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Reviews
Blue Velvet (1986)
Wonderfully twisted, beautifully done, dream like and compelling
Blue Velvet is a gem of a film. When it was released in 1986, when Reagan reigned the US as president, the film was considered an American original. There really had not been anything like it before: such a compelling mix of violence, sexuality, suspense and drama. Many people compare it to the work of Hitchcock, with sexual extremes. It's easy to see why. A better way to sum up Blue Velvet would be to say it's like a Norman Rockwell painting, the quintessential American scene: a tight-knit family, a small town, American suburbia plus surrealism not unlike Dali, and of course, Hitchockian suspense. Whether or not director's and artists acknowledge Blue Velvet's influence upon their work, it is clearly there. The film liberated cinema: it gave artists and directors the creative license to push the boundaries in film, even more so than before.
The film itself is wonderful. Many people call it dark, depraved and twisted. It is, but it's also hopeful, re-assuring and beautiful. People who claim it's simply dark and pretentious, need to check they are watching the same film. There are dark elements, but you need to remember that good overcomes evil in Blue Velvet. In the grand tradition of Lynch films, no matter who dark they may be half way through, there is always a happy or hopeful (yet ambiguous) ending. The robins stop singing half-way through Blue Velvet, but they return in the end and peace and happiness is restored. Just like life, usually. There always is a silver lining. Blue Velvet is an incredibly made film: it's well crafted in every aspect, from the performances, the stunning, eye-popping cinematography (oh! those rich reds and blues), the music, the direction. I highly recommend it, some of it's hard to stomach, but the ending and the film itself is so, so rewarding.
A masterpiece.
Black Swan (2010)
Masterful, ignore this films rather absurd backlash, see it with an open mind and form your own opinion!
Black Swan, the little film from 2010 that could, is actually a very good film - despite the accumulation of backlash the film has received in the midst of all the glistening praise and Oscar recognition (the film received five nominations and won one for Best Actress). People criticize the film for being too "pretentious", too "artistic", too "complicated", too "corny", and it becomes quite obvious these people are simply looking for problems because they don't want to appreciate the film, for whatever reason.
The film itself is technically perfect, with stunning performances, beautiful cinematography, excellent set pieces, costume design and a very involving, entertaining plot. The only real weak point is the dialog, which does come across as a little 'trashy' at times, but it's not even that bad, nor is it that trashy. It's not a cheesy exploitation flick disguised as a high-brow art film... it's simply a good film, with good performances. It's likely to go down as one of the true great American films of modern cinema. It's challenging and heart-breaking, but also beautiful and hopeful.