Black Swan Club

I went to see Black Swan last night.  The Darren Aronofsky film about ballet with Natalie Portman.  Before I saw it, I thought it would be The Wrestler in toe shoes because of the previews:  Ballerina works herself to death for ballet because no one understands her.  But really it's Fight Club meets the New York City Ballet with a bit of Mommie Dearest thrown in.

I'd say more about it, but you know the first rule about Black Swan Club.  I wouldn't use any wire hangars though, if I were you.  I'm just saying.

It was pretty well acted and it had elements that I liked.  But I think I'm a bit jaded about the whole art thing.  I liked that they made reference to the ballet needing money; nothing like realism to suspend your disbelief.  Having Natalie Portman's character so insecure and off-kilter that she projects all her fears onto the new ballerina was cool.  I've lived that before.  Only with actors it's often inanimate objects that prevent them from succeeding.  "I can't possibly enter if there's a light there.  How do you expect me to go around it?  It'll mess up my timing and screw up my process."  Or maybe you just suck.  But that's the thing in my world, the most annoyingly insecure actors are the ones with the least talent.  Perhaps it's different in ballet.  Or, perhaps I missed the entire point of the movie. 

I get that you have to give yourself over to the role but you still have to know where the edge of the stage is.  It's called show business not go schizo over one role and maim yourself in order to reach perfection.  Not only is that weird, but then your understudy gets the role and you don't get a curtain call.

I took a ballet class once in college.  I find it odd that we had to fulfill a Phys Ed requirement at university.  By that time shouldn't you have figured out your own exercise regime?  Anyway, I took a ballet class and I admit I loved doing pirouettes, I felt so pretty.  My teacher, although she dressed the role in leotards, tights and leggings, did not look as if she understood the ballerina physique.  Perhaps she was a lone crusader against the pressure to be skinny in ballet or maybe she thought bulimia only meant eat all that you want.  Whatever the case, she was never without her coffee cup, which was not full of coffee, at 10 am. 

Now, there's a character to write a movie about:  it's Crazy Heart meets High School Musical.