East is East, My Sister's Keeper, Young Guns

We're back on track! Didn't I promise there were more to come this week? No need to thank me, just enjoy!

#1 - EAST IS EAST

Stars - Om Puri, Linda Bassett, Jordan Routledge, Emil Marwa, Chris Bisson, Jimi Mistry, Raji James, Ian Aspinall

Director - Damien O'Donnell

Memorable Quote - 'Bastar'!'

Review - 'East is East' is kind of a strange film. Part of a British film scene that is gritty, sometimes shocking, sometimes funny, and always down to earth, it has joined others such as 'This is England' in gaining both notoriety and respect. The cast list reads like a who's who of British TV actors - Eastenders, Holby City, and The Bill are all represented, and many will be easily recognisable with those familiar with television broadcast at tea time. That isn't a reason to be put off, by the way. At times this representation of Muslims living in Britain will make you cringe, whether in sympathy for the pain of an operation or at the political correctness that seems to have gone missing a little bit. We have to sympathise with the children of the family, all but one of whom are utterly repressed. Not wanting to follow their father's traditions but being forced to anyway, it's clear from the word go that something big is going to have to happen for things to have any sort of resolution at all - someone is going to have to back down. Rude, honest, and full of laughs, 'East is East' still reverberates with our current cultural situation despite being set in the 1970s. My one criticism is the way it deals with domestic violence; although this is in the end meant to be a light-hearted film, it dismisses George's actions too easily, in a way that could be interpreted as a return to business as usual. At no point does he apologise or even suggest that he has learnt the error of his way, and this is something that I feel should be clarified more, if only to ensure that the less quick in the audience get the right message. 3.5/5

#2 - MY SISTER'S KEEPER

Stars - Abigail Breslin, Cameron Diaz, Alec Baldwin, Sofia Vassilieva, Thomas Dekker

Director - Nick Cassavetes

Memorable Quote - 'Most babies are accidents. Not me. I was engineered. Born to save my sister's life.'

Review - From the trailer alone you can tell that this movie will not be easy going. That you'll probably end up crying buckets by the end. And the trailer does not lie. Everything about this film is steeped in emotion - from the offset, the tragedy of this family's life is revealed before you, and the individual tragedies of a young girl fighting cancer and her sister who knows she was only born to be 'spare parts'. It's a tearjerker for sure, and most of the casting, most of the script, most of the scenes are perfect... with one exception. Diaz should not have been put into this movie. She is totally wrong for the role, simply playing the same character she always does in a way that here feels fake and annoying. We can see the fact that she is acting. This is a terrible casting mistake that almost threatens to ruin the entire movie, and it is saved only by the brilliance of the young members of the cast. The star character for me, if not the star turn, is the boy who Kate falls in love with, fellow leukemia sufferer Taylor. The most heart-wrenching moments in my opinion came when Kate began to complain that he had not contacted her; in your mind you already know why he has not, and the conclusion is not a happy one. Seeing her life through these flashbacks, you begin to understand why Kate has made her final decision - what kind of a life is lived in hospital, watching everyone you meet there die and knowing it is your turn soon, no matter how many operations you have? Worth a watch by anyone's estimation, particularly if you're able to blank out Diaz, without whom this would have been a five star film. 4/5

#3 - YOUNG GUNS

Stars - Emilio Estevez, Keifer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen, Terry O'Quinn

Director - Christopher Cain

Memorable Quote - 'He ain't all there, is he?'

Review - Well, there's nothing like watching Charlie Sheen play a crazy guy right after the world realises how much of a crazy guy he is. His death scene holds enough melodrama to outfit the rest of the movie, but it doesn't stop there! This is more of a caricature than a real Western, but that doesn't stop it being good, harmless fun. I have to say that it's quite amazing how many old films I've watched starring Terry O'Quinn since Lost finished, and you can't help but feel he must be double-crossing them in some way because of it; ah, the perils of taking strong roles later in life. Still, there's plenty to chuckle about here, joining the great American tradition of rehashing history into an action comedy, and the facts be damned. Even the little ending sequence about what happened to the gang members later in life is wrong, but hey, I guess if you wanted to know the facts you'd head to Wikipedia, right? There isn't much else I can say about this, except that if you want a nice easy night in, this is the way to go. 3/5

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Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, Stand By Me

Wow, it's been a bit of a hiatus. Unfortunately, work takes over the best of us, and such has been the case for me. Don't worry though, there's more to come soon, and I'm breaking the regular update schedule in the hope of catching up with what I've missed. Double barrels of horror coming your way in this post!

#1 - EVIL DEAD

Stars - Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, and so on

Director - Sam Raimi

Memorable Quote - 'You bastards, why are you torturing me like this? Why?'

Review - Considering that I have seen a lot of love for 'Evil Dead' and its follow-ups, I was surprisingly disappointed by this first offering. Apart from a few twitchy camera angles and some incredibly bad special effects, there was not much offered in terms of visual goodness. The actors used certainly weren't the preened plastic beauties of today's horror b-movie, and their acting skills were only just better; Bruce Campbell is the obvious star right from the get-go. Some of the ideas in the movie are very interesting - the forest molestation, for example, as well as the use of doors and corners to build suspense as the individual characters search the house for one another and, eventually, the bad guys. A lot of things made little sense, however, as is often the way with horror: for example, when being attacked by a forest, why would you think that running through a forest would be the way to escape? Why would you leave something with superhuman strength alive and chained up under a flimsy attic door? I can't say I enjoyed this very much until at least half way through, and even then I was not quite satisfied. The ending made sense as a way to break the curse, but again it was ruined by the fact that all I could think of was plasticine as they melted. I had the feeling for most of it that I just wanted it to hurry up and get somewhere - perhaps that is the affliction of the modern audience, but for a large part of the film there just was not enough suspense. I can see, then, why Raimi wanted to try again, and to attack those sequences that did cause a great deal of suspense on the second run. 2/5



#2 - EVIL DEAD 2

Stars - Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks

Director - Sam Raimi

Memorable Quote - 'For God's sake! How do you stop it?'

Review - Many people who study film or simply enjoy it will tell you that 'Evil Dead 2' is much better than its predecessor. I agree; but only by default. I actually prefer the storyline of the first one - it makes sense, is not 100% crazy, and is easy to follow. Plus there is, as I have said, a lot of potential for suspense and real fear. This one, however, is not a horror movie but a comedy. From the second Campbell starts goofing around and contorting his face like a Scooby Doo character, it loses all horror. Even the talking deer head and moving objects are laughable, and the 'monster' that appears later on is actually just pathetic. Something went wrong in the translation here. A better remake of the first movie, following the storyline but with better effects and camerawork, and lines, would have hit the spot completely; reworking it was, in my mind, a mistake. If I had not seen 'Evil Dead' I would have been completely and utterly confused by the events of the first ten minutes, since the girlfriend is despatched without a word of explanation. Then we sit through the ridiculous Bruce-is-going-mad-and-his-hand-is-from-the-Adams-family segment, which was only enjoyable if you did not take it seriously at all. But the problem is, there's a word for horror movies you don't take seriously: it's either 'spoof', or 'B-movie'. Not the wisest choice, then, for someone actually wanting to make a career in film making. Alright, so it got his name out there and is still talked about today, but I wonder how many people have actually seen it and thought it was genius and how many people are saying they did? On Raimi's report card I would write "Good effort; some revision required. See me. 3.5/5"



#3 - STAND BY ME

Stars - River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Keifer Sutherland, John Cusack

Director - Rob Reiner

Memorable Quote - ‎'Suck my fat one, you cheap dime store hood.'

Review - 'Stand by Me' is interesting for two reasons. One, because of the well-developed characters and plot, and two because you get to play 'spot who's dead or never amounted to much in real life'. It's kind of fascinating to see all these young people who we recognise as their older selves, particularly John Cusack, though Keifer Sutherland appears to be playing the exact same character that he did in 'Lost Boys'.

The story itself is quite charming, in a funny sort of way. It's usually quite shocking to hear children swear or talk in a rude way in movies, as it seems to be a little taboo. Here, though, it is presented as a natural way of talking for the boys, something we can both believe and accept. It's a fact of their lives and upbringing rather than something to be seen as 'wrong' or an affectation of the writer, as with many other films.

The script and presentation of the scenes are quite interesting at times: the story within a story, as well as the mixed-up conversations around the campfire, being two stand-out examples. Finally the film manages to be heartwarming: the way the friends stand up for one another and their shared discovery propels them into a new section of their lives, bringing the narrative to a logical conclusion. Worth a watch if only for its charming combination of the lowest, most childish humour with the biggest, most important themes of life. 4/5

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Inception, Teeth, Robot, Ninja and Gay Guy Season One

I've finally caught up with the rest of the world with the first review, but I hope I can bring you something new with the third. If you enjoy reading this blog, please click an ad below this post to keep the starving reviewer in bread and cheese!

#1 - INCEPTION

Stars - Leonardo diCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Michael Caine, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard

Director - Christopher Nolan

Memorable Quote - 'I bought the airline. It seemed neater.'

Review - First off, I'm not sure we should be surprised if a movie with this cast list is awesome. How many awesome people can you fit in a movie at one time? The answer is apparently eight. At stage eight cities start turning in on themselves and the audience's brain starts to melt; at nine awesome people the world will explode. True movie physics. Anyway, I will now attempt to write a full review of this film without devolving into fangirl squeeing, so bear with me. The concept is very well done here: I'm usually very good at understanding movies first time out, and it's quite hard to confuse me these days - one of my most repeated complaints, you might have noticed, is that so many movies are too predictable. This one, though, had me hanging on by the edge of my teeth, particularly as it began without a true explanation of what was going on. The cast are all excellently chosen, and I have nothing to argue with in that area whatsoever, nor indeed in the area of the script. My favourite line? 'Don't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling!'. The visual effects were stunning (obviously) and the plot was both compelling and thought provoking. And now about a million people are probably trying to find out if they're awake or not with their own totems. The reason this is so exciting is because it has raised the bar for the entire movie industry: the challenge is now out there to make something more intelligent, better cast, with better visuals and a more action-packed/intriguing plot. My thoughts? Bring it on. This is just what worldwide audiences need. 5/5

Also, as an enjoyable side note, Inception memes are now pretty much my favourite thing ever. Click here to discover an Inception Memes tumblr.



#2 - TEETH

Stars - John Hensley, Jess Weixler, Hale Appleman, Ashley Springer

Director - Mitchell Lichtenstein

Memorable Quote - 'I can't believe you're still alive!'

Review - I would say that this was the most ridiculous movie I've ever seen, but then again I have seen Zombie Strippers. It was actually kind of hilariously bad, especially once the attacks started; it's hilarious, for instance, that putting in someone from Nip/Tuck makes everything seem much more believable. 'Oh sure,' you think, 'That's the guy who couldn't decide if he was gay or not and got his Dad's girlfriend pregnant, I completely believe he could be in love with his step-sister from the age of 5.' However, there is nothing really in this movie that makes any sense at all. I can't figure out whether it was intentional or not, but if it was then they did it badly because I can't tell. And if it is supposed to be a spoof, then why use an original storyline? This could have been done so much better no matter what the intention was, and really it was just laughable. But not laughable enough that I actually laughed. The only entertainment value really is imagining how you would use that power if you had it, and wondering if there really are people that are so obnoxious about their beliefs and so eager to betray them as well. Oh, I also don't really know why they picked such a plain girl to apparently be this massive boy magnet, because seriously, if I was possessed of male genitalia, I wouldn't be putting it in her. Maybe the director just got all cocky because his first name is like a last name and his last name is like a country. 2/5



#3 - ROBOT, NINJA AND GAY GUY SEASON ONE

Stars - Travis Richey, Ryan Churchill, Brian Giovanni, Nicholas Brendon

Director - Rob Wood

Memorable Quote - ‎"You know, now that I think about it, one time I saw him lift the whole couch with just one hand. Oh, and he plugs himself in to recharge. Oh, and then the other day, we were sparring, and it kinda got rough, and uh... metal. Under the flesh of his arm."

Review - Although this is a short webseries instead of a full length television series, I still feel that RNGG deserves a review. It is certainly one of the funniest things I've seen on youtube - yes, even funnier than those cats that can play piano and say words that sound like human words - and at around five to ten minutes per episode, it's a small dose of fun to take you through your day when you don't have enough time for a break. You can find all of season one at RNGG.com, as well as an appeal for donations to make season two happen. This series is already picking up interest from those in the know - Nicholas Brendon of Buffy fame has guest-starred, and they've even been granted their own IMDB page. Robot is endearingly needy as well as hilariously untactful, Ninja is as mysterious as he is amusing, and Gay Guy (who does have a name, you know) serves ironically as the 'straight guy' looking for love and friendship. Right from the first episode you'll be gigglesnorting into your cornflakes, and it's well worth checking out if only for the fact that you'll only lose a few minutes of your life if you don't share my opinion of it. Seriously though, I'm right. It's awesome. Trust me. 5/5

Mutant

A one-film blog this week; Busy busy busy.

#1 - MUTANT

Stars - Francis Renaud, Hélène de Fougerolles, Nicolas Briançon

Director - David Morlet

Memorable Quote - n/a

Review - This is a fairly different take on the zombie genre, combining it more with the sci-fi haunted ship style of plot: Sonia is trapped in a big building in the middle of a snowy forest, under constant threat from humans who have already mutated, and battling with the fact that her husband has already been infected. We follow her as she attempts to stop him from mutating, deals with newcomers, radios for help from the nearby army base, and generally gets covered in blood 90% of the time. The sound at the start of the film is mostly well done, as at pivotal moments everything goes quiet so that we can take in the events, and it seems that at these moments the time is slowed down. Later on the music during chase sequence becomes almost comic, a technique that removes the tension but also kind of lets us not take it all too seriously. The acting is quite convincing, although at times confusing: for example it seemed to me that Marco was actually acting as his normal self at the end of the film, yet she went and *SPOILER*ed him anyway. Plot eorries aside, each supporting character managed to fit into a very defined niche, thought I'm not sure to what extent they were anything more than cliches. It was enjoyable though, especially in the sense that it didn't label all the outsiders as 'out for themselves' as movies of this type tend to do, although it was perhaps a little disappointing that the bad guys lose/good guys win idea was followed through completely. I'm not sure the ending was completely hopeful - I was wondering constantly about the baby and whether it would be born as some hell fiend or something, since it may have become infected through her, and something about the not-overly-joyous expression on her face in the helicopter deepened my suspicions on this point.

One part of the plot that I felt shone was the way that we actually saw someone go through the process of being infected and mutating. Not only did we see the impact this had on his nearest and dearest as we are used to seeing, but we saw the impact on him himself. We saw the mental torment of realising that there is no way back from this: once your teeth start falling out, you know that even if you are cured you will be left with the marks of this for the rest of your life. These little scenes were very well done, highlighting the torment that he was going through. This is something I haven't seen before personally, though I'm sure someone will be able to correct me if it has been done.

The characterisation was also well done. I felt instantly that I liked the 'good' bad guy more than the rest as soon as he came on the screen, and of course he turned out to be willing to fight to save her. Through small touches, we know just what to expect from each character, and there was something almost elegant about the way this was done.

It was not the most original of films, but there was some attempt at originality, so it should not be written off as just another of the genre. Worth a watch if you feel like seeing a lot of gore, make-up effects that include a guy with his head blown off, and the screams of a slightly bog-eyed French woman. Also worth a watch if you enjoy the genre at all, since it is far from the worst zombie ever made. 4/5

Se7en, Napoleon Dynamite, Pandorum

This week's update... only nine minutes late. That's what I call pushing the deadline.

#1 - SE7EN

Stars - Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow

Director - David Fincher

Memorable Quote - 'Wanting people to listen, you can't just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer, and then you'll notice you've got their strict attention.'

Review - Whew, what a corker. Actually can't believe I only just got round to seeing this - and I know I say that a lot, but it's true. The acting is exactly as impressive as you would expect from reading the cast list, and I feel like you really get to know the characters. You feel affection for Somerset, you like Mills and want to see him do well, and when you realise (predictably, before Somerset does) just what is in that delivered box at the end, you feel real horror on Mills' behalf. You watch the characters being manipulated by the killer, and you know you can't stop it from happening. It's clear that this inspired a slew of copycat films (pretty much the entire Saw series, for a start, even down to the main detectives in the first installment), and it's clear why. This is perfection in the detective genre: an interesting case, compelling detectives, an enigmatic city and a race against time. Key also is that final twist - the idea that there are two murders left to go when they take him in, and that they have stopped him before he completes his cycle, being blown out of the water by Mills' actions. Every scene is gripping and intense, even the simple dinner scene where Paltrow and Pitt force their smiles through the sound of the train. I'll say no more because if you've seen it, you know it's an amazing film, and if you haven't, there's no need for me to spoil it for you. Go watch it, now. 5/5



#2 - NAPOLEON DYNAMITE

Stars - Jon Heder, Aaron Ruell, Jon Gries, Efren Ramirez, Tina Majorino

Director - Jared Hess

Memorable Quote - 'Gosh!'

Review - I've seen many reviews of this film that stated, 'if I had watched this when I was teenager...'. In a sense I think it's true that, like Juno and other similar works, this is a movie that appeals to the teenage market, mostly by showing them themselves with a large dose of humour attached. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy it as much as an adult, far from it - if you've ever been to high school then you know what it's like, and you know how being a teenager is, so you can identify. The characters are caricatures, obviously, and a lot of the film has a very dated feel, but that tends to add to its charm rather than retract. Jon Heder is perfect as the awkward teenage nerd trying to fit in and not understanding why he doesn't, and Pedro's breath of optimism (believing he could ask the most popular girl in school to the dance) becomes a refreshing catalyst to change Napoleon's life. I think in a way that's what the aim of this movie was - to say that you can change the way people see you if you have a little confidence, that you don't have to always live in the past like his Uncle, and that people have hidden depths - who would have suspected the cousin of being able to get the girl that he did? More than anything it's about transition, about growing up and learning - which can happen at any age. Perhaps I would have rated it higher a few years ago, but that I suppose is the danger of a teen movie. 3.5/5



#3 - PANDORUM

Stars - Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue, Cung Le
Director - Christian Alvart

Memorable Quote - 'You're all that's left of us. Good luck, God bless, and Godspeed.'

Review - There were so many ways this film could have gone wrong. Even reading the synopsis I was skeptical, but then I remembered the fact that I've never seen Ben Foster in a role I didn't enjoy watching and went for it anyway. I'm glad I did, because this dodges most of the things that swallow up other sci-fi movies. There were no absurd aliens from outer space attacking, and if you refuse to accept the idea that it was only the chemicals that changed the humans into monsters, well, even the characters admit that it's only a theory. The explanation for the disappearance of Earth is barely touched on - clever, since now we can't argue with the likelihood of the scenario. There's a nice neat Fight-Club-esque transition between young Gallo and 'Payton' that came as a surprise to me - up until the moment that he could still hear his voice even after pressing the mute button, I had no suspicions. It's rare for a movie to be able to do that these days, but it was well done, and looking back at the camera shakes and ghosting throughout the movie it all began to make sense. The special effects were used sparingly and well instead of the excessiveness than can sometimes plague this genre, and the acting was top class. Gigandet reminded me of a young Hayden Christensen, which is not to be sniffed at - it was a similar crazy sneer that catapulted Jake Gyllenhaal to fame, let's not forget. Foster was captivating as always, taking us through the whole spectrum of fear, paranoia, control and anger as he battled the demons inside and outside, pushing all of the other characters to one side. Even as it seems that Gallo will kill Nadia, we as an audience are focusing instead on whether Bower is going to save her or give in to Pandorum. The ending had a kind of wretched hope to it, suggesting that if he can defeat Pandorum, then together the survivors can defeat the remaining hunters and start a new Earth. In short, I recommend this to anyone who, for instance, was so exasperated with Avatar that they cringe every time they hear the word, anyone who ever enjoyed Star Trek or Farscape, and anyone who enjoys good acting. 4.5/5

Ne le dis a personne, Donnie Darko, Oldboy

After last week's in-cinema movie, three older ones that I'm visiting myself for the first time.

#1 - NE LE DIS A PERSONNE (Tell No One)


Stars - François Cluzet, Marie-Josée Croze, Kristin Scott Thomas

Director - Guillaume Canet

Memorable Quote - 'Now I'll tell you the truth.'

Review - Ahhh, a nice little French action/thriller. I consider it a compliment when I say that this film had all the potential of a Michael Haneke film, without the Haneke hallmarks - the most notable difference of course being the fact that the ending was resolved. It was thoroughly satisfying to watch Alexandre Beck racing through the streets to find his wife, and most importantly to find the answers; though it was perhaps strange to imagine that he could outrun the police even when injured, rather than being unrealistic it seemed inspiring. It was possible to believe that his desperation and love pushed him forwards. It was also interesting to try to solve it as the audience, trying to find out what the final solution was and wondering whether he would find her again. Though it was very safe and happy-happy at the end, that did not devalue it - it was a beautiful ending and well worth watching. Also kind of weird to see Kristin Scott Thomas speaking French, I always forget she can do that until she does. Anyway, I fully recommend it. 4.5/5



#2 - DONNIE DARKO

Stars - Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, Drew Barrymore
Director - Richard Kelly

Memorable Quote - 'I promise, that one day, everything's going to be better for you. '

Review - Ahhh, I can't believe I hadn't seen this film until this week. What was I thinking? This is an amazing movie! I think what I love the most are the following two things: one, that Jake Gyllenhaal is actually a brilliant actor in this, and his facial expression and the way he speaks fit the character so perfectly as to give him a curious mix of charm, teenage boy angst and also insanity. Two, the fact that there is this whole big theory behind it all that you don't even need to know to get the film. If you don't know about this whole thing with agents and receivers and whatever else, you can still enjoy the storyline that is there. This is witty, thought-provoking, and character driven in a way that really makes you connect. It's easy to see why it graces 'best films ever' lists, and there's still nothing quite like it out there. What more can I say? If you haven't seen it, do so at your earliest opportunity, because it's fantastic. 5/5



#3 - OLDBOY

Stars - Min-sik Choi, Ji-tae Yu, Hye-jeong Kang

Director - Chan-wook Park

Memorable Quote - 'Even though I'm no more than a monster - don't I, too, have the right to live?'

Review - Phew. One thing is for certain, this is a very powerful film. A man is locked up for fifteen years; along with him we experience his descent into half-sanity, his coping methods, the joy of near-escape (ironically occuring immediately before his scheduled release). The film becomes more and more disturbing as we are pulled deeper and deeper into the plot, particularly hitting a spot as soon as you figure out who Dae-su Oh's daughter is. Watching him learn the truth becomes even harder when you know what is coming. You almost wish that you are wrong in your assumption, right until the moment when the truth is revealed. The attack scenes were great most of the time, and the dentistry scene is of course harrowing to watch, though it would all have been a bit more believable if, for example, the same guy didn't keep getting up in the corridor scene after we clearly see him get kneecapped with the hammer right at the start. The guy shouldn't be able to stand. Aaaanyway, they were all still well choreographed and filmed, and many of the scenes were given overwhelming feels by their mise en scene (the snow, her room, the penthouse, the internet cafe etc). I found it very hard to stomach his decision at the end - for me, I could not wipe that knowledge from my brain knowingly and just carry on. If something's wrong it's wrong, whether you can be hypnotized out of knowing that or not. Compelling though, and a very interesting watch, if not exactly for the fainthearted. 4.5/5

Black Swan

A one-film post this week, resultant of a trip to the cinema.

#1 - BLACK SWAN

Stars - Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder

Director - Darren Aronofsky

Memorable Quote - 'The only person standing in your way is you. It's time to let her go. Lose yourself.'

Review - Black Swan, let's make no mistake here, is not the gentle ballet movie the old couple who sat in front of me were expecting. In fact, it's no easy ride at all, and as the lines between reality and delusion become blurred, it's the audience's job to pay enough attention to keep up.

We begin with a simple story, the dancer who is herself a dancer's daughter, trapped in her maternal home and performing to all of her mother's wishes. There is something certainly creepy and restrained about how Erica keeps Nina childlike and innocent, under a strict regime of diet, sleeping timetable, and even wardrobe. Nina's life is dancing, that much is clear, and without the Black Swan element of the storyline it would have been easy enough to make a movie about how she breaks out from her mother's overwhelming influence and live a little. This, I feel, is where most of those audiences who disliked the film would have been lost: there is almost an unnecessary element to the extra plot, as if we are seeing two stories at once. No matter; no film is perfect, and a large amount of audiences do enjoy the disturbed element of the plot.

The way that Nina's dark side, the black swan, takes over begins to be clear right from the very moment that the mysterious scratches appear on her back, and when her mirror image begins to act out on its own the sense of fear that is generated is palpable. Almost every scene in the movie contains reflective surfaces, so we begin to feel that she will never be safe from this dangerous reflection, particularly when her delusions begin to play out in front of her eyes. The deceptions are layered on top of one another - not only was Lily not looking at her threateningly in her room, she was not even there! The biggest reality-twist shock for me was the moment when Lily appears, alive, outside the dressing room, and we realise that Nina stabbed herself instead of her. Though it was really quite far-fetched that she managed to dance the entire second act with a piece of glass in her side, and also that the blood did not begin to show until the last moment, I suppose that's cinematic license.

Vincent Cassel is pretty much the standard go-to man for French rogues in American films, and he fulfills this role well as ever. Particularly towards the end, we begin to see that he is not actually evil or an uncaring man - he is proud of and almost blown away by Nina's performance, and seems genuinely surprised and flattered when she kisses him. Her mother, too, is willing to overlook broken fingers in order to tend to her daughter, instead of acting like the witch imprisoning her in the tower as she was at first made out to be.

The film is really very quiet throughout, something that made the cinema not the best place to see it I feel - hearing every rustle of someone else's popcorn is not what the quiet scenes were made for. The ballet music was, however, very effectively used, as were the subtle noises or shifts in music as in the club scene. Those noises right at the edges of our hearing add to the overall tension and fear factor of the film, dragging us in to her world of paranoia and delusion.

Overall I was impressed with the film; Portman's performance is compelling, and the other cast members also fit their roles perfectly, particularly Kunis' act as the dark side of Nina's delusion and also the innocent dancer who she is revealed to be when we see that it is a delusion. All round, I recommend it, though perhaps seeing it on DVD would improve the experience. 4.5/5