Film Review: The Fighter

Last night I saw The Fighter with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. I really didn't have any intentions of seeing it, but I agreed to go along simply to spend more time with a friend who was only visiting for a few days. The Fighter definitely exceeded any small expectations I had for the film. Those are actually my favorite movie experiences--when you go in not having any expectations and not even really knowing what the movie is about just to be thoroughly entertained and end up really enjoying the film. Let's just say I'm very happy I agreed to see it. Since it's a film about boxing and I know nothing about boxing, I figured it wouldn't interest me much, but there was so much more going on than simply boxing. It's the story of not one but two men--brothers--who are boxers and the relationship not only between them but also their large family.

The film sent me through a roller coaster of emotions. Dickey Ecklund, played by Bale, goes through a drug addiction, and although it's a serious matter and he messes up a lot he still has big heart and big personality, and he keeps the audience chuckling. He is quite a character to say the least. Micky Ward, played by Wahlberg, is the younger, less outspoken brother. Together they make a fantastic team which is evident by the end of the film despite all of their problems. In addition, even though their family is dysfunctional they all stick together no matter what, and they remain loyal.

The Fighter is a motivating film that shows that you should always have faith in your abilities and never give up. If life throws you an obstacle that you cannot climb over pave yourself a new path. That is what Dickey finally does when he realizes his days of professional boxing are over. He instead focuses his efforts on training Micky so that Micky can win the title he never did.

Audiences love a good story of an underdog's struggle to make it to the top, and this film executes it wonderfully. I also love the fact that it's based on a true story. During the credits at the end of the film, a short clip of the real half-brothers is shown. Bale mimicked the real Dickey so well I was really astonished. Not only was his acting amazing but he also lost a ton of weight to play the role. He looked skeletal and his eyes looked shrunken. He was believable as a drug user.

Another reason why I think The Fighter is an excellent film is because the setting took place in the 90's and everything from the clothes and big hair to the cars were accurate of the 90's style. Finally, I liked that the two brothers were from a small town, yet no matter how successful they became, they remained loyal to their town. They seem like average working class men in construction--they don't wear nice clothes, drive nice vehicles, have an especially nice house or go anywhere particularly extravagant, but they are champions inside. They truly are the town heroes.

If you liked Million Dollar Baby with Hilary Swank and Clint Eastwood I'm sure you'll enjoy The Fighter as well. I whole heartedly recommend it.

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.

Movie Review: An Education

When I rented the film An Education, I expected it to kind of be like a moderner day version of Pride and Prejudice from the 1960s. Although it ended up being nothing like my favorite classic, it definitely touched on several important issues throughout the movie. It served as a reminder that you are your most important thing. People will come and go but you always have to live with yourself, so it's important, especially as women, to be self-supporting and create our own successes.

The movie is about Jenny, a mature and intelligent 16-year-old schoolgirl, who falls in love with an older man, David. As they continue to see each other, Jenny becomes enthralled with his world full of art, music, gambling, traveling and culture. As a young woman who was focused and adamant on going to Oxford to study English, she begins to doubt the point of her education as she thinks of a prospective life with David full of fun and leisure.

Unfortunately, all that glitters ain't gold, and Jenny shortly discovers after dropping out of school upon accepting David's marriage proposal that David is in fact already legally married to another woman. Jenny's attraction to the (seemingly) glamorous life and belief that she could take the easy way out by marrying David instead of constantly challenging herself at Oxford quickly comes back to slap her on the behind. After persuading her schoolmaster to allow her to come back to school, Jenny bulldozes through another year with regained unyielding focus and ends up being accepted into Oxford after all.

After the truth about David unfolds, he vanishes from her life as quickly as he entered it, and after having questioned the whole purpose of getting a higher education, the importance is reinstated in Jenny with a higher reverence. A defeated-feeling and heartbroken Jenny says,
"I feel old, but not wise." While I understand why she feels like a fool for not being able to see through David's facade, I do believe that the experience ended up molding her in a positive way.

She is such a bright girl, and I think in a sense this traumatic experience was necessary for her to
come back with a new sense of determination, purpose and self-worth. She undoubtedly learned from her experience running with an adult crowd living on lies. It also goes to show that, even though one may be intellectually equal or superior to another who is older age wise, it's one's experiences and life lessons that are just as important in getting on in the world as unscathed as possible.

I actually really enjoyed this movie. It wasn't corny or unimaginable; it is realistic even by today's standards. Originally I pitied Jenny for losing her virginity to a man who was a liar and cheater, but then I realized that Jenny's biggest mistake was throwing away her previous desire to go to Oxford when she thought she could live an easy life off David. Luckily, Jenny's pride didn't get in the way of her seeking the help of her former English teacher to assist in persuading the schoolmaster to grant her permission to come back and finish high school. It was refreshing to see her own up to her mistake and bounce back from it. I also found it admirable that Jenny surprisingly handled everything with grace. Instead of giving up or sinking into depression, she truly acted as an adult and took responsibility for her actions.

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

(The photo on the left of Jenny in her school uniform is the life she feels bored with. The photo of Jenny and her older friend on the right is the glamorous, exciting life for which she wishes to trade in her school books.)

Entranced in Wonderland

So last night I finally saw Alice in Wonderland, and it was nothing less than amazing! I literally sat inches away from my television screen in order to absorb everything. Some who I asked before I had the chance to see the movie said it was "weird," but that's the point, isn't it? A fantastical dream should be imaginative and bizarre. I absolutely loved the vivid colors and the unique variety of characters. I actually think I enjoyed Tim Burton's modern version of Alice in Wonderland more than I did the Disney version when I was a young girl.

Another aspect of the film that I enjoyed were Alice's dresses. Check out this Alice in Wonderland fashion spread in Vogue. It's actually from December 2003, but it's still so chic. I've never liked the color blue as much as I did throughout the movie and in the Alice fashion spread.

Below is Mia Wasikowska who plays Alice. At first I thought she was kind of homely looking, but she grew on me, and now I think she was a perfect fit for the character. It kind of annoyed me that her name isn't even on the front of the DVD box considering she is the main character. Only Johnny Depp's name was listed. While I do think Depp did an excellent job as well, I don't think his name and only his was deserving to have the cover all for himself. Even Anne Hathaway surprisingly got shafted.

Alice in Wonderland (2010) was a creative and modern twist to a beloved Disney tale, and it is definitely a movie I plan on watching again as well as recommending to others. I also really liked its stress on the message to follow your heart and be daring, even if that means doing something that others may not understand or disapprove.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Film Review: Letters to Juliet

I saw Letters to Juliet last night. It was alright, just your typical romance film. It was also predictable, like most romance films. Sophie, played by Amanda Seyfried, is a pretty cute, non-threatening character. She was made out to be such a push-over in the film, which is the only reason why I really wanted her to have a happy ending. Although the other lead character in the film, Charlie, played by Christopher Egan, is pretty cute with his blonde hair, clear complexion, and beaming blue eyes, he wasn't a very interesting character...or maybe he's just a bad actor. I saw an interview with Seyfried and she said her favorite scenes were with Gael Garcia Bernal (who played her fiance Victor), so apparently Christopher didn't shine on or off the screen.

Other criticisms I have are that there were a lot of car scenes that simply showed Charlie softening over Sophie every time he creepily viewed her from the rear view mirror. I found myself a little bored throughout the movie. Finally, the ending with Charlie climbing the vine to reach Sophie was corny. I was surprised when Sophie confessed her love for Charlie even though he was a rude and uninteresting ass throughout the entire movie. (This is where our society gets the overuse and undeserving use of the L word). I also wanted to laugh out loud when Charlie predictably fell from the vines as he leaned in to kiss Sophie. Wouldn't it have been a nice twist to the Romeo & Juliet re-enactment if Charlie would have broken his neck just after he and Sophie established their mutual love for one another?

Overall, Letters to Juliet was cute, but I could have went without seeing it at the theater. It did make me want to drink some wine though after seeing all the beautiful Italian vineyards.

My film rating: 2/5