Black Swan?
Was Fucked. Up. (and I loved it)
Though I will say, I'll be just giddy if one day I see a movie about narcissism, the artist's war with the self, the process of confronting one's inner demons, etc., etc., AND it doesn't include obvious mirror symbolism. Oh no! Natalie Portman just stabbed herself with the symbol of her fractured psyche! Very deep stuff, this. I also get irritated when lesbianism/gayness is treated as little more than narcissism. Though I will say that the first couple times I ever had sex with a girl I had similar "Oh my god, I'm all alone, sleeping with myself" existential-type freak outs, so who knows.
That said, I loved it (like I said). I don't usually get Darren Aronofsky. Generally I end up leaving the theater going, "That was good. What the fuck did I just see?" This time, though, I really felt for the characters. I wanted to give Nina a big hug, poor kid, and that made all the difference. It's been a long time since I was able to relate to a protagonist so easily. I'm not sure if this means I should give Aronofsky more credit or just that I should be concerned for my mental health. Nina had so many of my own flaws and habits and obsessions, down to the nervous scratching, that it was actually a little uncomfortable to watch her downward spiral.
At any rate, I also really, really appreciated that Lily wasn't simply Nina's evil double. After watching the previews I was a little worried that as the black swan she would be written off as a slut. The film didn't take away her credibility, though, and in fact she was probably the most functional character. The only person who casts her as the black swan is Nina who, as innocent and sheltered as she is, sees Lily's casual drug use and sleeping around as wicked. The Lily that the audience is shown, though, is just chill, if a little flip. It's surprisingly nuanced for a movie that abuses symbolism to the extent that Black Swan does. Also, Lily's reaction when she learned about Nina's thing for her was just priceless, so that earned her a couple more points in my book.
Anyway, two thumbs up? Go see it.
Though I will say, I'll be just giddy if one day I see a movie about narcissism, the artist's war with the self, the process of confronting one's inner demons, etc., etc., AND it doesn't include obvious mirror symbolism. Oh no! Natalie Portman just stabbed herself with the symbol of her fractured psyche! Very deep stuff, this. I also get irritated when lesbianism/gayness is treated as little more than narcissism. Though I will say that the first couple times I ever had sex with a girl I had similar "Oh my god, I'm all alone, sleeping with myself" existential-type freak outs, so who knows.
That said, I loved it (like I said). I don't usually get Darren Aronofsky. Generally I end up leaving the theater going, "That was good. What the fuck did I just see?" This time, though, I really felt for the characters. I wanted to give Nina a big hug, poor kid, and that made all the difference. It's been a long time since I was able to relate to a protagonist so easily. I'm not sure if this means I should give Aronofsky more credit or just that I should be concerned for my mental health. Nina had so many of my own flaws and habits and obsessions, down to the nervous scratching, that it was actually a little uncomfortable to watch her downward spiral.
At any rate, I also really, really appreciated that Lily wasn't simply Nina's evil double. After watching the previews I was a little worried that as the black swan she would be written off as a slut. The film didn't take away her credibility, though, and in fact she was probably the most functional character. The only person who casts her as the black swan is Nina who, as innocent and sheltered as she is, sees Lily's casual drug use and sleeping around as wicked. The Lily that the audience is shown, though, is just chill, if a little flip. It's surprisingly nuanced for a movie that abuses symbolism to the extent that Black Swan does. Also, Lily's reaction when she learned about Nina's thing for her was just priceless, so that earned her a couple more points in my book.
Anyway, two thumbs up? Go see it.