Movie: Black Swan
Black Swan reminds me of the Best Oscar contenders of old. It’s heavily melodramatic and highly charged. The drama, given a different presentation, would be laughable.
So kudos to director Darren Aronofsky for bringing everything off with aplomb. I have to admit that my positive regard for this movie did not come about until the end of the film, but I was interested and entertained throughout.
In the end, I appreciated what the movie has to say about art and the process of creation. I felt that the over-the-top tone of the movie was the right one to strike.
To be fair though, the understanding that the movie is melodramatic did not strike me immediately.
Aronofsky and Natalie Portman managed to immerse us in this world of balletic excess seamlessly and right from the opening sequence. And they continued to strike the right balance of drama and engagement right to the end.
If I Picked the Oscars 2011 (in order of my vote)
Best Picture:
- True Grit
- Black Swan
- Toy Story 3
- Inception
- Winter’s Bone
- The Social Network
- 127 Hours
- The Fighter
- The King’s Speech
- The Kids Are All Right
Best Director:
- Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (True Grit)
- Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)
- David Fincher (The Social Network)
- David O. Russell (The Fighter)
- Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech)
Best Actress: