I know that the idea of funnyman Seth Rogen as a masked vigilante is somewhat bizarre, but despite the potential miscasting, the fact is that, leading up to its release, the “buzz” surrounding The Green Hornet (pardon the pun) was surprisingly positive. Based on the fictional crime-fighter made famous by a radio program from the 1930s, the Green Hornet film project has a relatively dubious history in Hollywood. Stuck in developmental hell for years, studios have been trying to develop this potential franchise since the early 90s, running through countless big-name actors in an effort to bring a familiar face to the titular hero; at one point Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Wahlberg, and even George Clooney were attached to the project….Clooney instead opted for Batman & Robin, and we all know how that went. Still, despite the difficult road to final development, between the film’s aggressive marketing campaign, the natural draw of the all-star cast, and the inherent cool-factor of a weaponized Chrysler Imperial, The Green Hornet had all the makings of a potential action-comedy blockbuster.
Though the end result is enjoyable enough, I still confess that I found myself slightly disappointed in The Green Hornet, which is plagued by both an incoherent story and weak characters. Seth Rogen rattles off enough one-liners to maintain a high level of comedy throughout the film, but even then, his character is so irredeemably petty that he is almost instantly unlikable, an inconsistent trait for the supposed “hero.” Cameron Diaz feels largely unnecessary as a love interest, but the biggest disappointment is Christoph Waltz as the villain; the character is such a corny departure from Waltz’s award-winning turn as the maniacal antagonist of Inglorious Basterds that audiences will shake their heads in disbelief. The real star of the film is newcomer Jay Chou, as the charisma he brings to the character of Kato results in a subtle badass who steals scenes and emerges as the true hero of the story. Granted, the story is rarely believable, and some characters fail to live up to expectations, but in the end, the blend of humor and action found in The Green Hornet is still enough to engage the imaginations of moviegoers and to keep them entertained.
For more information, please read the full review.
Overall Recommendation: Medium
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The Green Hornet: Full Review
The Green Hornet - (January 14th, 2011): PG-13
Distributor: Columbia Pictures (subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #1 with $33,526,876
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $45,341,243
Gross Revenue: $58,823,826
Budget: $120 million
Directors: Michael Gondry
When you consider the sheer volume of the different merchandising and promotion materials for The Green Hornet, you would think that Sony was prepping for the highly competitive Summer Movie Season. Leading up to its release, perhaps the most widely recognized promotional tie-in involved that of restaurant chain Carl’s Jr./Hardees, which included everything from the film’s characters appearing in commercials to a contest with a grand prize of an actual Black Beauty car from the film. In addition to this tie-in, Mythbusters hosted a “Green Hornet Special” featuring Seth Rogen while Syfy aired a marathon of the original series…add that to the numerous trailers and billboard promotions, and The Green Hornet was rapidly evolving into a highly-anticipated potential blockbuster. Though there were some definite eyebrows raised at the casting of Seth Rogen as the lead in an action film, perhaps the most mystery revolved around Jay Chou, a newcomer to Hollywood who has a massive international following and is often labeled as the “Justin Timberlake of Asia.” Personally, I was ecstatic that Christoph Waltz had been named the villain, as he more than demonstrated his capacity for evil to audiences in his award-winning role as SS Colonel Hans Landa in Inglorious Basterds. So, even though I wasn’t terribly familiar with this superhero (which is rare for me), I was still excited for this newest action-comedy.
The Green Hornet follows slacker playboy Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), who is named the new publisher of Los Angeles newspaper The Daily Sentinel after his father dies from an allergic reaction to a bee sting. Conflicted over his father’s death, Britt finds comfort in bonding with the housing-staff mechanic, Kato (Jay Chou); the two drunkenly decide to commit an act of vandalism, but in the process they end up saving a couple from being mugged. Though they are mistaken for criminals by the police, the two decide that they like the rush of acting like heroes and hatch a plan to continue posing as criminals in order to attract the attention of local gang leaders. Armed with a fully-equipped Chrysler Imperial dubbed “The Black Beauty” and the unwitting help of new assistant and criminal researcher Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), Britt and Kato soon become targets of local mobster Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz). With criminal activity increasing and a potential conspiracy unfolding as he is settling into his new role as “The Green Hornet,” Britt must decide if he can truly accept the responsibilities of a hero or if he is simply in over his head.
With Seth Rogen’s propensity for comedy, many feared that The Green Hornet would be labeled as a spoof, but in fact, the best part of the film ends up being that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Rogen and Chou have an amazing comedic chemistry together, cracking jokes, bickering, and often openly criticizing elements of the superhero genre, all of which provides big laughs. Not to worry though, because there is still plenty of action, as Chou has no problem switching between sidekick and action-hero with dazzling martial arts and a car that could rival the Batmobile. In fact, I have no doubt that a majority of the film’s targeted audience of male teenagers and young-adults will switch into geek-overdrive drooling over “The Black Beauty,” which has everything from machine guns to an ejector seat. As long as you don’t go into The Green Hornet expecting a traditional superhero film or a deep storyline, I have no doubt that you will be thoroughly entertained.
Unfortunately, although I enjoyed the silly moments and big explosions present in The Green Hornet, there are still some pretty big problems that hurt Sony’s newest release. As I said, the film shouldn’t be taken too seriously, but that still doesn’t excuse the overly confusing and uneven plot that is complemented by weak characters. I’m a comic book and superhero geek, but even I don’t buy Britt’s sudden enlightenment and desire to fight crime, let alone his ability to survive massive gunfights or the fact that his idiotic plans often end up working…in the end, the weak and thoroughly unlikable character hurts the film. Other criticisms include the fact that Cameron Diaz’s presence was largely unnecessary, as her romantic subplot often interrupted the flow of the film, but the biggest disappointment by far had to be Christoph Waltz. The antagonist Chudnofsky starts out as menacing, but he soon decides that he needs to adopt a gimmick, shifting the character from credible threat to laughable villain who would better serve in a bad Saturday-morning cartoon; such a shameless waste of Waltz’s talent is easily the worst part The Green Hornet. Given all the potential inherent in this newest attempted franchise, the end result is a little tragic.
Despite the sub-par quality of The Green Hornet, the massive hype surrounding the film clearly paid off, with opening weekend box office receipts totaling over $33 million. While these are definitely not the opening numbers you want to see in relation to a large production budget, The Green Hornet’s performance is still surprisingly strong during the normally lukewarm month of January. Critics are not overtly thrilled, but like I said, the end result is still entertaining. That fact alone will still continue to attract audiences, especially since there aren’t that many movie choices currently available for male moviegoers…at least until Jason Statham’s The Mechanic opens on the 28th. However, if Sony wants to green-light a new sequel and build a successful franchise, the numbers still have to pick up, both domestically and overseas. Simply put, if you’re looking for a cool action-comedy and don’t mind a few weak points, I’d say that The Green Hornet is still worth seeing.
Overall Recommendation: Medium
Distributor: Columbia Pictures (subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #1 with $33,526,876
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $45,341,243
Gross Revenue: $58,823,826
Budget: $120 million
Directors: Michael Gondry
When you consider the sheer volume of the different merchandising and promotion materials for The Green Hornet, you would think that Sony was prepping for the highly competitive Summer Movie Season. Leading up to its release, perhaps the most widely recognized promotional tie-in involved that of restaurant chain Carl’s Jr./Hardees, which included everything from the film’s characters appearing in commercials to a contest with a grand prize of an actual Black Beauty car from the film. In addition to this tie-in, Mythbusters hosted a “Green Hornet Special” featuring Seth Rogen while Syfy aired a marathon of the original series…add that to the numerous trailers and billboard promotions, and The Green Hornet was rapidly evolving into a highly-anticipated potential blockbuster. Though there were some definite eyebrows raised at the casting of Seth Rogen as the lead in an action film, perhaps the most mystery revolved around Jay Chou, a newcomer to Hollywood who has a massive international following and is often labeled as the “Justin Timberlake of Asia.” Personally, I was ecstatic that Christoph Waltz had been named the villain, as he more than demonstrated his capacity for evil to audiences in his award-winning role as SS Colonel Hans Landa in Inglorious Basterds. So, even though I wasn’t terribly familiar with this superhero (which is rare for me), I was still excited for this newest action-comedy.
The Green Hornet follows slacker playboy Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), who is named the new publisher of Los Angeles newspaper The Daily Sentinel after his father dies from an allergic reaction to a bee sting. Conflicted over his father’s death, Britt finds comfort in bonding with the housing-staff mechanic, Kato (Jay Chou); the two drunkenly decide to commit an act of vandalism, but in the process they end up saving a couple from being mugged. Though they are mistaken for criminals by the police, the two decide that they like the rush of acting like heroes and hatch a plan to continue posing as criminals in order to attract the attention of local gang leaders. Armed with a fully-equipped Chrysler Imperial dubbed “The Black Beauty” and the unwitting help of new assistant and criminal researcher Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), Britt and Kato soon become targets of local mobster Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz). With criminal activity increasing and a potential conspiracy unfolding as he is settling into his new role as “The Green Hornet,” Britt must decide if he can truly accept the responsibilities of a hero or if he is simply in over his head.
With Seth Rogen’s propensity for comedy, many feared that The Green Hornet would be labeled as a spoof, but in fact, the best part of the film ends up being that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Rogen and Chou have an amazing comedic chemistry together, cracking jokes, bickering, and often openly criticizing elements of the superhero genre, all of which provides big laughs. Not to worry though, because there is still plenty of action, as Chou has no problem switching between sidekick and action-hero with dazzling martial arts and a car that could rival the Batmobile. In fact, I have no doubt that a majority of the film’s targeted audience of male teenagers and young-adults will switch into geek-overdrive drooling over “The Black Beauty,” which has everything from machine guns to an ejector seat. As long as you don’t go into The Green Hornet expecting a traditional superhero film or a deep storyline, I have no doubt that you will be thoroughly entertained.
Unfortunately, although I enjoyed the silly moments and big explosions present in The Green Hornet, there are still some pretty big problems that hurt Sony’s newest release. As I said, the film shouldn’t be taken too seriously, but that still doesn’t excuse the overly confusing and uneven plot that is complemented by weak characters. I’m a comic book and superhero geek, but even I don’t buy Britt’s sudden enlightenment and desire to fight crime, let alone his ability to survive massive gunfights or the fact that his idiotic plans often end up working…in the end, the weak and thoroughly unlikable character hurts the film. Other criticisms include the fact that Cameron Diaz’s presence was largely unnecessary, as her romantic subplot often interrupted the flow of the film, but the biggest disappointment by far had to be Christoph Waltz. The antagonist Chudnofsky starts out as menacing, but he soon decides that he needs to adopt a gimmick, shifting the character from credible threat to laughable villain who would better serve in a bad Saturday-morning cartoon; such a shameless waste of Waltz’s talent is easily the worst part The Green Hornet. Given all the potential inherent in this newest attempted franchise, the end result is a little tragic.
Despite the sub-par quality of The Green Hornet, the massive hype surrounding the film clearly paid off, with opening weekend box office receipts totaling over $33 million. While these are definitely not the opening numbers you want to see in relation to a large production budget, The Green Hornet’s performance is still surprisingly strong during the normally lukewarm month of January. Critics are not overtly thrilled, but like I said, the end result is still entertaining. That fact alone will still continue to attract audiences, especially since there aren’t that many movie choices currently available for male moviegoers…at least until Jason Statham’s The Mechanic opens on the 28th. However, if Sony wants to green-light a new sequel and build a successful franchise, the numbers still have to pick up, both domestically and overseas. Simply put, if you’re looking for a cool action-comedy and don’t mind a few weak points, I’d say that The Green Hornet is still worth seeing.
Overall Recommendation: Medium
Monday, January 3, 2011
Black Swan: Short and Sweet
While I am by no means a ballet fan, I was nevertheless very intrigued by the strong critical praise surrounding Black Swan, with many claiming that Natalie Portman had given an Oscar-worthy performance. Now, I have always had a bit of a prejudice against Portman since her god-awful acting in the Star Wars prequels, but films like Garden State, Closer, and V for Vendetta have proven that she has rightfully earned a place in Hollywood. As for Mila Kunis, her performance opposite Portman was also being lauded by critics, and she has been growing in popularity with audiences ever since a breakthrough role in 2008’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall proved that she was capable of much more than just voicing Meg on Family Guy. Apparently, both Portman and Kunis trained in ballet for several months prior to filming to develop a convincing presentation for the film, and based on critical reaction, it looked like they more than succeeded. Yet, aside from the trailers telling me that Black Swan was about competing dancers and that it contained strong acting, I really had no idea what to expect as I walked into the theater.
Granted, I knew Black Swan wasn’t going to be a comedy, but in no way did I expect the psychological horror/thriller angle the film was going to take, bringing some of the most unnerving scenes to the screen that I have ever seen. Director Darren Aronofsky blends the cinematography and scoring brilliantly, building a tension and uncertainty within the scenes that is sure to make even the toughest audiences members squeamish and uncomfortable. In terms of acting, as expected, Portman and Kunis were phenomenal, playing off each other to bring the characters of two ruthlessly competitive dancers to life. However, Portman alone brings acting to a whole new level, as her indescribably psychotic portrayal of the insecure lead ballerina now makes her a very strong contender for the Best Actress Oscar. As much as I enjoyed Black Swan, I can concede that it is not for everyone, as the psychological angle becomes a little too overbearing and the story itself doesn’t match the intensity of the characters present, but the unique acting performances alone make this film worth seeing.
For more information, please read the full review.
Overall Recommendation: High
Granted, I knew Black Swan wasn’t going to be a comedy, but in no way did I expect the psychological horror/thriller angle the film was going to take, bringing some of the most unnerving scenes to the screen that I have ever seen. Director Darren Aronofsky blends the cinematography and scoring brilliantly, building a tension and uncertainty within the scenes that is sure to make even the toughest audiences members squeamish and uncomfortable. In terms of acting, as expected, Portman and Kunis were phenomenal, playing off each other to bring the characters of two ruthlessly competitive dancers to life. However, Portman alone brings acting to a whole new level, as her indescribably psychotic portrayal of the insecure lead ballerina now makes her a very strong contender for the Best Actress Oscar. As much as I enjoyed Black Swan, I can concede that it is not for everyone, as the psychological angle becomes a little too overbearing and the story itself doesn’t match the intensity of the characters present, but the unique acting performances alone make this film worth seeing.
For more information, please read the full review.
Overall Recommendation: High
Black Swan: Full Review
Black Swan - (December 17th, 2010): R
Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #7 with $8,383,479
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $36,068,000
Gross Revenue: $36,220,093
Budget: $13 million
Directors: Darren Aronofsky
After he collaborated with Mickey Rourke to take a different look at the world of professional wrestling in 2008’s surprise hit The Wrestler, many would no doubt be curious to see director Darren Aronofsky tackle the complexity inherent in ballet dancing. In fact, Aronofsky himself considered Black Swan a companion piece to The Wrestler, as both focused on the demanding types of performances required for a given type of art form. Because Black Swan was distributed by Fox Searchlight (which usually specializes in independent films), the marketing for the film was understandably simple; following a strong premiere at the Venice International Film Festival and an equally impressive limited release in early December, all that was required of promotional materials was to highlight the critical accolades the film received before it opened nationwide. Given the strong Oscar buzz surrounding both the film and acting quality, there was little doubt that I would see Black Swan, but I couldn’t help but notice that the trailers were a little unclear regarding the genre to which Aronofsky’s newest project belonged. Obviously, elements of drama would be inherent in a film about ballet, but there were little, if any, indications to support the strong psychological and horror undertones described by friends who had already seen Black Swan. Needless to say, I was cautiously optimistic.
Centered on a prestigious New York City ballet company’s preparation for the production of the classic Swan Lake, Black Swan tells the story of young dancer Nina Sayers (Portman), who desperately wants to be cast in the lead role of the Swan Princess. Because the role requires the same dancer to portray both the innocent White Swan and the seductive Black Swan characters, director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel, best known to American audiences as the antagonist of Ocean’s Twelve) has his doubts concerning Nina, who is perfect for the White Swan but lacks the edginess to portray the Black Swan. Instead, newcomer Lily (Kunis) is a better fit for the Black Swan, and even though she seems to befriend Nina, it is clear that she also desires the lead role. After a confrontation where Nina reacts in an uncharacteristically aggressive manner, Thomas decides to cast her, but the pressure of the role combines with paranoia that Lily is trying to sabotage her, and Nina begins to have very intense and haunting hallucinations. As the pressure continues to build, which is only further aggravated by the dancer’s overbearing and controlling mother, Erica (Barbara Hershey), Nina continues to break psychologically, and the hallucinations start to allude to a darker personality shift. With opening night approaching, questions rise as to whether Nina can handle the duality required to follow her dream role.
Easily the strongest aspect of Black Swan is Natalie Portman’s performance, who portrays Nina as so off-her-rocker crazy that it is both baffling and unsettling; I definitely will never look at her the same way again. Portman’s onscreen persona is only further enhanced by Aronofsky’s brilliant directing, which uses both cinematography and scoring to build shocking levels of tension to complement Nina’s thoroughly horrifying hallucinations…the combination makes the film unnerving and difficult to watch, yet the end result is still impossible to turn away from. Besides Portman, Mila Kunis is a welcome addition to the cast, bringing a level of humor and lightheartedness that helps break up the dark tone of the film. However, Kunis also brings a subtle level of passive-aggressiveness to the role, which makes it difficult to determine if she is a friend or foe to Nina, thereby adding a deeper dimension to the competition that surrounds the two dancers. One strong surprise is the addition of Winona Ryder, who plays the troubled former dancer that Nina is replacing and therefore alludes to the toll that ballet life will eventually take on the film’s struggling protagonist. Though the strong psychological and horror undertones present in the film were unexpected, both actresses more than deserve the accolades they have received thus far, making Black Swan a strong and dramatic, if haunting, thriller that moviegoers won’t soon forget.
Unfortunately, though the dark tone of Black Swan adds a stronger dimension to the acting present in the film, as the narrative progresses the hallucinations become a little too supernatural, shifting the metaphor of Nina’s personality transformation from haunting to ridiculous. During one of Nina’s extended breaks with reality, she starts sprouting black feathers and her legs violently contort into those of a swan, and the pacing of the scene is so frantic that you might actually end up laughing at the overwhelming level of insanity. Not helping some of the overly dramatic themes of Black Swan is the core story, as landing a lead role in a ballet just doesn’t seem worth Nina’s increasing levels of mental illness…don’t get me wrong, I understand what it means to be passionate about a dream, but I doubt anyone would argue against Nina toning it down a little bit. As I said before, Black Swan is difficult to watch, whether Nina rips off one of her own fingernails or starts stabbing herself in the face with a nail file; I guess I can appreciate the artistic themes present in the hallucinations, but for the squeamish, you have been warned. In all likelihood, you will either love or hate Black Swan, as some of the overdone elements within the film can be a definite turn-off for audiences.
Despite the strong overall quality of Black Swan, the box office performance of the film in its opening weekend was definitely hurt by the sheer volume of competition, with four other new releases offering a far broader level of appeal. Yet, like The Fighter, Black Swan had a relatively small production budget, so Fox Searchlight has little to worry about, recovering more than half of its expenses with receipts of over $8 million in three days. With Oscar season just around the corner, I am very curious to see how Black Swan will perform, and though I think Mila Kunis’ performance more than deserves a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, I think that Portman will actually end up taking the award for Best Actress. Clearly, Black Swan is not for everyone, but if you are expecting a dull ballet movie, your instincts are way off the mark, as strong acting and direction make this film wholly unforgettable.
Overall Recommendation: High
Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #7 with $8,383,479
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $36,068,000
Gross Revenue: $36,220,093
Budget: $13 million
Directors: Darren Aronofsky
After he collaborated with Mickey Rourke to take a different look at the world of professional wrestling in 2008’s surprise hit The Wrestler, many would no doubt be curious to see director Darren Aronofsky tackle the complexity inherent in ballet dancing. In fact, Aronofsky himself considered Black Swan a companion piece to The Wrestler, as both focused on the demanding types of performances required for a given type of art form. Because Black Swan was distributed by Fox Searchlight (which usually specializes in independent films), the marketing for the film was understandably simple; following a strong premiere at the Venice International Film Festival and an equally impressive limited release in early December, all that was required of promotional materials was to highlight the critical accolades the film received before it opened nationwide. Given the strong Oscar buzz surrounding both the film and acting quality, there was little doubt that I would see Black Swan, but I couldn’t help but notice that the trailers were a little unclear regarding the genre to which Aronofsky’s newest project belonged. Obviously, elements of drama would be inherent in a film about ballet, but there were little, if any, indications to support the strong psychological and horror undertones described by friends who had already seen Black Swan. Needless to say, I was cautiously optimistic.
Centered on a prestigious New York City ballet company’s preparation for the production of the classic Swan Lake, Black Swan tells the story of young dancer Nina Sayers (Portman), who desperately wants to be cast in the lead role of the Swan Princess. Because the role requires the same dancer to portray both the innocent White Swan and the seductive Black Swan characters, director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel, best known to American audiences as the antagonist of Ocean’s Twelve) has his doubts concerning Nina, who is perfect for the White Swan but lacks the edginess to portray the Black Swan. Instead, newcomer Lily (Kunis) is a better fit for the Black Swan, and even though she seems to befriend Nina, it is clear that she also desires the lead role. After a confrontation where Nina reacts in an uncharacteristically aggressive manner, Thomas decides to cast her, but the pressure of the role combines with paranoia that Lily is trying to sabotage her, and Nina begins to have very intense and haunting hallucinations. As the pressure continues to build, which is only further aggravated by the dancer’s overbearing and controlling mother, Erica (Barbara Hershey), Nina continues to break psychologically, and the hallucinations start to allude to a darker personality shift. With opening night approaching, questions rise as to whether Nina can handle the duality required to follow her dream role.
Easily the strongest aspect of Black Swan is Natalie Portman’s performance, who portrays Nina as so off-her-rocker crazy that it is both baffling and unsettling; I definitely will never look at her the same way again. Portman’s onscreen persona is only further enhanced by Aronofsky’s brilliant directing, which uses both cinematography and scoring to build shocking levels of tension to complement Nina’s thoroughly horrifying hallucinations…the combination makes the film unnerving and difficult to watch, yet the end result is still impossible to turn away from. Besides Portman, Mila Kunis is a welcome addition to the cast, bringing a level of humor and lightheartedness that helps break up the dark tone of the film. However, Kunis also brings a subtle level of passive-aggressiveness to the role, which makes it difficult to determine if she is a friend or foe to Nina, thereby adding a deeper dimension to the competition that surrounds the two dancers. One strong surprise is the addition of Winona Ryder, who plays the troubled former dancer that Nina is replacing and therefore alludes to the toll that ballet life will eventually take on the film’s struggling protagonist. Though the strong psychological and horror undertones present in the film were unexpected, both actresses more than deserve the accolades they have received thus far, making Black Swan a strong and dramatic, if haunting, thriller that moviegoers won’t soon forget.
Unfortunately, though the dark tone of Black Swan adds a stronger dimension to the acting present in the film, as the narrative progresses the hallucinations become a little too supernatural, shifting the metaphor of Nina’s personality transformation from haunting to ridiculous. During one of Nina’s extended breaks with reality, she starts sprouting black feathers and her legs violently contort into those of a swan, and the pacing of the scene is so frantic that you might actually end up laughing at the overwhelming level of insanity. Not helping some of the overly dramatic themes of Black Swan is the core story, as landing a lead role in a ballet just doesn’t seem worth Nina’s increasing levels of mental illness…don’t get me wrong, I understand what it means to be passionate about a dream, but I doubt anyone would argue against Nina toning it down a little bit. As I said before, Black Swan is difficult to watch, whether Nina rips off one of her own fingernails or starts stabbing herself in the face with a nail file; I guess I can appreciate the artistic themes present in the hallucinations, but for the squeamish, you have been warned. In all likelihood, you will either love or hate Black Swan, as some of the overdone elements within the film can be a definite turn-off for audiences.
Despite the strong overall quality of Black Swan, the box office performance of the film in its opening weekend was definitely hurt by the sheer volume of competition, with four other new releases offering a far broader level of appeal. Yet, like The Fighter, Black Swan had a relatively small production budget, so Fox Searchlight has little to worry about, recovering more than half of its expenses with receipts of over $8 million in three days. With Oscar season just around the corner, I am very curious to see how Black Swan will perform, and though I think Mila Kunis’ performance more than deserves a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, I think that Portman will actually end up taking the award for Best Actress. Clearly, Black Swan is not for everyone, but if you are expecting a dull ballet movie, your instincts are way off the mark, as strong acting and direction make this film wholly unforgettable.
Overall Recommendation: High
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