Ageing Day

So today I turn 27. I'm old. Whoo-hoo.










.... Yep, that's all I got on that subject.

BLACK SWAN.

Right, so this is probably one of the most hotly discussed movies to be coming out around now, which is actually not saying much, considering the august company it is standing in for this year's Oscar Season. King's Speech, 127 Hours, The Fighter, True Grit, a bunch of others. But that being said, all of these things lack one critical element.

Only Black Swan is directed by Darren Aronofsky. This is *the* Darren Aronofsky, the man who brought us Requiem for a Dream, Pi, Below and The Fountain. This man is the king of messed up cinema, a legacy of films following after him that have their audiances scratching their heads and brutally supressing all the memories at the same time.

Believe it or not, that's actually something to be proud of. This guy's career is so brilliant that a movie about a broken down wrestler (The Wrestler, an unbelievable character piece that didn't get the recognition it deserved), is actually the curve-ball in his line-up of work.

The other reason that The Wrestler is a curve-ball is because the characters are warm and empathic, easy to identify with, which isn't the case with most of Aronofsky's films, especially Black Swan. This is a film about distant and cold people orbiting each other without interacting.

Basically, the film is abotu a young girl slowly going through a mental breakdown when her perfectionism at her chosen craft, Ballet, pushes her beyond her normal limits and she goes for her chance at the title role. It could probably be said in a slightly less complicated manner than that.

Girl. Mental breakdown. Goes for the big shot. Freaky body horror. Girl on Girl. Bizarre twisting reality.

Oh yes, this film pretty much has it all, beautiful set pieces and parrallels to the story of Swan Lake itself.

My only concern is that this may be too much for a 15-Rating. It's not explicitly gory or horrifying, but I found the subject matter to be too heavy for the rating it was given. I know that it certainly resonated deeply within me, so I'm not sure that teenagers should be taking it on. Maybe that's just me being greedy, however, not wanting to share it. Because it's just that good. Actually no, it's just that mind-blowingly great.

I don't think it's quite the equal of 127 Hours for sheer power, but it's underlying insidious horror is masterful. Well worth it.

Next up: The Mechanic.