Trailer Time

Trailers seem to come in waves. The past couple weeks have been pretty dry, but things are starting to pick up again much to my delight. Here are a few films of interest:

BLACK SWAN -

This film by Darren Aronofsky stars Natalie Portman (Nina) as a dancer for a New York Ballet Company. Nina has been picked for the lead in the company's season opener, but she ends up facing competition from a new standout in Lily played by Mila Kunis.



I'm very much looking forward to this film. It's been on my radar for a while. The plot sounds interesting enough, but I knew the involvement of Aronofsky would make for something special. It seems as though his particular style has followed with him to this project and, if the trailer is any indicator, it lends itself quite well. I don't know much about the world of dancing or dancers, but if there's something I'm pretty sure about - it's an incredibly intense vocation. Like I said, I'm not really a fan of dance, but I respect the constant struggle and stress that must go in to becoming even remotely good. This film seems to be exploring the unpleasantness that creeps through those inevitable psychological cracks that emerge because of the intensity of the situation. Maybe there's even a supernatural element to the film? I don't know and I'm perfectly happy not knowing because it aught to make for a better viewing. What really seals the deal for me on this film is the main cast which consists of Portman, Kunis and the always unique Vincent Cassel (EASTERN PROMISES). I'm not always a fan of Portman's films, but she's a great actress I will admit and I bet she's dynamite in this role. I'm also a fan of Kunis, who I've been hoping would take on a more dramatic role (though she does very well in comedy). The film screens at both the Toronto and Venice International Film Festivals in the coming months, eventually hitting theaters in early December.

MONSTERS -

I posted a teaser of this film some time back around comic-con, here's a full trailer.



Basically, the film is of the alien invasion/monster/post-apoc genre. The buzz around the film stems from its relatively low-budget and homemade effects. If I hadn't been told that, I wouldn't have guess because the footage looks topnotch.

I'M STILL HERE -

Is Joaquin Phoenix really in the throes of a downward spiral? Was it all an elaborate ruse? Insiders refuse to say or go as far as to claim every moment as truth. Either way, it's a very interesting story. I'm still banking on it being a hoax because I'd prefer that Phoenix return to normal some day in the future. I'M STILL HERE tells the story of this recent chapter in his life, directed by his brother-in-law Casey Affleck. I'M STILL HERE has a limited release coming up next month.



FREAKONOMICS -

This was a pretty popular book for a while. I never read it, but my girlfriend did and she told me all sorts of interesting stuff from it, so I'm interested to see how it plays as a documentary. It has some pretty heavy hitters on board co-directing that get listed in the trailer. The film gets a limited release this November.



MY DOG TULIP -

This film gets mention on here because it will be playing at the Milwaukee Film Festival next month and I'm looking forward to seeing it. It's a uniquely animated film about an old man and his unexpected companionship with a crazy German Shepard named Tulip. I can only imagine that this will be a very very sad movie; One or both of these characters is bound to die, but I love dogs so I'm willing to watch through the sorrow.