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Starting with an almost unpolished demeanor, Black Swan slowly builds into an amazing movie experience, but then it just... Let's start from the beginning.

The opening shots depict the confidence of Darren Aronofsky, rugged, almost washed out and without visual substance, luring the viewer into a false sense of security. Slowly and surely, Black Swan builds into an intense and believable depiction of the unappreciated and misunderstood dedication that this discipline requires. The underlying force here is the lure to achieve perfection, the bait that ensnares the perfectionist into thinking that such a thing is possible, where fate brings one to the brink, the precarious edge, and then whispers into the hopeful ear that to jump is to own.

Natalie Portman is simply perfect in this role. Her fanatic drive for perfection would impress the most ardent of Nazis, a belief that life itself can be cheated through dogged preparation. The cracks of reality that occasionally slip through are splendidly ignored, and not until the end do we see just how bent this determination is. Mila Kunis chirps in a surprising good performance, the perfect counterpoint to Portman's Nina, dedicatedly unleashed and all the more perfect because of it. Vincent Cassel, what can I say? This guy owns every role. While he plays a rather unlikable character here, it is one that perfectly balances the ambiguity of his intentions. Is his core filled with ooze or is his love of the craft so intense that he will opportune any moment to drive artistic heights out of his dancers? Vying for top honors, the camera work goes head to head with Portman's performance. This is no surprise, but its dazzling effects, from the voyeuristic walking of Nina, a symbol of her journey that demonstrates her denouement through the camera's increasingly agitated ambling, to the agile capacity that the camera demonstrates, almost cavorting with the dancers themselves, was simply phenomenal.

The editing and direction was typical Aronofsky, his style an earmark of artistry, toned down when appropriate but ramped up to MTV speed for effect, as can be seen in the dance club scene.

The story was a superb take on the brutality that life has to offer this pursuit. These dancers are to both strive for perfection and yet must also live their lives; they live the perfect polar impossibility, for they must dedicate their every ounce of existence towards perfecting their craft but must also live life such that their performance is based on more than just sheer preparation. How these performers do no go postal is one of life's greater mysteries. As the story moves forward and to its end, as it builds up a momentum that is just barely tolerable, the viewer becomes strapped to the seat, electrocuted with anticipation as to how this thriller will execute its final moments, white knuckles all the way.

And then it ends, suddenly and without much fuss. This ending makes perfect sense, and I guess to some it might seem a brutal finality, but to me it was so lackluster that I could not help but feel cheated. I mean, really, that's it, that's the payoff? Maybe my expectations were too high, but in almost ever other moment of this showing I was suitably Wowed by the performance but then left unfulfilled, hollow even, as the credits rolled. Had I walked out just moments before the last scene I bet this would have been considered Oscar worthy, but instead I cannot help but feel spurned, and alone, a feeling that only a chocolate shake heavily spiked with Gran Marnier could fix. Merci.

Genruk of Evil Eye Reviews

Sorum is a movie that dances around genres with a fear of commitment that only adds to the grim details of our character's lives. Maybe it can best described as a horror film without the H. Unlike other movies, it does not fall prey to the contrived necessity to reveal the complete back plot by way of ostensible flashbacks. Instead it relies on the intelligence of the audience to figure it out, or not. The characters here are a shifty lot, creating a splendid layer of suspicion as to who is going to be the bad guy, if such a creature is to make an appearance. Likable the characters are not. Set in about as dreary a housing complex that has ever existed, this home ground symbolizes the lives of our players, a corrupt morality where life's baggage keeps piling up unattended, with stagnation sure to seek rot as its faithful companion. This is the setting for a typical South Korean cinematic affair, a convoluted tale of shady characters whose shenanigans are sure to catch up with them. The only question is what form will their dirty deeds manifest in order to play havoc on the remainder of their lives. The acting was strong; they all captivated my whole attention in that I wanted to know just what sort of past could have created such misery. Director Jong-chan Yun's debut is a solid one. He crafts a creepy tale that relies on filming basics, eschewing any need for tricky tactics to mask any shortcomings. Not a film for everyone, but for those that enjoy a slow burner with lots of character meat to chew on, Sorum is sure to satisfy us in one way while challenging us in another.

Genruk of Evil Eye Reviews

This bleak and tense drama is a testament of the great American dream as it circles the drain. The first scene is a powerfully slow, almost tedious pan that sets the emotional tone of this flick. This tale of the cultures clashing, in admirable low-rent style and amidst a harsh winter backdrop, takes the crumbs that life has to offer as if they are life-sustaining victuals because they are just that. Of course, there is always a shortcut over to the greener side, and this is where the film's plot comes to tempt warmth in its frozen landscape. The acting was sublime, with Melissa Leo giving the performance of a lifetime. She simply nails the love-driven desperation of a mother put to odds that must somehow rise up to provide. Courtney Hunt's directorial debut was smashing, with enough awards to smother the mantelpiece. The camera worked its magic such that the cold realities of life radiated out onto the viewer. Not a flick for those tending towards despondency, for those of stronger constitutions this might well be worth a go. Merci beaucoup.

Genruk of Evil Eye Reviews