.

These issues distinguish Scorsese's feature from the usual mainstream thrillers that usually carry Capitalist, anti-feminist and conventional messages.

Twilight (2008) Dir.Catherine Hardwicke

Intrigued to see what all the irritating hype was all about, I was looking forward to immerse myself in Twilight – Director Hardwicke grabbed my attention with her unorthodox portrayal of teenage life with her indie flick 13 so I was interested to see how she would do with another teen film with an edge.

Bella Swan moves to the small town of Forkes to live with her father, she is not the archetypal vision of a teenage girl which is certainly a breath of fresh air – She is clumsy yet still cool and even manages to find herself some friends. She is drawn to the mysterious group of teens, The Cullen family, all adopted yet coupled up with each other.

When they walk into the cafeteria there is a definite hint that this sequence was inspired by Heathers (This didn't surprise nor disappoint me as every dark teen film has a connotation to the classic).

Handsome emo, Robert Pattinson plays Edward Cullen, the singleton of the family whom is instantly drawn to Bella and she also is mesmerized by him. The films potential lies when we discover Edward can not stand to be close to her, we sense its his attraction that is causing some kind of reaction in him and its no secret the audience is aware this is a vampire film.

The audience adopts a Sherlock Holmes type of role, intrigued by spotting the attributes of a vampire. He clearly is attracted to her or does he merely want to eat her? How did they become vampires? Are they really evil? The most fascinating part of the film is when we learn about the history of the Cullens – Going back in time learning how they all became blood hungry monsters.

Gradually, Bella and the most beautiful vampire boy Edward fall in love but must preserve their desires as Edward's Vampire instincts still longs to eat her. The movie is amusing as well as rather touching and clearly has considerable appeal for romantic teenagers. The encounter with the genuine human blood sucking vampires adds an interesting twist to the story and leaves room for a sequel which I am definitely going to endure.