Unfortunately for me, Christmas/New Year has never been an extremely extraordinary holiday. More than anything, I associate it with the opportunity to take it easier and relax while catching up on my massive list of films to watch and stuff to read that I never got around to by being a lazy ass the rest of the year. In other words, few things surpass the importance of the advent chocolate calendar for me during this time.
This year is slightly different however, thanks to Darren Aronofsky. Yes, you read it correctly, my Christmas will be spent primarily waiting to get my hands on Black Swan, the film everyone has probably already heard about. There are many reasons why I am so excited about the film: Darren Aronofsky, great cast, Darren Aronofsky, the storyline, ballet finally being shown for the tough, impossibly competitive, and sometimes gruesome form of art that it is instead of the pretty, fluffy dance that it is usually portrayed as in movies, and Darren Aronofsky. The film has already got many great reviews, and I’m sure that it will be as good as everyone says it is. I also love how Aronofsky chooses his projects. I have no idea if it is intentional, but there seems to be a very interesting social perspective when it comes to his films. His previous film, The Wrestler was a typical guy film, about a guy competing in a strictly guy’s sport/show, and dealing with typical guy problems. In the Black Swan, Aronofsky uses the same outlet, that being athleticism, but approaches it from a strictly female perspective – what women go through for success, the pressure, and the way they struggle to juggle real life (it rhymes! Mental note, email Lil Wayne) and the high expectations in their careers. What’s especially great is that athleticism is in the essence of both of these films, because, having competed in professional sport, I know for a fact that it is one of the best ways to demonstrate the sacrifices people make in order to succeed. (For those who would argue that ballet is strictly a form of art that has nothing to do with sport, I beg to differ. I know a number of ballet dancers, and their regime resembles one of an Olympic athlete much more than say of a poet or a painter).
Ok, initially I was not planning on talking about the Black Swan at all, but clearly couldn’t help myself. The reason for the post, however, is not Black Swan, at least not completely.
What I like about well-done films that portray physically ambitious craft is that many times, real life professionals get to participate in the making of the film to make it more realistic and believable. In this case, Benjamin Millepied, a principal dancer at New York Ballet and a renowned choreographer plays a significant part in the creation of the Black Swan, as an actor and choreographer. I am not a big ballet aficionado, so I have never heard of Mr. Millepied before, but apparently he is a pretty talented actor, as well as an aspiring moviemaker, and he has an awesome tattoo! I found a short film by him and American filmmaker Asa Mader, starring Millepied himself alongside Lea Seydoux, called Time Doesn’t Stand Still. As is expected, dancing plays a big part in the short film. For now, a director’s cut is available to take a look at, and you can find it here. The short film will be available in its entirety in 2011, and I think it looks like a promising start for Millepied to expand his career into a new art form.
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