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B<br />
by Alison Byrd<br />
Staff Reporter<br />
LACKSWAN Here’s some good news for all <strong>of</strong><br />
avid moviegoers out there: <strong>this</strong> year’s<br />
most talked about film isn’t a summer<br />
blockbuster. Darren Aron<strong>of</strong>sky follows<br />
up his 2008 critically acclaimed masterpiece,<br />
‘The Wrestler,’ with the stunning<br />
‘Black Swan.’ It’s easy to point out that<br />
both movies are eerily similar in the sense<br />
that both lead roles are<br />
performers who suffer<br />
for their art.<br />
The genre <strong>of</strong> <strong>this</strong><br />
movie still remains a<br />
mystery to many, but<br />
one title that certainly<br />
fits it would be “arthouse<br />
horror.” For<br />
something so extremely<br />
visually appealing, it is<br />
quite hard to sit through<br />
-- and I mean <strong>this</strong> in the<br />
best way possible. It’ll<br />
leave you squeamish,<br />
uncomfortable, mesmerized,<br />
confused and<br />
possibly aroused.<br />
The film centers<br />
on the 28-year-old psychologically<br />
tormented ballerina, Nina Sayers, who<br />
is undeniably dedicated and strives<br />
for perfection. When the director <strong>of</strong><br />
her fictional ballet company decides<br />
to change up the storyline in the ballet,<br />
Nina finds herself overwhelmed with<br />
determination to be adequate for the role<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Swan Queen.<br />
The biggest challenge is that he has<br />
the sweet and delicate white swan and the<br />
passionate and fierce black swan to be<br />
played by the same dancer. While Nina<br />
portrays the white swan almost perfectly,<br />
the new dancer in the company, Lily<br />
(played by the lovely Mila Kunis), shows<br />
a lot more potential for the role <strong>of</strong> the<br />
blackswan.Amidsttheunderlyingrivalry,<br />
the story revolves around the theme <strong>of</strong><br />
destroying oneself to achieve perfection.<br />
One small yet significant performance<br />
is from the newly resurrected career<br />
<strong>of</strong> Winona Ryder. Her character, Beth<br />
McIntyre, displays the<br />
trouble with aging in the<br />
entertainment industry.<br />
She shows so many<br />
depths to her character<br />
including, but not limited<br />
to, weakness, sorrow,<br />
desperation and envy.<br />
Still, all the while, Nina<br />
looks up to her and views<br />
her as the very essence <strong>of</strong><br />
perfection.<br />
Beth’s character is just<br />
as intense and essential<br />
to the film as Nina and<br />
Lily are and completes<br />
the trinity <strong>of</strong> the white,<br />
black and dying swan.<br />
Aron<strong>of</strong>sky is quite<br />
recognized for his stunning visuals, as in<br />
old favorites like ‘Requiem for a Dream.’<br />
Everything about it, the choreography,<br />
costumes, makeup, actors, the CGI<br />
effects, the theater, and especially the<br />
music, is both tragic yet beautiful.<br />
Everything is thought out and put<br />
together to impress and perplex. Even<br />
after seeing it again, people won’t be<br />
certain as to what reality is and what<br />
isn’t.<br />
Photos courtesy <strong>of</strong>: Columbia Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Relativity Media<br />
AWARDS<br />
Academy Award<br />
by Joseph Cardenas<br />
Section Editor<br />
This past Golden Globe<br />
Awards surprised many when<br />
‘Social Network’ wiped the<br />
floor clean <strong>of</strong> all it was nominated<br />
for -- other than Best Actor.<br />
Now, people are predicting<br />
the unheard <strong>of</strong> for the 2011<br />
Academy Awards.<br />
‘Inception’ is the obvious<br />
Oscar-worthy winner.<br />
It was a classic brainteaser<br />
that not only thrilled you on<br />
the edge <strong>of</strong> your seat but it also<br />
dove into a concept greater than<br />
what ‘Social Network’ didn’t<br />
consider touching: what is reality?<br />
What is a dream? How do<br />
you know you’re not dreaming?<br />
How do you know you are?<br />
It’s very much like ‘Matrix’<br />
which used that concept <strong>of</strong><br />
“your world is not real,” which<br />
was the big cliffhanger at the<br />
end <strong>of</strong> the movie.<br />
Such a deep concept and<br />
storyline is without doubt worthy<br />
for a win in the Oscar’s Best<br />
Motion Picture award.<br />
Director Christopher Nolan<br />
might not have been nominated<br />
for his rightful place as Best Director,<br />
but he was nominated for<br />
his flawless and perfect work in<br />
its original screenplay.<br />
You can tell from the beginning<br />
that the script was<br />
made for a five-star movie, not<br />
a television series or a graphic<br />
novel.<br />
Every major line is bold<br />
and descriptive and it actually<br />
tells you the story, unlike<br />
‘Social Network’ where it just<br />
bounces all over the place and<br />
gives bits <strong>of</strong> information you<br />
never see again until the end <strong>of</strong><br />
the movie.<br />
It also is made for a team,<br />
which is what ties the movie together.<br />
The score, done by Hans<br />
Zimmer, was remarkable, paced<br />
both slowly and very fast and<br />
flowed melodically. It added to<br />
the dream-like effect the movie<br />
portrayed.<br />
The score <strong>of</strong> ‘Social Network’<br />
didn’t add any effect, if<br />
one was intended, and didn’t<br />
keep you more interested than<br />
you already were. As for Best<br />
Actor, no credit is given to<br />
Leonardo DiCaprio.<br />
I’ll admit I didn’t find him<br />
as a strong actor in the movie; it<br />
was more weighted on the team<br />
he was with.<br />
However, I do see ‘Social<br />
Network’s’ Jesse Eisenberg getting<br />
an applause for his role as<br />
Mark Zuckerberg, the father <strong>of</strong><br />
everyone’s beloved Facebook.<br />
Unfortunately, no more actors<br />
and actresses were picked<br />
for lead roles or supporting<br />
roles for ‘Inception,’ so my<br />
money’s going for Christian<br />
Bale, Natalie Portman and Helena<br />
Bonham Carter.<br />
Though I think ‘Inception’<br />
should win everything it pretty<br />
much was nominated for, I’m<br />
at a crossroads when it comes<br />
to visual effects and art direction<br />
because ‘Deathly Hallows’<br />
was also nominated for both,<br />
and I think it also deserves both<br />
awards.<br />
Now, for Animated Feature,<br />
sorry, ‘How to Train Your<br />
Dragon,’ but ‘Toy Story 3’ will<br />
knock your socks <strong>of</strong>f.<br />
It tugged on heartstrings<br />
and brought everyone back to<br />
the moment when they had to<br />
grow up and leave their childhood<br />
toys behind so they can go<br />
<strong>of</strong>f to college. I also do believe<br />
Best Original Song should go to<br />
‘Toy Story.’<br />
The Oscars <strong>this</strong> year are<br />
pretty big, and there are a lot<br />
<strong>of</strong> contenders, like ‘Social Network,’‘The<br />
Fighter,’and ‘Black<br />
Swan,’ but the obvious winner<br />
is our favorite mind-bender:<br />
‘Inception.’<br />
Predictions<br />
Social Network<br />
by Caludia Morales<br />
Section Editor<br />
It is only once in a blue<br />
moon that awards shows leave<br />
me satisfied and feeling that<br />
credit was given where credit<br />
was due. The recent Golden<br />
Globe Awards, however, did<br />
just that. Not only did Chris<br />
Colfer and ‘Glee’ in general<br />
win well-deserved awards in<br />
the television side <strong>of</strong> things,<br />
‘The Social Network’ (David<br />
Fincher’s poignant film revolving<br />
around the creation <strong>of</strong> Facebook<br />
and the events surrounding<br />
it) reigned supreme over<br />
the film categories, receiving<br />
numerous awards including the<br />
sought-after “Best Motion Picture”<br />
award.<br />
Now, with the Oscars<br />
around the proverbial corner,<br />
‘The Social Network’ is<br />
slated to win a second round<br />
<strong>of</strong> awards, as it so obviously<br />
deserves, receiving a total <strong>of</strong><br />
six Oscar nominations. Its biggest<br />
competitor is Christopher<br />
Nolan’s ‘Inception.’ Both films<br />
are indubitably great ones, and<br />
both made an impact on their<br />
respective audiences. However,<br />
‘The Social Network’ is clearly<br />
the better <strong>of</strong> the two, taking<br />
everything into consideration.<br />
Many argue that ‘Inception’ deserves<br />
the upper hand because<br />
it focuses on that beyond reality<br />
and was a creation entirely<br />
Nolan’s, as opposed to the very<br />
real content matter in ‘The Social<br />
Network.’<br />
While the creativity behind<br />
‘Inception’deserves high recognition,<br />
it does not warrant worship.There’s<br />
more to it than that.<br />
Sure, ‘The Social Network’ revolves<br />
around Facebook, something<br />
so colloquial that it goes<br />
above and beyond a household<br />
name, but that doesn’t mean<br />
that there’s not a great story to<br />
be found in its origin. ‘The Social<br />
Network’ delves into things<br />
bigger and more universal than<br />
Facebook itself -- social status,<br />
human insecurities, corruption,<br />
friendship and the interactions<br />
between humans. While<br />
it may not encompass a dream<br />
within a dream within a dream,<br />
it doesn’t need to. It makes the<br />
audience think and keeps them<br />
in suspense without over-embellished<br />
ideas.<br />
‘The Social Network’ is<br />
a generational film, one that<br />
captures the Y Generation impeccably<br />
and speaks volumes<br />
about who we are and what we<br />
are becoming; that’s more than<br />
‘Inception’ can hope to hold a<br />
candle to.<br />
‘The Social Network’ is<br />
nominated for such categories<br />
as Achievement in Directing<br />
and Achievement in Film Editing;<br />
‘Inception’ was nominated<br />
for the former as well as many<br />
<strong>of</strong> ‘The Social Network’s’ other<br />
categories, but not for Achievement<br />
in Directing. Even the<br />
biggest ‘Inception’ haters are<br />
surprised by <strong>this</strong>, myself included,<br />
but in the end it says<br />
much about which film is more<br />
worthy.<br />
Other films I’m glad to see<br />
getting recognition are ‘Harry<br />
Potter and the ‘Deathly Halows,<br />
Pt. 1’ (nominated for Art Direction<br />
and Visual Effects) and the<br />
year’s animated movies (‘Toy<br />
Story 3’ is nominated alongside<br />
‘The Social Network’ and ‘Inception’<br />
for Best Motion Picture).<br />
The only disappointments<br />
I can articulate are those <strong>of</strong> not<br />
enough ‘Harry Potter’ nominations<br />
and Andrew Garfield<br />
(Eduardo Saverin in The Social<br />
Network) being snubbed for<br />
Best Supporting Actor (though<br />
Jesse Eisenberg’s nomination<br />
for his role as Mark Zuckerberg<br />
in ‘The Social Network’ is one<br />
entirely deserved).<br />
I can only hope that the<br />
Academy Awards will be nearly<br />
as satisfying and accurate<br />
in their choices as the Golden<br />
Globes were.<br />
THE TOURIST<br />
by Ashley Camaraza<br />
Section Editor<br />
When I first entered the theater, I was already<br />
excited enough to watch another Johnny<br />
Depp film. ‘The Tourist’ basically starts <strong>of</strong>f<br />
with Angelina Jolie walking the streets inconspiciously.<br />
First guess is that she is a hired assasin,<br />
as usual, though <strong>this</strong> is not the case later<br />
on in the movie.<br />
As we know, the most exciting part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
movie is when Elise, played<br />
by Jolie, decides to hop<br />
onto the train introducing<br />
the character Frank Tupelo,<br />
played by the magnificent<br />
Depp.<br />
The movie revolves<br />
around Frank, who is a lonely<br />
math teacher touring in Italy<br />
to mend his broken heart.<br />
Unfortunately, the fantastic<br />
scenary in Italy where <strong>this</strong><br />
film takes place did not make<br />
up for the lack <strong>of</strong> chemistry<br />
between Jolie and Depp.<br />
Even though Depp is<br />
like a lost, lovable puppy<br />
and Jolie is as gorgeous as<br />
ever, it was not enough.<br />
These two sex symbols obviously<br />
ended up not having any interest in<br />
working together.<br />
Throughout the film, the audience will<br />
usually question what is going on. ‘The<br />
Tourist’ is one <strong>of</strong> those movies about an<br />
identity crisis that will leave viewers shocked<br />
at the outcome. Elise puts Frank in a situation<br />
where gangsters begin to go after him and try<br />
to kill him. She does <strong>this</strong> as a way to protect<br />
her husband, who owes the government<br />
money. The movie has a huge lack in pace<br />
causing the excitement to barely interest the<br />
audience.<br />
Things start getting interesting when<br />
Paul Bettany (‘Legion,’ ‘A Beautiful Mind’)<br />
and Rufus Sewall (‘A Knight’s Tale,’ ‘Legend<br />
<strong>of</strong> Zorro’) are added to <strong>this</strong> film. Inspector<br />
John Acheson, Bettany’s role, works for<br />
the government and is one <strong>of</strong> the people<br />
after Elise’s husband. There is a twist in the<br />
plot when a secret about Elise is revealed,<br />
confusing the audience a bit<br />
more. Once <strong>this</strong> occured,<br />
more action and humor is<br />
ensued.<br />
Overall, ‘The Tourist’ does<br />
not deserve such harsh<br />
reviews. I honestly did<br />
enjoy the movie, especially<br />
since it has Depp in it. Most<br />
people aren’t used to seeing<br />
him act as a normal person<br />
considering all his other roles<br />
in the past (such as the very<br />
odd Edward Scissorhands,<br />
the vengeful Sweeney Todd<br />
and the crazy and wonderful<br />
Mad Hatter in ‘Alice in<br />
Wonderland’).<br />
Everything ends up making<br />
sense in the end, <strong>of</strong> course,<br />
and the audience will be shocked as to what<br />
is revealed. Deficiency in pace as well as<br />
chemistry are the two main issues. Those<br />
looking forward to perceive action in <strong>this</strong><br />
movie will be highly disappointed. There is<br />
rarely any action except for a few scenes.<br />
Viewers should watch <strong>this</strong> film if they wish<br />
to laugh and enjoy the beautiful scenery in<br />
Venice, Italy. Depp fans, I’m sure you will<br />
love <strong>this</strong> one.<br />
hOLLYWOOD