Darren Aronofsky

-Fox Searchlight

It is called a psycho-sexual thriller, so I admit to laughing a little bit when I saw ladies in their 70s coming into the theater, with their husbands in tow, to see "a ballerina movie".

I'm a big fan of Darren Aronofsky, who expertly directed Requiem for a Dream on a budget of just under $5 million, with Jared Leto (American Psycho, Fight Club) as a heroin addict, along with friends played by Jennifer Connelly (Labyrinth, A Beautiful Mind), and Marlon Wayans (Scary Movie, The Lady Killers), with a sweet-toothed Ellen Burstyn (Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood) in one of the most impressive time-lapse photography sequences in film to date. It showcases some incredible film-making styles, portraying long tracking shots, fast cutting montages, and intense close-ups, all of which seem to have been made for telling stories about high-powered drugs in a messed-up world of gangs and pimps.

Aronofsky's film, The Fountain, with ex-girlfriend Rachel Weisz (The Mummy, Brothers Bloom), and Hugh Jackman (The Wolverine, Australia), is one of my favorites. It's a love story that takes place over a thousand years. It's fragile and sweet and it always leaves me yearning. Aronofsky can spin a story well on screen. Contrary to popular opinion, I was not impressed by The Wrestler, but you can still call me a pretty devoted Aronofsky fan.

I was all too excited to see Black Swan, a story that focuses on an innocent ballerina called Nina, magnified by the beautiful Natalie Portman, who unravels at all her seams while competing against not only other dancers, but herself, for the coveted lead role in a modernist production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake."

The supporting cast compliments Natalie Portman's extraordinary performance. A striking Barbara Hershey (Beaches, Falling Down) plays Nina's overbearing but supportive mother. Vincent Cassel (Brotherhood of the Wolf) plays the dance company's director, a french prick called Thomas Leroy. And the sultry Mila Kunis, whom I adore in The Book of Eli, shows another deeper side of her acting abilities and commands the screen in her pivotal, career-turning role as Lily. Winona Ryder may have had a small part in this film, but, as always, she is truly, terrifyingly spectacular.

Aronofsky's directing style is often brutal and uncompromising, I love it. His films are often beautiful, dense, and surreal. He is definitely one of the most hypnotic directors and story-tellers of our time. Teaming up yet again with composer Clint Mansell creating another epic score, setting the mood in Black Swan like a tormented ghost. That right there pretty much describes how I felt after seeing the movie.

ReelHard Score: B-

Content Advisory:
Black Swan is Rated R for strong sexual content, disturbing violent images, language and some drug use.

Sex and Nudity:
One masturbation reference
A woman masturbates, twice.
Heavily implied sexual undertones
Several references to oral sex and sex in general
One somewhat graphic, partially clothed lesbian oral sex scene
One heterosexual sex scene

Gore & Violence:
Ballerina foot/toe injuries
Mother/Daughter arguments/physicality
Various stabbing scenes with copious amounts of blood
The words "fuck" and "cock" are used several times

Drugs & Alcohol :
Cigarette smoking
Ecstasy and Alcohol during a club/rave scene

Other Disturbing Scenes:
Psychological issues
Hallucinations

The Adjustment Bureau Review

The Adjustment Bureau is George Nolfi's directorial debut, but it is not the first time you've seen his work take place on the big screen. Nolfi shares writing credits on four other screenplays, The Bourne Ultimatum, Ocean's Twelve, The Sentinel, and Timeline. Fortunately, George Nolfi has sole writing credit for The Adjustment Bureau, which is loosely based on the Philip K. Dick short story, Adjustment Team. It's worth mentioning that Phillip K. Dick made many Hollywood heads stinkin' rich, long after his death in 1982, with his stories that often feature metaphysical themes, authoritarian governments, and altered states. His fiction, often pulled from his own life experiences, have been adapted into movies such as Blade Runner, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly

Matt Damon (True Grit, Invictus) stars as David Norris, a young and dynamic political figure running for the U.S. Senate. His sincere working-man charms have practically won every vote, but his impulsive past becomes front page news, crushing his campaign. As he prepares a defeat speech while in the men's washroom of a ritzy hotel, he is surprised to find himself in the company of a vivacious woman (Emily Blunt of The Wolfman, and Sunshine Cleaning) named Elise, who just happened to be hiding out. Elise, a dancer, is so alluring and reactive to David that they end up in quick-witted conversation and almost immediately share a kiss, but are interrupted by David's PR sidekick, Charlie Traynor (played by Michael Kelly of Unbreakable, Dawn of the Dead) and never exchanged phone numbers before departing. But as fate wouldn't have it any other way, things begin to turn strange and intriguing. Because fate wears fedora hats.

David and Elise were never supposed to meet the first time. And since David was going to spill his coffee at 7:05am in order to miss the bus in which Elise was sitting, they would never meet again. But the adjustment was mistakenly never made, so he and Elise were once again reunited.

David is then chased down by Security working for the Adjustment Bureau and placed within a classified industrial crypt where he is confronted by a group of serious-faced men in fedora hats and tailored suits. He is warned that any relationship he wished to have with Elise is, and has always been, totally off-limits. To make matters worse, if he ever takes the secret of the Bureau out into the 'real world', his memory will be erased, and devoid of any personality.

-Universal

The plot really takes off from here and throws you into very robust twists and turns, but it does not make you go stupid trying to keep up. Throughout the story, David is like a rat in a maze in search of a prized golden cheese, but it never becomes boring to watch. The future, according the Bureau, can be either very dismal or full of wonderful achievements for both David and Elise, each outcome depending on if they stay together, or live separate lives.

The Adjustment Bureau is a thriller and a romance with doorways that lead into science fiction and the supernatural. The drama plays out very well on-screen, however, besides a lot of running around, don't expect a whole lot of action. Still, it is very entertaining because of its originality, and is propelled by the awesome chemistry between Damon and Blunt.

Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker, Million Dollar Baby) plays Harry Mitchell as a member of the Adjustment Bureau responsible for manipulating David's free-will, and he plays the part well. Though his portrayal is a bit too solemn at times, by the third act he begins to ease into his role as a more reflective and compassionate confidant than his Bureau buddies. John Slattery (Iron Man 2, Mad Men) and Terrance Stamp (Valkyrie, Yes Man) both stimulate the film and fill the screen with their exceptional performances as two big heads that help maintain the design of the Adjustment Bureau.

The Adjustment Bureau is a memorable film, and so far one of 2011's best, with solid performances by all involved. First-time director George Nolfi deserves a round of applause, and a standing ovation for his writing. Oscar -winning Cinematographer John Toll (Braveheart, Tropic Thunder, The Last Samurai) has once again shown immense skill in beautifying the look and feel of a film, as well as renowned editor Jay Rabinowitz (The Fountain, Requiem for a Dream, The Stepford Wives).

It's a movie that reinvents the romance flick, with a refreshing dose of originality that is all very well executed. It will make you laugh, put you on the edge of your seat, leave you feeling rather curious and in the end, quite satisfied. I expect it to have high replay value when the DVD is released.

ReelHard Score: A-



Content Advisory:
The Adjustment Bureau is  PG-13 for brief strong language, some sexuality and a violent image. 

Sex and Nudity:
A woman wears a variety of cleavage-exposing dresses and short skirts.
One sex scene with implied nudity; bare backs, passionate kissing.
One scene where a woman dancing in a recital that shows cover-up 'dance' panties.

Gore & Violence:
A car crash with a little blood spatter.
A few physical punching scenes.
1 or 2 F-words, a dozen S-words, and a few usages of the word "ass".

Drugs & Alcohol :
A club scene with drinking