Movie Reviews "Black Swan" / "Limitless" / "Skyfall"

Hello again my fellow reel watchers,

It's been only a couple of days since we last spoke, but I couldn't stay away any longer. Again, the movies I talk about in these blogs are not necessarily what is currently running, or even what is on everyone's top 10 list. They are usually what I have seen in the last few days, or something that stuck out in my mind.

So let's jump right in...

Black Swan: (2010) - R
Staring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, and Vincent Cassel
         

Overview - Nina Sayers (Portman) has been working her whole life to be the lead in a ballet directed by Thomas Leroy (Cassel). Her dream finally comes true as she is picked to be the lead in Leroy's rendition of the classic "Black Swan". There's one catch. She's too innocent to play the Black Swan. Now she must go down a dark path to find her evil and seductive side. She just didn't know how far down the rabbit hole she would have to go.

Review - I had been avoiding this title for a while because I could not wrap my mind around spending almost 2 hours watching the ballet. I would rather practice building up a tolerance to pouring salt into an open wound. I finally let curiosity get the better of me. I popped it in and gave her a fair shake. Natalie Portman plays Nina Sayers, a 28 year old ballet-obsessed woman who still lives with her mom, (who is a complete friggin lunatic!). She fantasizes about the day she'll take the stage in front of thousands of audience members, and desires the ability to hold them in the palm of her hand. She wants it so much that she practices until she starts breaking off toenails. Mila Kunis (mother may I?!) comes in and threatens Portman's possible lead casting. So now Portman needs to be perfect. She can't miss a beat, a twirl, or a potty beret (I don't know ballet terms). Finally she gets her wish and lands the lead in The Black Swan. But there's a problem. He director says she's too perfect. Portman actually pulls this off very well if you can get over the fact that she doesn't know how to NOT look like she's always about to start crying. Her character's biggest struggle in this ballet...How can you portray an evil temptress when you are overly focused on grace, form, and timing? You have to let go and.....well.....get horny. Which is basically her one and only coaching tip from her director. They spent so much time on this subject that I started feeling like I was watching a soft-core porno. Not to mention the very vivid lesbian scene between Portman and Kunis. Sure the bad boy, and sinner, in me was interested in watching, but "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). I was also concerned when the movie started and the Parental Warning said "Disturbing Images", but then again I feel like my bathroom mirror should have the same warning. Little did I know that the disturbing images were actually pretty startling. I can usually handle things like excessive killing and zombies, but the one thing I can't handle is the portrayal of dead people (spirits, ghosts, demons, etc). When you enter a room and flip on a light and your dead mom is standing there bleeding from the eyeballs, how do you erase that image from your head? Needless to say that every time I flipped on a light, after this movie, I was half prepared to see my dead mom standing there expressing her disapproval of me. What I liked about this movie is that, for the first time, I actually believe ballet dancers work hard. I always believed they simply showed up and danced around for a few hours and made a pretty penny. I loved the loyalty to the brand and the director that all the girls showed. They worked for the company, and they were proud to be there, even though they weren't getting rich, or making it to "Hollywood". Nowadays loyalty is harder to come across that the secret rare metal, Unobtanium (Avatar). I will say this in response, however. I understand that they needed to show Portman having to develop an evil temptress side, but did they really have to spend so much time on the softcore porn aspect. I couldn't decide if Darren Aronofsky (Director) was trying to turn me on, or depress me.

Overall I would give it a 2 out of 5. The only reason I didn't drop below a 2 was because it was well acted, and Mila Kunis doesn't know how NOT to be hot. It struggled to hold my attention outside of startling images and blood pumping sound effects that made you believe something evil was about to happen. I would not watch it again, and likely wouldn't recommend it to a friend based on the awkward amount of sexual encounters. 

Things to be aware of...

1) There are 2 scenes where we see Natalie Portman rubbing herself. In one of them she turns and starts grinding on her bed quite hard. On top of that, there is the aforementioned lesbian sex scene. We see Kunis go down on Portman. 

2) She hallucinates a lot, and some of the images might be too disturbing for you. There are a few scenes where she sees a dead person, or sees someone stabbing themselves in the face. It bothered me, so I will warn you because of it. It's all dependent on your tolerance of frightening imagery.  

Alrighty, let's move on...

Limetless: (2011) - PG-13

Staring Bradley Cooper, Anna Friel, and Robert DeNiro

  

Overview - Bradley Cooper plays a struggling writer. His live-in girlfriend decides she's had enough of his lazy no-goodness, and takes off. He runs into an old acquaintance who offers him a miracle. A small pill that will allow you to use 100% if your brain. Suddenly he starts remembering things like whole pages of textbooks he glanced at 15 years earlier. Amazed by this he goes in search of more. But, as we all know, all good things must come to an end.

Review - "Limitless" is currently one of the hottest titles on Netflix Instant. Bradley Cooper said this was one of the few films he was "Genuinely excited about." He said he really believed in the script, and commented that no one can hate working alongside, and learning from, the great Robert De-Niro. Cooper has been put on the same plain as, if not above, Hugh Jackman and Brad Pitt (as far as looks and build are concerned). He has captured the heart, soul, and attention of every woman across this great world of ours. I myself have developed a talent of asking my wife a serious question, drawing her gaze, whenever Mr. Cooper is about to lose his shirt. Priorities people!!  What I loved about this flick is that it does an amazing job at showing the very real levels of emotion that Cooper's character goes through. He starts the film on the level of an overweight burnout with ratty hair and a 2 week beard. Throughout the film we see him go from Kurt Cobaine to James Bond, and land everywhere in between before the ending comes. The director, Neil Burger, is responsible for movies such as "The Illusionist" that starred Ed Norton and Paul Giamatti. He has a certain mystical way of story telling. He has a way of creating a scenario that draws you in gets you curious to see where he's going to go next. My biggest disagreement with this movie was the very odd dramatic  camera movements he insisted on recycling throughout the film. The camera zooms in as if you are watching it through the screen on the back of a point-and-shoot digital camera. It zooms in down a street, but keeps going for sometimes 9-10 blocks. It's such a trippy camera movement that it was making me uncomfortable in the theater seat. Then there's Robert DeNiro. I had a friend tell me he can't stand him because he has gotten lazy over the years. This film silences that argument. DeNiro does a great job as the CEO of a company that sees the potential in his new young corperate superstar (Cooper). While the role could have been taken by any number of high-level older gents (Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, or even Harrison Ford), I think DeNiro was a very good choice for his role. As with every movie dealing with enhancers, or drugs, there are inevitable side effects. Crashes, withdrawals, blackouts, and so on. Cooper does a fantastic job at embodying what this would look like in a real-world application. The film definitely has a dark, dense, and foggy feeling to it. Much like you would expect the front seat of Bob Marley's car. The camera woks as a story-teller in and of itself, dramatic angles and strong, but subtle, movements really add depth to it.

Overall I would give this a  out of 4 out of 5. Some of you may wonder if this is a high rating, and I will admit that the originality of the plot was engaging to me. I do not remember seeing a brain enhancing drug as a plot point before. That on top of great performances pushed it up there. I would watch it again, and recommend it to pretty much anyone. It's a story worth telling.

Things to watch out for in this movie...

1) Drug use. Obviously he's not snorting coke, or shooting heroin, but he does go through a lot of similar crashes and withdrawals  which bring a very real emotion to what drug addicts go through. If you know someone, or are someone, who struggles with that issue, it may seem a bit too real.

2) There are 3-4 sex scenes, but they are all implied scenes. You don't see any breasticles or wienerschnitzels. 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaalrighty then.....

Skyfall: (2012) - PG-13

Starring Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, and  Judi Dench

  

Overview - James Bond is getting older. Past hurts have left him cold, and determined. What happens when Bond starts to feel obsolete? He kicks ass even harder! With the world changing around him, Bond feels he's becoming a relic. But he's not done yet. He will have to face his most cerebral opponent yet. A true equal. Is he up to it?

 

Review - I've been a James Bond fan since he took a bite of the apple in the Garden of Eden. Ian Flemming created this cultural icon in 1953 with his first book in the impending series, "Casino Royale". Since then the character of James Bond has been portrayed by the talents of Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Pierce Brosnan. Each one bringing their own unique flare to the MI6 Operative. Brosnan brought class, Connery brought bruiting, and Moore made you wonder if Bond could be gay. Daniel Craig is, in my opinion, the best representation of this secret agent. He brings brute strength, intelligence, and snappy wit to the character. "Skyfall" is the 23rd installment of the franchise, and they haven't missed the mark once with this fella at the wheel. In this movie they overdo the whole "I'm getting old" gag, but it doesn't take away from the bulk of the film. Craig's interpretation of Bond makes him steadfast, committed  and noble. Javier Bardem plays the villain named Silva in this movie and he, on the other hand, is a weird villain. He embraces technology and tries to convince Bond he's on the wrong team. Silva's character is the first villian to not only be able to match Bond on a cerebral level, as well as one of the first to ever get his hands dirty and not just send his 300 expendable henchmen to take care of it. Where do they find these pathetic henchmen anyway? Is there a hotline? What's the sales pitch? "Wanna lay down your life whenever I decide? Call now." 1-800-DIE-QUICK. While "Casino Royale" is still Craig's best movie, I think "Skyfall" certainly has very strong draws to it. Anyone who likes the Bond franchise can't help but like anything this guy does. Bond suffers some very real life-or-death scenarios, as well as some well communicated physical pain. In this film, they do an amazing job showing that Bond is NOT invincible. He has a past. He has weaknesses. His number just might be called at any time. Though, I do have some complaints. I first began to wrap my head around the character of James Bond when I read an article on Cracked.com that described James Bond and 007 are not a person, but a status. That Connery, Moore, Brosnan, and Craig have all been agents worthy of this title. That made PERFECT sense. Then they threw a plot line in this film that turned all that on it's head. But what are you gonna do? Javier Bardem's portrayal of the villain, Silva, has got many similarities to other villains. He thinks he's the smartest, the sexiest, the best match for Bond. The only thing is that, in this case, he IS the best match for Bond. He always seems to be one step ahead. He catches Bond off-guard. He can think past the invisible walls most other villains put up in front of themselves. The two of them have good chemistry, though at times the film makers translate this chemistry into an almost awkward relationship between Bardem and Craig. Now, some of you may say, "Hey, What about the 'Bond girl'?" Well she's French/Cambodian and she has boobs. The end.

Overall I would rate this a 4 out of 5. I love James Bond, and only Timothy Dalton has made his character un-watchable. Craig has my vote for best showing of James Bond in the franchise history. I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a good action flick. 

Things to watch out for...

1) It's James Bond. We know what to expect. Silhouettes of naked ladies, seeing him entangled in another woman's embrace, and a dirty quip now and again.