• About Us
  • Advertising on Awards Daily
Thursday, March 23, 2023
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
Awardsdaily
  • Home
  • Good As Gold
  • AD TV
  • Calendar 2023
  • Podcasts
  • Interviews
  • Follow us on Twitter
    • Awards Daily
    • Sasha Stone
    • Ryan Adams
    • Clarence Moye
    • Mark Johnson
  • All News
  • Home
  • Good As Gold
  • AD TV
  • Calendar 2023
  • Podcasts
  • Interviews
  • Follow us on Twitter
    • Awards Daily
    • Sasha Stone
    • Ryan Adams
    • Clarence Moye
    • Mark Johnson
  • All News
No Result
View All Result
Awardsdaily
No Result
View All Result


Black Swan, UK critics weigh in

by Ryan Adams
September 3, 2010
in AWARDS CHATTER, BEST PICTURE
51
Black Swan, UK critics weigh in

David Gritten at the Daily Telegraph concurs with yesterday’s first wave of praise

Every film festival benefits hugely from a strong opening film, and they don’t come a lot stronger than Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller set in the world of New York ballet. Powerful, gripping and always intriguing, it also features a lead performance from Natalie Portman that elevates her from a substantial leading actress to major star likely to be lifting awards in the near future.

Meanwhile Stephanie Zacharek continues to carve out her oddball niche as the critic whose opinion has Zero Oscar relevance. Zacherek, we must recall, is the critic who would’ve been happier seeing Beyonc√© Knowles nominated for Best Actress over Meryl Streep two years ago. It’s a good thing she never tries to align with the Academy’s taste because she absolutely sucks at understanding what scores on awards night. In fact, it’s becoming a very reliable gauge: if Zacharek hates your movie then you’re probably winning an Oscar. So her trashing of Black Swan can only be seen as more good news:

Black Swan is really just a high-toned version of Showgirls, a movie that’s frequently derided as just being “bad,” although I think Paul Verhoeven knew exactly what he was doing, and he was honest about his goals: He wanted to give us a glitzy, over-the-top show-biz fable, and he did.

There’s an opinion you won’t see coming from anyone else: “Showgirls is better than Black Swan.” That’s worth posting for its sheer ludicrous perversity. Back to reality-based awards instincts, more from the Telegraph’s David Grittin:

Black Swan is an exhilarating if uneasy ride, one that could deliver Aronofsky his second Golden Lion here in three years (he won in 2008 with The Wrestler). As for Portman, she can expect a busy few months at awards dinners.

Vulture collects the volatile data and sums it all up with an explosive, “Boom!”

Boom! Darren Aronofsky’s winged-ballerina thriller Black Swan screened last night at the Venice Film Festival and the reviews are nearly all good: In Contention‘s Guy Lodge gives it four stars and calls it “boldly deranged and beautifully despairing.” “Best film I‚Äôve seen all year,” declares Obsessed With Film‘s Robert Beames. “Aronofsky has made his first masterpiece.” Variety‘s Peter DeBruge says, “Aronofsky seems to be operating in the vein of early Roman Polanski or David Cronenberg at his most operatic.” “Alternately disturbing and exhilarating,” raves Screen International‘s Mike Goodridge, “[Swan] is one of the most exciting films to come out of the Hollywood system this year.” Also, IndieWire‘s Todd McCarthy calls it “a Red Shoes on acid,” which sounds awesome. So what of the film’s star, Natalie Portman, tipped as a contender in this year’s crowded Best Actress race?

She’s great, allegedly! In the movie, she plays Nina, a ballerina whose all-consuming passion for performing costs her something of a mental breakdown. All critics seem to agree the role is outside of Portman’s traditional comfort zone, but she pulls it off.

…to put it in the most basic possible terms, she’s an attractive star challenging herself with a trickier, less glamorous role than she’s usually known for, which is the formula for practically every Best Actress victory ever. She’s definitely in this race.

The notion that Natalie Portman has soared to tentative front-runner status was sewn here by Sasha yesterday, and the appealing prospect has grown study tentacles overnight, spreading fast to the mainstream media. EW agrees, The Washington Post says so too, and Deadline is feeling the same vibe.

Important enough to flog once more a day later? I think so, because I think it’s important to brace for the inevitable backlash too.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • WhatsApp
  • Print
Tags: Black SwanNatalie Portman
Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams

Related Posts

Ryan Casselman’s 2023 Best Picture Ballot Experiment Lands

Ryan Casselman’s 2023 Best Picture Ballot Experiment Lands

by Marshall Flores
March 10, 2023
34

Since 2018, our friend Ryan Casselman has been doing an annual experiment where he polls his film industry friends on...

Oscars 2023: Frontrunners and Their Challengers

Oscars 2023: Frontrunners and Their Challengers

by Sasha Stone
March 7, 2023
55

Today is the last day of voting. I thought it was a good time to check in on our frontrunners...

Brad Pitt Celebrates David Fincher’s César Award

Brad Pitt Celebrates David Fincher’s César Award

by Sasha Stone
March 7, 2023
33

David Fincher is probably hoping this video doesn't go viral but I hate to be the bearer of bad news,...

Film Editing – Good As Gold

Oscars 2023: Last Day of Oscar Voting as Mass Formation Takes Hold

by Sasha Stone
March 6, 2023
353

Mass formation is the flipside of mass hysteria. Both are ways whole groups of people are afflicted in one direction...

2023 Oscar Predictions –  Who Are the Oscar Voters?

2023 Oscar Predictions – Who Are the Oscar Voters?

by Sasha Stone
March 3, 2023
163

Here we finally are, after a long season of film festivals, screenings, box-office records, guild awards, FYC ads, and tweets....

Oscars 2023 Voting Begins – Dear Oscar, Hear My Plea

Oscars 2023 Voting Begins – Dear Oscar, Hear My Plea

by Sasha Stone
March 2, 2023
185

As is tradition here at AwardsDaily, the first day of Oscar voting is your chance to beg and plead for...

Next Post
Dreamworks launches FYC campaign for Dragon

Dreamworks launches FYC campaign for Dragon

Apple Joins Amazon in Committing to Help Save Theaters

Apple Joins Amazon in Committing to Help Save Theaters

March 23, 2023
Poll: Choose Your Most Anticipated Movies of 2023

Poll: Choose Your Most Anticipated Movies of 2023

March 22, 2023
‘This Is Going to Hurt’ and ‘The Responder’ Lead BAFTA TV Nominations

‘This Is Going to Hurt’ and ‘The Responder’ Lead BAFTA TV Nominations

March 22, 2023
Apple Joins Amazon in Committing to Help Save Theaters

Apple Joins Amazon in Committing to Help Save Theaters

by Sasha Stone
March 23, 2023
17

The debate rages on as to whether films in theaters will survive. We already know event films will have no...

Doezzz ‘Yellowjackets’ Zzzeason 2 Avoid the Dreaded Zzzophomore Zzzlump?

Doezzz ‘Yellowjackets’ Zzzeason 2 Avoid the Dreaded Zzzophomore Zzzlump?

by Clarence Moye
March 21, 2023
0

We're back after a week off following the Academy Awards, and we're diving into one of our most feverishly anticipated...

daisy jones & the six music supervisor frankie pine

Music Supervisor Frankie Pine On Turning the Cast of ‘Daisy Jones & The Six’ Into Rock Stars

by Megan McLachlan
March 17, 2023
2

Daisy Jones & The Six music supervisor Frankie Pine talks to Awards Daily about band camp, featuring "Gold Dust Woman"...

Miami Film Festival

Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s ‘The Beasts’ Wins Three Awards at 40th Miami Film Festival

by Megan McLachlan
March 16, 2023
3

Miami, FL (March 16, 2023) – Goya Award-winner and Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen won several awards for his latest...

yellowjackets season 2

‘Yellowjackets’ Season 2 is Darker, Disturbing, & Even Better Than Season 1

by Megan McLachlan
March 16, 2023
6

For Showtime's cannibalistic Yellowjackets, winter isn't coming---it's here. Season 2 delivers on the promises of Season 1, and yes, it...

Oscar Podcast – Mark Goes to the Oscars and Our Last Licks of 2023

Oscar Podcast – Mark Goes to the Oscars and Our Last Licks of 2023

by Sasha Stone
March 14, 2023
19

Mark Johnson went to the Oscars for the first time and was Cinderfella for a day. Hear all about it,...

AwardsDaily Crew

  • About Us
  • Sasha Stone
  • Editor Ryan Adams
  • Editor Clarence Moye
  • Editor Mark Johnson
  • Contact Us

ADTV Crew

  • ADTV Home
  • Megan McLachlan, Editor
  • Joey Moser, Editor
  • Clarence Moye, Editor
  • Jalal Haddad, Senior Contributor
  • Shadan Larki
  • Ben Morris
  • David Phillips
  • Advertising on Awards Daily
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Oscar Podcast
  • AwardsDailyTV

© 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Good As Gold
  • AD TV
  • Calendar 2023
  • Podcasts
  • Interviews
  • Follow us on Twitter
    • Awards Daily
    • Sasha Stone
    • Ryan Adams
    • Clarence Moye
    • Mark Johnson
  • All News

© 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In