Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
2.5/4
You'll probably either love it or hate it
patjohnson76 - wrote on 01/11/2011
Black Swan is several things - drama, thriller, intense, weird, messed up - a lot of things I didn't expect it to be. The visuals are amazing, the acting superb, the story original...so what's my deal? Fact is, when it was over I sat in the theatre wondering what I had just seen and if I enjoyed watching it. While I was pretty gripped into the story, I have to say after a day of thinking about it, I'm not reflecting back and thinking how great it was, but how relieved I was that it was over. Don't get me wrong, some will really like it, but for me it isn't something I could ever see myself watching again. I guess it's something you really have to be prepared for, because if you go in blind, like I pretty much did, it might not be a pleasant viewing experience.
Rating of
4/4
BLACK SWAN from The Media Mashup
Mark - wrote on 01/04/2011
I had heard a LOT of good things about BLACK SWAN and inevitably my expectations were pretty high. Fortunately the film is as good as I had been lead to believe and would encourage everyone to at least give it a shot, especially those with preconceived doubts thinking of it as "that ballet movie". Yes, the plot revolves around a prestigious ballet company (preparing for their next production - a fresh take on the classic Swan Lake), and a dancer, played by Portman, striving for perfection and her desire to be the best in her art, but the core of the story takes us far deeper and darker. Darren Aronofsky's visual style is very prominent here which, for me, was the main reason I enjoyed it so much with mystery and tension building every scene, aided by the great music. The performances …
Rating of
3/4
Good, Disappointing, But Worth it For the End
Alex - wrote on 12/18/2010
I was expecting a ton from this movie. I loved Requiem for a Dream, I really liked The Fountain, and The Wrestler was pretty good. Everything I had heard was that this movie was better than The Wrestler. Can't say I agree, but good none the less.
Black Swan is about Ballet (don't let anyone fool you). So if you aren't into the arts, you may want to stay away. The first hour was a little long to be honest. I understand that it was setting up the whole story and that things needed to be "set up" in order to make the story work. But, I expect a lot more.
Cinematography was OK in the beginning and got better as time went on. Same with the musical score. These two things are a large determining factor of how I rank movies. Not nearly as good as any of his other movies (ok, maybe better …
