Film Review: Black Swan

**Note: spoiler alert**

I heard about Black Swan from a friend who told me to check out the trailer. After watching it I immediately wanted to see it. Then all of a sudden it blew up and everyone in New York (at least it seemed) was buzzing about it. The first night I went to see it I ended up calling a local theater in advance to make sure they had tickets for a particular time and I was informed that tickets had been sold out five hours prior to my call. Therefore, going into the movie I had very high expectations.

I thought Natalie Portman did a great job. I had heard even before seeing the movie that she had lost 20 lbs. for the role to have a body more like a ballerina's, but her acting in itself made her believable. I was so annoyed with her! I wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her sometimes which goes to show that she did the job right--she was able to evoke emotions and opinions from her audience. Better yet, she makes the audience contemplate the complexity of her character. Although the main character, Nina, played by Portman, is an adult, she still lives at home, she's an unassertive milquetoast, and she talks in a soft, whisper-like voice which makes you want to yell at her to speak up and grow a backbone. One deep-rooted issue Nina faces is her inability to really grow up. Her mother is rather smothering and she certainly crosses the mother-daughter boundaries considering Nina is an adult herself. Her mother even tucks her in bed still for heaven's sake!

A pivotal scene is when Nina allows herself to "explore" and let go a little by touching herself when she wakes up one morning, and just as she is starting to enjoy herself she looks over to find her mother asleep in a chair next to her bed. The scene shows the restrictions Nina faces as an unsure, dependent adult who is wishing to finally grow up. Her bedroom is decorated like that of a little girl's. The room and bedspread are pink and white and she still has dozens of stuffed animals. Inside she's wishing to break free, but her home environment and her mother are holding her back.

Nina has been oppressed for so long, her main struggle is the one with herself. Even though she does want to experience new things, sexual things, she holds herself back because it's unfamiliar and she cannot contemplate being anything other than pure. Nina so desperately wants to be the perfect ballerina. Her instructor even tells her that she has a near perfect technique, but unfortunately that's not enough, especially for the leading role of the company's new performance of Swan Lake*.

Nina's obsession with perfectionism is essentially what "births" her and destroys her at the same time. Her internal battle at trying to let go and be seductive enough to be a convincing black swan is too much for her to take. How can a single person be a black swan and a white swan when the roles are completely opposite? Her instructor tells her from the get-go that she is the model of a white swan and that her difficulty would be letting loose enough to transform into a black swan as well. The embodiment of both proves to be too much. She lashes out at her mom (although in my opinion it was about time), she starts hallucinating, and she becomes extremely paranoid and feels threatened.

What I found to be most interesting is that although Nina destroys herself by the end of the film, she's happy because she did become the perfect black and white swan.

Black Swan is twisted. The film forces you to pay close attention in order to try to distinguish if certain events are real or part of Nina's psychological breakdown.

I absolutely recommend this movie to others. It has been praised by both ballet lovers and non-ballet connoisseurs alike. Just go in knowing that it's a pretty heavy film. Be prepared to take a few minutes after watching the movie to let all of the fast-paced scenes sink in and to mull over the complex, entwined themes.

*Swan Lake is a ballet composed in 1875. Since the first performance, many different endings have been written.

Film Review: Burlesque

I saw the movie Burlesque, starring Cher and Christina Aguilera, a few weeks ago. I was mesmerized by the previews which made me desire to see the movie in theaters. Sequins, pearls, fishnet stockings, lace and feathers were the eye grabbing materials for the tantalizing stage costumes for the performers. I was enthralled by the choreographed routines of the sexy, petite dancers with tight bods, and even more by Christina Aguilera's powerful voice.

Christina Aguilera and Cher both did great. I was actually surprised how well Christina did. The film was a perfect fit for her. She is actually not too bad of an actress (actually much better than my fav, Britney Spears, in Cross Roads. Sorry Brit Brit). And somehow she looked just as young as she did when she first started out in her singing career--as in "Genie in a Bottle" young. Her face looked youthful, fresh and flawless, and her naturally thin body looked at its prime.

I wasn't expecting too much from the plot of the film, but it surprisingly wasn't too bad either. It was one of those feel good movies that makes you want to get all dolled up and go out dancing. You can never have too much eye candy.

After watching the film, it made me a little curious about what burlesque is all about. According to wikipedia.org,

"Early theatrical burlesque was a form of musical and theatrical parody in which a serious or romantic opera or piece of classical theatre was adapted in a broad, often risqué style that ridiculed stage conventions.... In 20th century America the word became associated with a variety show in which striptease is the chief attraction."

Burlesque the movie mixes some some of the traditional practices and techniques of burlesque with a fresh, modern twist. What I appreciate about the film is that it isn't raunchy; Despite the fact that the women on stage are hardly wearing any clothes, they are still able to maintain a respectable, unattainable air about themselves. In addition, the movie seems to really embody the essence of burlesque.

Burlesque isn't simply a stripe tease. Traditional burlesque shows, "encompass a variety of acts such as dancing girls, chanson singers, comedians, mime artists, and striptease artistes, all satirical and with a saucy edge." Burlesque the movie stayed true to this by showing a comedic male mime and having a live band present on the stage.

If you're looking to hear a pretty voice and see some hot, sexy dance routines without having to think about anything too serious or deep, Burlesque is surely the right movie to entertain you.

Capturing the Elusive

~*Extraordinary, breathtaking, memorable images that make us desire to continuously look despite how many times our eyes have scanned every millimeter of the picture with hope of cementing every detail in memory.*~

Photography is pretty amazing. It's no wonder the saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." I particularly admire photos that require not only a good camera, but also skill--an eye for the right lighting, positioning, etcetera that the average person with a camera cannot capture.


Today in my Yahoo news updates I came across a compilation of high-speed photographs. The first thing I thought as I looked in awe at the pictures was, "That's so cool!" Photography is a form of art, and the neat thing about these pictures is that it feels like a science experiment too. Being able to see things that the human eye cannot capture itself is spectacular. I love the parallel of the photograph and the image within the photograph--the camera acts like a time slowing machine, being able to capture something that happens in a fraction of a second, and the photograph stops time as well by being a preserver of the image.

Enjoy :)

(Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yahooeditorspicks/galleries/72157625550600212/page2/)

Keeping Warm in Style

Ear warmers that double as fashion accessories are the newest rage this winter. Why not look cute while also protecting your ears from the bitter cold? It makes bundling up to go outside a little more fun. Here are some styles you'll be seeing this winter:

BDG Trapper Hat from Urban Outfitters - $38

Eugenia Kim Bella Knit Headband with Fox Earmuffs - $115

Mossimo Earmuffs from Target

They kind of look like Uggs Earmuffs except they're a fraction of the price. Others must have thought so too, because they are sold out online.

ASOS Premium Oversized Fantasy Fur Pom Pom Knit Headband - $27.58

Recycled Vintage Fur Earmuffs from LARK - $140

I personally chose to buy faux fur earmuffs. There are plenty of cute ones out there without having to pay triple the price for real fur while also killing innocent animals :) I wore mine for the first time today, and I felt like it really complemented my outfit. Earmuffs make the perfect accessory this winter.

Oh how I love winter!

Volunteering for New York Cares

This past weekend I completed my first project with New York Cares, the city's leading volunteer organization. I decided to sign up with New York Cares when I realized that I actually have more free time now after having finished up with school even with a full-time job. As a student my work was never really done. Not only was I a full time student but I also had an internship and was involved in several other extra curricular activities. There was always more reading or studying to be done for one class or another, so it was often difficult me to fully enjoy myself on weekends with the nagging in the back of my mind that I still had work to do in advance of classes on Monday. Now that I don't have work to do on weekends, that frees up my schedule tremendously, and I figured that it was time for me to give back and make good use of some of the new free time I've acquired.

There are numerous different projects you can sign up for with New York cares including: reading to younger kids, teaching older adults basic computer skills, practicing English with immigrants, working at soup kitchens, playing bingo with the elderly at old folk homes, and raking/gardening work. For my first project I decided to go to East Harlem to play sports with over a dozen first and second graders.

I wasn't sure what to expect with the volunteer project, and I was definitely a bit nervous about traveling all the way to E. Harlem by myself and trying to find where the school was located, but my newest thing since moving to NYC is to challenge myself on a consistent basis and force myself to try things that I'm originally uncomfortable or hesitant about. I'm not really used to playing or even being around young kids, but I figured that since sports are something I'm familiar with, that would be the easiest way to be able to relate to the kids.

Overall, I had a pretty good time. The kids were, well,...kids. I forgot how hyper and rambunctious they are! Boy do I wish I had that much energy. They were running around as if they had an IV of Red Bull coursing through their veins. We started off the day by breaking into teams of 4 and having relay races to get warmed up. I was with one other volunteer and two second grade boys. I cheered on our team and encouraged everyone to run as fast as they could so we could win. I tried hard not to laugh when one of the little boys flagged down the male team leader and "whispered" in his ear that he didn't want to be paired with girls for the relay race. His attitude quickly changed though when our team won, and I finally got his approval. I then spent the next two hours playing soccer and football with the boys. They were aggressive little ball-hogs and liked to make up their own rules as we went along, but I just went with the flow of things, and the time passed fairly quickly.

By the end of the two hours I was exhausted and definitely ready for a nap. I'd like to commend anyone who works with young kids because, as cute as they can sometimes be, they sure require a lot patience, and you must always stay alert while keeping track of each individual. I really do believe that it requires a special sort of person to be able to teach and supervise young children. I feel like it's like life guarding on land.

During the last hour I spent with the kids, the other volunteers and I helped them make a healthy snack. I'd occasionally find myself simply observing the kids interact with one another. By the end of the three hours I was becoming familiar with their distinct personalities, and I thought it was cute how quickly seemingly attached they became to some of the volunteers in such a short time. Their innocence and vulnerability was so refreshing. It made me reflect on my own childhood.

While the first thing I did when I returned home from volunteering was to crawl into bed and relax for a few hours, I'm still very happy that I completed my first project with New York Cares. Isn't it funny that I feel like I took just as much away from this experience as I gave? I suppose that's what making a difference is all about in a way. When doing something makes you contemplate life and appreciate the thing you're doing, it becomes a mutual exchange with both parties benefiting.

The American Museum of Natural History

It is quite possible that I had more fun at the American Museum of Natural History looking at all of the ancient animal bones as an adult than I did when I was a little girl. I forgot how cool dinosaurs are until I was face-to-face with a skeleton of a T-rex towering above me.

Unfortunately I didn't get to the museum until 1.5 hours before closing, so I had to rush a bit in order to see the majority of displays on the four floors. It was fascinating just observing the things on display at the museum, but next time around I will definitely plan on staying longer in order to read the descriptive texts about each one. I especially loved the atmosphere in the Milsetein Hall of Ocean Life. It was dimly lit and the walls were dark blue making it feel as if I were in a giant aquarium. In addition,

"The Milstein Hall of Ocean Life is home to the Museum's beloved
94-foot-long model of a blue whale, a powerful evocation of the massive yet graceful nature of the largest animal ever to roam the planet."

Considering my love for animals, especially dolphins and whales (see previous blog post), seeing the giant blue whale in person was pretty incredible. It spans the length of Milstein Hall and looms over the exhibit from above.

I'd definitely recommend checking out the American Museum of Natural History. People of all ages find it truly enjoyable, which is often a rare thing to accomplish. What keeps the museum fresh and full of life are the changing exhibits and museum's calendar full of events. One event that especially caught my attention and is coming up soon is Adventures in the Global Kitchen: The Lure of Chocolate in which a food historian will lead a tasting while discussing chocolate's history. Sounds delicious to me!

In case you'd like more information, The American Museum of Natural History has a good website too with descriptions about the permanent exhibits, limited time exhibits, upcoming events and lots of other information.