Bird of Prey
Darren Aronofsky is a filmmaker who I try so desperately to love. Every time he has a new film coming out, I hear the opinions of many people that I admire and respect, and they all clamor to sing the highest of praises for his latest masterwork. However, I can’t help but admit that of almost everything I’ve seen from him, I always end up slightly disappointed. I end up liking the films a good deal, but I don’t find them to be particularly worthy of quite all the acclaim they receive. This film is another such example. A lot of people are saying it’s a masterpiece. I don’t agree with them. However, as an intriguing cinematic exercise that tempts the intellect, it does indeed offer a lot to be seen.
Natalie Portman stars as Nina Sayers, a dedicated ballerina who tortures her body and soul in order to mold her art to perfection. At her ballet group, the boss (Vincent Cassel) is putting on an interpretation of the classic “Swan Lake,” with one girl dancing as both the elegant and pure White Swan and the lustful, darker seductress that is the Black Swan. Nina wins the role, but he is breaking down into paranoia, fearing the younger ballerina Lily (Mila Kunis) who might steal her role, her overbearing mother (Barbara Hershey) pushing her daughter toward the career she had to give up, and a whole lot of mental hallucinations.
Aronofsky is familiar with this type of territory, and mental mind trips and body horror are his speciality. I think he does a very capable job at creating an erie mood that is felt throughout the film, and we get pulled into the story nicely. However, I believe he misses the mark when he starts descending into the more horror elements of the story, and as Nina’s mind becomes even more fragile, the tone becomes so wildly over the top that it almost approaches camp value. I understand why the movie goes there, and there certainly is some inventive imagery, but I feel like it loses ten other things by gaining only one. Had this film focused more as a character piece with few eccentricities (like The Wrestler did), this would have been a much stronger film.
The best performance in the film, bar none, is Portman. You can feel the dedication she has to the role, and she sinks into it completely. Even her moments of histrionics come across as justified in the world of the film. Particularly by the time the film starts to reach the end, she is giving a performance that is such a grand transformation that it’s quite astonishing to behold. She is a great redeemer for a lot of the film. Kunis is also fantastic in her role, so good that I wish she had more screentime. It’s a role that should make her a qualified movie star, and her sly presence and unknown intentions always light up the screen. Cassel is good, but I really felt he was held back a bit from his real potential (I’ve seen that potential), and this time I simply wasn’t wowed. The same goes for Hershey, who really doesn’t camp it up as much as she probably could. I’ve always said that if you have a character who can get away with a bit of histrionics, you should take it because, if handled right, it is fun to watch. Hershey doesn’t play it in that tone, and she services the part well, just not enough as I would have hoped.
I suppose I should mention Winona Ryder is in this movie, particularly because very few others are. She plays an aging ballerina, recently dismissed by the company, who holds contempt for Thomás, Cassel’s character. It’s actually a bit of a throwaway role that could be condensed down to practically nothing. Ryder is a lovely actress, but she feels wasted in a role that indulges on far too many of the fantastical, horror elements and ultimately comes up short even compared to her mere cameo in last year’s Star Trek. I suppose that’s why she hasn’t been mentioned much, and I can almost agree with that statement.
I really, really wanted to fall in love with this film. There are plenty of people who already have. However, for me, I can’t bring myself to do so. The story is all over the place, hardly finding any consistency with its tone or characters, and plays up sensationalism instead of earnest character drama. In that sense, it’s a tad disappointing, and even though the I’ll admit some of the mind games played are fun, there could have been a better balancing act. As it stands now, it is a well made film, handsomely acted and put together, but stops short of becoming something to really sink your teeth into. I hope one day to experience the Aronofsky love-fest that occurs every time a new movie of his is out. Unfortunately, it isn’t this day.
B
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