On Screen Dayton Reviews | Page 4

Natalie Portman delivers the performance of her career thus far in “Black Swan,” Darren Aronofsky’s remarkably alluring and disturbing psychological thriller set within the beautiful, competitive and treacherous world of dance.

Portman, a captivating, graceful sight in the opening minutes alone, expertly portrays Nina Sayers, a dedicated, motivated and introverted New York ballerina cast in the signature roles of a reconceived presentation of “Swan Lake” (presumably by the New York City Ballet.) At first, the ballet company’s demanding, sexually candid artistic director Thomas Leroy (a brooding and suave Vincent Casell) feels Nina is only suited to play the innocent White Swan, but offers her the role of the seductive Black Swan after she discards her demure persona and bites him during a passionate kiss. Nina’s ascension, greeted with contempt by her fellow dancers, affords Thomas the opportunity to shove older ballerina Beth Macintyre (a terrifically fierce Winona Ryder) into early retirement, a decision that predictably infuriates Beth and traumatizes Nina in turn.

“Her scenes with the magnetic Kunis titillate with sexual chemistry and tension.”

Expectedly, Nina endures many physical and emotional hardships in her quest for perfection, particularly from Thomas’ rigorous tutelage and the uneasy companionship of her doting yet obsessive ex-dancer mother Erica (a marvelously stern Barbara Hershey in what could be perceived as a comeback), but her world is completely turned upside down by the arrival of new company member Lily (Mila Kunis in her best role to date), a talented dancer from San Francisco with mischievous aims. Nina is wary of her laidback yet ambitious rival, but is sucked into her intimidating vortex nonetheless with dangerous, confusing repercussions. At one point, it’s hard to believe Nina would be so willing to agree to a night on the town with Lily mere days before a gala performance, but it fuels Nina’s inability to see matters as they are. Lily’s mind games, professional and sexual, continuously warp Nina’s subconscious, propelling her troublesome, deep-seated paranoia to unsettling degrees.

Portman looks as stunning as ever in rehearsal and performance, a reflection of the training that went into her preparation. The athleticism, the commitment, the bewildered joy of capturing a coveted role, and the torture of attempting greatness is solidly conveyed in her luminous portrayal that manages to be simultaneously lovely and terrifying at times. Her scenes with the magnetic Kunis titillate with sexual chemistry and tension. Opposite Hershey she epitomizes the frustration of young women longing to embrace womanhood even though they remain little girls in the eyes of their mothers.

One wouldn’t expect Aronofsky, the dark auteur behind such films as “Requiem for a Dream” and “The Wrestler,” to embrace theelegant magnificence of ballet, but this slight departure proves to be a fascinating change of pace. In addition to authentically capturing the cold grittiness of the Big Apple, Aronofsky’s character-focused imprint is displayed in the aggressive rehearsal scenes, the fluidity of the performance sequences, the gripping moments of mental horror, his penchant for intimate close-ups and handheld camerawork, and a striking attention to detail encompassing shoe repair, crackling bones, physical therapy, choreographer input and costume fittings. Matthew Libatique’s splendid cinematography also secures a distinct sense of atmosphere from the halls of Lincoln Center to Nina and Erica’s confined Upper West Side apartment.

With Tchaikovsky’s gorgeous strains as an evocative underscore, “Black Swan” takes center stage as a compelling if overly intensified depiction of artistry, madness and mystery wonderfully bolstered by Portman’s breathtaking, Oscar worthy performance.

Grade: A

Rating: R

Length: 1 hour and 48 minutes

“Black Swan” will begin its Dayton engagement at the Neon Movies beginning Friday, December 17.

I haven’t been forced to look away while watching a movie since the frat boys eating dog semen-filled donuts scene from “Van Wilder” nearly made me vomit in 2002. Like I’m sure most members of the modest afternoon Neon Movies crowd seeing “127 Hours” on the Friday after Thanksgiving, I was familiar with the Aron Ralston story and expected that the inevitable self-amputation scene might force my eyes away from the screen for the first time in eight years of steady movie going.

I was also concerned that a movie about a hiker/rock climber getting stuck in a canyon for five days, only to free himself by hacking off his own right arm, might be mostly dull, then needlessly gruesome. I’d imagine director Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire,” “Sunshine”) might have shared those concerns. It turned out that James Franco’s (“Milk,” “General Hospital”) portrayal of Ralston’s five days in the canyon were actually quite entertaining and endearing because Franco does a terrific job conveying Ralston’s humanity, humor, and most importantly, his will to live.

Ralston is a self-sufficient nature lover and adventurer who was as much in search of solitude as natural beauty. When, while hiking in Utah, Ralston falls down a narrow canyon and gets his right arm pinned between a boulder and the canyon wall, he is forced into solitude for five days, all the while contemplating how his independent, possibly selfish personality may have as much to do with his agonizing predicament as does the rock that keeps him from leaving the canyon.

Because the Ralston story received such attention, the audience knows that he must amputate his right arm in order to free himself and avoid dying in the canyon. Of course, cutting off his own arm was not Ralston’s first attempt at escape and because Franco’s Ralston is so easy to root for, I found myself foolishly hoping that he’d be able to chip away enough of the boulder with his pocketknife to escape, or that the pulley system he fashioned would do the trick, or that the flash flood that loosened the boulder was reality and not just a hallucination brought on by exhaustion and despair.

By the time Ralston is forced to accept the fact that he must cut off his own arm or die, I knew that my eyes would be glued to the screen during the amputation. At that point, the audience is so invested in Ralston’s survival, I’m sure I was not alone in thinking that it’d be insulting to Franco’s performance and Aron Ralston himself to look away. And, while the amputation scene is graphic and difficult to watch, I found it more an emotional display of Ralston’s intense need to survive, rather than shock and awe gore.

Like many of the best movies made, “127 Hours” is only showing in Dayton at The Neon. If you’re considering seeing “127 Hours” but are concerned about being able to make it through the amputation scene without fainting, just know that it’s more beautiful than grotesque and that The Neon, as always, has alcoholic beverages available.

Film Review – Black Swan

“Her scenes with the magnetic Kunis titillate with sexual chemistry and tension.”

Film Review – 127 Hours