What Did You Watch Last v.Get in here, Eberts *Possible Spoilers*

I'd meant to watch it yesterday, but I wasn't sure I was in the right frame of mind. I postponed viewing of one of my recent purchases until this evening, well aware that it would be a dark road - and a long one at that - that would likely end in me feeling either sick, tired or hungry. One hour and forty-two minutes later, I found myself bewildered, amazed and saddened by what I had just witnessed.

Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, staring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Winona Ryder Out Of Fucking Nowhere (honestly... hadn't seen her comin'). One of the few films I've seen in recent years that not only confounded me and entertained me, but every award lavished upon it I believe was well deserved and incontrovertibly earned.

Portman's portrayal of a dancer on the brink of madness was pitch perfect. I wasn't long into the film when I stopped wondering when she was going to throw in a - seemingly trademarked - robotic sideways glance a la Padme and started watching a young ballerina's decent into absurdity.

There were moments in the film that were very real, very familiar and quite jarring. Aronofsky painted a beautiful dreamscape within the waking world that was comfortably surreal but terribly foreboding and cold. Barbara Hershey's portrayal of a psychotic, controlling stage mother was frightening and pitiful. Having recently dated a ballet dancer (replete with overbearing stage mother, yeesh) some of the scenes felt very... close.

Wonderful performances throughout the film over a beautiful score, savvy cinematography and exquisite choreography placed this high on my list of 'Really Glad I Caved In... Finally' films.

8.5/10

What's the last movie you watched?

I saw a few flicks this weekend but one in particular managed to evoke a huge emotional response from me. It was Hearafter. I'll just post the IMDB storyline synopsis:

A drama centered on three people who are haunted by mortality in different ways. George (Damon) is a blue-collar American who has a special connection to the afterlife. On the other side of the world, Marie (de France), a French journalist, has a near-death experience that shakes her reality. And when Marcus (Frankie/George McLaren), a London schoolboy, loses the person closest to him, he desperately needs answers. Each on a path in search of the truth, their lives will intersect, forever changed by what they believe might-or must-exist in the hereafter.

So call me a wuss or whatever but this damn movie had me crying. I guess it was because I was drinking at the time but I allowed myself to really connect with the characters. The portions of the film focusing on the London schoolboy are what did it to me though. This young boy loses his twin brother and is left alone with his single mother. Unfortunately she's trying to recover from a heroin addiction so that sucks for him. Although I didn't the the young boy did all that great job as an actor, I feel that the situation he was in was terrible. I began to sympathize with him and man it felt shitty. So yeah, I cried. Later when he meets up with Matt Damon and gets closure from the spirit of his dead brother, I again cried. It was strange though because I've never cried from being joyous or relieved like that.

It was also difficult for me to bear the loneliness of Matt Damon's character. He is unable to lead a normal life or maintain a relationship due to his psychic gift (he calls it a curse). The movies very slow pace meant that at times when witnessing a characters sorrow you were subjected to stew in it for a bit. Being recently divorced, I couldn't help but grow depressed when watching Matt Damon eat dinner alone in his quiet apartment. And my heart broke further when the woman you believe he has a chance with ends up walking out the door. She wears a smile but you know it's the last time he'll see her. So sad.

Anywho, I felt it was a great movie but mostly because of how it touched me on a personal level and that I was very open to connecting with the characters. It's slow pace might detract other folks. Fortunately there are some scenes of intense action. Brief though they are, they still manage to get your blood pumping and your eyes focus back on the screen. 9/10 from me.

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