PaleyFilms

When ballerina Beth MacIntre (Winona Ryder) is fired by stage director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel), Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is chosen to take her place. Leroy hopes for Nina to be Swan Queen in the upcoming season of his Swan Lake production. Striving for perfection as a dancer and supported by her overprotective mother (Barbara Hershey), Nina begins to lose grip on reality when rival ballerina, Lily (Mila Kunis), is cast as her alternate. Lily is a loose and emotionally driven dancer who represents the sensual Black Swan in Swan Lake. Driven by jealousy and repression, the good spirited Swan Queen explores the dark side in preparation for her performance.

Darren Aronofsky does one hell of a job directing Black Swan, his most brilliant film to date. Only a true auteur could make such a unique and thought provoking movie, a fact that hereby cements Aronofsky as an auteur. Every sequence brings beauty the screen, with help from astounding art direction and cinematography. This is essentially a black and white film shot in color, as almost everything is set up in symbolic dark and light hues. Different characters wear contrasting clothing depending on their moods and the context of the individual scene. The simple B&W emphasizes the struggle between good and evil, sets up the film like a production of Swan Lake, and shows how quickly someone can change from one side of morality to the other. On top of all the symbolism, the colors are stark and gorgeous, and give immediacy to the story’s beauty. Last but not least, the stunning dance scenes are shot mainly in close-ups, enabling the viewer to see the sweat and concentration on the dancers’ face(s). What an impeccably directed film this is!

Some of the most consistently excellent acting is found here. This is truly a career turning role for Natalie Portman, who is backed up by rock solid performances from Kunis, Hershey, and Cassel, who steal every scene they are in. Because the film is an odd cross between melodrama, horror, and psychological thriller, the actors need to bring their all, a feat which they accomplish with flying colors (or should I say blacks and whites). Although the screenplay is only slightly above average and often comes close to stepping on convention, it never truly crosses the line into the land of cliche. The near-perfect acting, direction, and aesthetic stops the film from falling into any ruts that it teeters near.

Clint Mansell deserves some much-needed love for the film’s soundtrack. The man is a brilliant and underrated composer, whose Black Swan score is haunting, melodious, and suspenseful. Each music track instills the fact that Aronofsky and Mansell are a collaboration match made in heaven.

Black Swan belongs to Darren Aronofsky and Natalie Portman. Its script may not be amazing, but who cares? The direction and performances are so masterful that they not only conceal, but bandage any shortcomings that a less adept film would be ruined by. This piece of art is also nice to look at and listen to, because of its pretty art direction and top-notch score. Some may call it twisted, others may call it scary; I call it bravura cinema.

Virgil Starkwell (Woody Allen) been a failure ever since childhood. Because he possesses no talents, Virgil has taken to a life of crime, one that lands him in jail multiple times. Even marrying Louise (Janet Margolin) and fathering a child with her does not stop Virgil’s bad luck, as he goes in and out of prison, runs from the police, and attempts to rob banks.

Woody Allen’s sophomore directorial effort Take the Money and Run is proof of how mature the director is today. Instead of featuring dramatic plot-lines alongside the humor, the movie is an all-0ut comedy, shot in pseudo documentary style. Its story and style are simply MacGuffins for a series of sight gags and jokes to take place. While much of the humor is very funny, its repetition and silliness bogs the film down.

Early in the film we see a talking head interview with Virgil’s parents, who are both wearing Groucho Marx masks to disguise their identities. This gag is very funny the first time around, but not when subsequently used. A silly scene shows Allen trying to rob a pet store, only to be chased away by a gorilla. The pair of aforementioned sequences are only two instances of bad jokes here; the film contains many more. On the other hand, there is quite a bit of comedic gold. Notable scenes include Allen’s attempt at escaping prison with a fake gun made of soap, and a bank robbery scene involving a poorly written hold-up note. In fact, a good two thirds of the humor works and a good portion is gut-bust funny. This is a mixed bag of comedy; mostly good, but with a significant amount of pedestrian tomfoolery.

What makes the bad sequences stand out so much, is the film’s lack of structure. Although the direction and camera work is very good, each scene stands apart from another. Because Take the Money and Run is more a series of sketches than it is a cohesive whole, each vignette has a different effect: the good ones bring you laughs and the bad ones bring you out of the movie.

Later Allen classics such as Annie Hall and Crimes and Misdemeanors are very subtle and cinematic. The fact that this early effort feels episodic and has very little subtlety bears testament to how much the director has developed over the years. Take the Money and Run is essentially an underdeveloped coming attractions for Allen’s career. A few noteworthy comedy elements are here, but the humanism and drama that make some of his film’s so special have yet to evolve.

Woody Allen fans should definitely check this film out, even if it is not that good. When the movie misses the mark, it hits hard. However, when the comedy works (and it generally does), you will be in gales of laughter. What would have been better as a series of short subjects than a feature length film, still manages to have enough interesting stuff for those in the mood to laugh. This may be a weak entry into Allen’s filmography, but it is certainly not terrible.