[D.M.F]

Originally posted by itsJAMESbitch

Burlesque was crap. Don't get it twisted

Liar, you know you loved it.

[D.M.F]

Leak the screener Lil Nicky.

[Nicole]

Originally posted by D.M.F

Leak the screener Lil Nicky.

I can't b/c (1) it's watermarked to my boss' name and (2) you need to support this amazing film.

[supaspaz]

Originally posted by Haus_of_Nicole

You have horrendous taste.

And I find your ridiculous opinions increasingly difficult to take seriously. So deal with it.

I've been reading tweets about the movie, everyone is just blown away.

But have you even seen it? The performances are terrific and it is incredibly well-crafted, but the story is a confusing mess. The first half of the film meanders aimlessly without allowing the characters to progress anywhere. As Nina gets crazier, the line between "reality" and "imagination" blurs to the point where it is almost impossible to tell what is going on. The final sequence of the film is absolutely fantastic and ties the whole together really well, but it's not enough to make up for the difficulty of the preceding 100 minutes.

[Nicole]

Originally posted by supaspaz

But have you even seen it? The performances are terrific and it is incredibly well-crafted, but the story is a confusing mess. The first half of the film meanders aimlessly without allowing the characters to progress anywhere. As Nina gets crazier, the line between "reality" and "imagination" blurs to the point where it is almost impossible to tell what is going on. The final sequence of the film is absolutely fantastic and ties the whole together really well, but it's not enough to make up for the difficulty of the preceding 100 minutes.

It's a cheap independent movie, so it's not the kind of film that was tested 100 times to make sure every little detail made perfect sense to every audience member.

It does a great job of showing Nina's progression. From the onset there's something off about her, little clues in her behavior and the way her mother keeps stifling her. From there it just builds and builds, as both her mind and her body come apart. By the end, when in her obsessive quest for perfection she she literally 'loses herself,' everything makes sense and it's clear what was real and what wasn't.

[supaspaz]

Originally posted by Haus_of_Nicole

It's a cheap independent movie, so it's not the kind of film that was tested 100 times to make sure every little detail made perfect sense to every audience member.

It does a great job of showing Nina's progression. From the onset there's something off about her, little clues in her behavior and the way her mother keeps stifling her. From there it just builds and builds, as both her mind and her body come apart. By the end, when in her obsessive quest for perfection she she literally 'loses herself,' everything makes sense and it's clear what was real and what wasn't.

I'm not talking about whether things make perfect sense or not; I followed the general plot. But the fact that we can be completely lost as to where the film is heading until the very last scene is sloppy filmmaking.

And the portrayal of Nina's mental breakdown was one of my biggest problems with the film. Yes, we can clearly see that she is "off" from the beginning of the film, and there is a clear progression in her condition. But for most of the film (until the last few scenes), she doesn't actually display any forward character development; Nina's increasing mental instability just highlights how repressed, fragile, nervous and astray she was all along. Portman does wonders with the role, but the screenwriter don't give her a very complicated journey on which to take the audience.

[Nicole]

Originally posted by supaspaz

I'm not talking about whether things make perfect sense or not; I followed the general plot. But the fact that we can be completely lost as to where the film is heading until the very last scene is sloppy filmmaking.

That's what was so great about the film. It kept you riveted and entranced, guessing and unsure where it was headed until the very last scene...and then it all came together and made sense. Amazing filmmaking.

Originally posted by supaspaz

And the portrayal of Nina's mental breakdown was one of my biggest problems with the film. Yes, we can clearly see that she is "off" from the beginning of the film, and there is a clear progression in her condition. But for most of the film (until the last few scenes), she doesn't actually display any forward character development; Nina's increasing mental instability just highlights how repressed, fragile, nervous and astray she was all along. Portman does wonders with the role, but the screenwriter don't give her a very complicated journey on which to take the audience.

I thought her journey was fantastic. Her increasing paranoia was very well-handled, slow but sure. I loved how she was portrayed as being caught between a child and a woman. And how, at the end, she literally had to battle and kill the repressed, frigid child inside of her to emerge as a full-blooded woman and artist, even if it meant making the ultimate sacrifice. All this while also giving us a parallel to the Swan Lake story. To quote Portman's final words, "it was perfect."

[supaspaz]

Originally posted by Haus_of_Nicole

That's what was so great about the film. It kept you riveted and entranced, guessing and unsure where it was headed until the very last scene...and then it all came together and made sense. Amazing filmmaking.

I meant more on a thematic level, as in Aronofsky failed to properly convey what the film was supposed to be (psychodrama? thriller? fantasy horror?) until the final few revelations did it for him. That's not a "riveting" and "entrancing" directorial choice; it's failure of technical skill.

I thought her journey was fantastic. Her increasing paranoia was very well-handled, slow but sure. I loved how she was portrayed as being caught between a child and a woman. And how, at the end, she literally had to battle and kill the repressed, frigid child inside of her to emerge as a full-blooded woman and artist, even if it meant making the ultimate sacrifice. All this while also giving us a parallel to the Swan Lake story. To quote Portman's final words, "it was perfect."

Nina's story was interesting, but it didn't go anywhere for much of the film. She just kept battling the same personal issues (feeling smothered by her mom, Thomas' disappointment in her emotional repression, her anxiety over Lily's intentions) until they all kind of came crashing down on her. It made the ending a lot more exciting, but the beginning dragged; I kept waiting and waiting for things to finally get moving.

[eli's_rhythm]

Natalie and Mila are so amazing. I'm definitely seeing this.

[Nicole]

Originally posted by supaspaz

I meant more on a thematic level, as in Aronofsky failed to properly convey what the film was supposed to be (psychodrama? thriller? fantasy horror?) until the final few revelations did it for him. That's not a "riveting" and "entrancing" directorial choice; it's failure of technical skill.

I loved that. So different from the studio movies that tell you exactly what they're going to give you, give it to you, then tell you what they gave you.

Originally posted by supaspaz

Nina's story was interesting, but it didn't go anywhere for much of the film. She just kept battling the same personal issues (feeling smothered by her mom, Thomas' disappointment in her emotional repression, her anxiety over Lily's intentions) until they all kind of came crashing down on her. It made the ending a lot more exciting, but the beginning dragged; I kept waiting and waiting for things to finally get moving.

If I have one qualm with the movie it's that Thomas' disappointment felt a bit repetitive.

[supaspaz]

Originally posted by Haus_of_Nicole

If I have one qualm with the movie it's that Thomas' disappointment felt a bit repetitive.

I just think that the beginning of the movie wallowed for much too long in depicting Nina's fragility and the causes of it, rather than actually exploring her breakdown.

Anyways, it's been interesting hearing your (wildly different) opinions on this film. I always love debating movies, and this is one that is definitely worth talking about.

[nelly]

Excellent film but not flawless I mainly watched for Clint Mansell

[Michael]

Am I strange for not having heard of this movie?

[MrCookiepants]

Originally posted by Michael

Am I strange for not having heard of this movie?

No. I wouldn't have known of it all if it weren't for Nicole's viral marketing campaign on this site.

[RainMan]

Im officially excited about this movie.


Good job nicole.

[sumthintoxic82]

just saw the movie amazing

it was a really great movie, this is the 1st movie that i actually LOVED natalie portman in. Shes done some good movies in her carrer, but this

it was just...i cant even explain...

[Nicole]

The two movies were duking it out all weekend.

6 Black Swan 3,332,000 1,443,809 130.8 90 2 37,022 5,611,000 Fox Searchlight
7 Burlesque 3,200,000 6,130,061 -47.8 2,876 3 1,113 32,574,000 Sony

[D.M.F]

Stop being a troll before this gets closed.

[Nicole]

I'm not trolling. I'm doing a box office comparison. Burlesque is the movie it passed. Isn't it shocking that it could do this on 90 screens?

[Pinter]

nicole and her obsession with black swan