I have just watched the film, ‘Black Swan’. What a completely crap, pretentious load of bollocks it was. That it won an Oscar for Natalie Portman baffles me. Except it didn’t, once I saw the names of the people involved in its making, at which point, I am afraid my worst tendencies came to the forefront. I am not a particular fan of Mel Gibson, especially following such films as Brave Heart and Patriot, but I think he and Charlie Sheen have a point.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Didn’t you like it then? 😉
Sipu – I have been to the cinema to watch two films recently. The second was ‘The King’s Speech” which the NSW dragged me to snarling and snapping earlier this year and on hindsight i’m glad she did. It was brilliant and worthy of every Oscar it won. Prior to that i had taken the cubs to the premiere of the original Star Wars, Episode 4 as it turned out, back in 19harrumph.
I was given a bootleg copy of ‘Black Swan’ last Christmas. What a load of pretentious rubbish it was and on which I am glad I did not waste good entry money at the cinema.
OZ
Thanks for the warning, Sipu. I read the reviews and wasn’t absolutely convinced it was worth watching but now I know it probably isn’t.
Must say I was lucky, daughter warned me off as she said roughly the same as you.
I wanted to see it, but nights off (i.e. babysitting grandparents) are at a premium, and my other half predicted it would be exactly as you have said. Also, from what I understand, it is hardly a feel good film, and I honestly have not the time or the energy to be sucked into something so depressive 😉
Sorry about the two small ‘i’s. I’ve got a sticky upper case key.
OZ
Morning all. One of the things that irritated me, apart from the ridiculous premise, was the way it must have discouraged a whole lot of potential ballet enthusiasts. I cannot truly claim to be one of them, but even I could appreciate that ballet has the potential to be a beautiful and artistic dance form. What we got was endless rehearsal shots of a sweaty, uncharismatic, tight-faced woman endlessly waving her arms up and down in isolation from the rest of the caste. At the end of the film, there was a glimpse of what the whole ensemble could look like, but it was much too short. Without a more comprehensive display, anybody unfamiliar with ballet would never understand why somebody would sacrifice so much for something quite so unappealing.
OZ, I did not notice the ‘oo’. (Small ‘i’s).
It was on Sky Movies the other night. Mrs FEEG fell asleep after about 15 minutes and I switched over to the live NFL game on Sky Sports!
FEEG, get another tv! One for you, the other sportsfree. 🙂
Janus: We have got two, and I would have gone to watch the other one if Mrs FEEG had not succumbed to the arms of Morpheus!
I had no desire to see “Black Swan” having read some unfavourable reviews. But I assume from your comment that Gibson and Sheen also didn’t think highly of it, Sipu? What did they say?
Ha, Sheona, it is not what they said about that film in particular, but rather what they said about Hollywood in general, their views of which are somewhat confirmed by the identities of those involved in the film’s making. More than that, I will not say!
Well I enjoyed it very much – it was an interesting portrayal of how a schizophrenic sees the world and knowing many as I do, they did it well, with appropriate artistic licence. The film wasn’t about ballet FFS!
It inspired me to show my wife two similar movies about mental health (a world of which she fortunately isn’t familiar), Girl, Interrupted and One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest as she hadn’t seen them before. All won Oscars I believe. Better than The English Patient, so winning an Oscar isn’t really a good guide is it? I do agree Hollywood is a world worthy of heavy criticism though.
Anyway, a generational thing I expect. Mental Health issues aren’t believed in or accepted as being significant by many over certain ages (in my limited experience of dealing with those who have family members who suffer)
Not a generational thing by any means. Full answer would take up far too many column inches, but worth exploring sometime. 🙂
Had the story been based on fact, I might have been more inclined to dismiss the ‘ballet element’ of the whole thing and more prepared to concentrate on the schizo aspect of it all. But it was fictional and as such the fact that they used the prima-ballerina of an elite New York Ballet company and spent so much time on her training and exercises made that aspect of it very central to the film. To tell a story that is predominantly about mental illness, it would have been quite unnecessary to use that particular premise. In my view it did nothing to support the story and yet it detracted from the art itself. Prima ballerinas are not the only people suffer from Schizophrenia. Besides, given her complete lack of charisma, I find it far-fetched that she would have been given that role.
In the movie ‘Hilary and Jackie’, about the life of cellist Jacqueline Du Pre and her struggle with Multiple Sclerosis, the premise of a world famous musician was justified because it was factual and the musical elements were handled beautifully, even though the story was about MS. The makers of Black Swan would have done well to emulate that film.
I stand by claim that it was pretentious twaddle.