Latest Updates - Natalie Portman

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Comment by Magic Marmalade:

The man who almost wasn't there.

This is what I am looking to find when I buy a stack of DVDs... a little lost gem, a real treasure of a movie, which this absolutely is!

This is one of those from the noughties which has that quirky, slightly off kilter humour redolent of an indie flick.

It is in tone, and feel, a lot like Lost In Translation: total understatement, and under-playing, for maximum effect, which, though the name of this movie has come in and out of my consciousness on and off throughout the years, it was the involvement of Zach Braff that always put me off, due to his character in (of course) Scrubs... I didn't think he was capable of such a brilliantly subdued, even supressed performance as he gives here, let alone, that he could both write and direct such a minor masterpiece as this, which he has.

He takes the lead as a minor struggling actor returning home for the funeral of his mother, amidst unresolved issues between them as well as his father, which is what set him to going away in the first place, and he has, over the intervening years, become so overly medicated in order to deal with the presumed psychological impact them, that he is numb to the point of blankness.

While at his Mother's funeral, for which he can feel little, to no emotion, much less express any, he meets up with some old school friends who now have jobs digging the graves, they invite him out to a party, and being barely a participant in his own life, just goes along with it. He also comes across the rather oddball, delightfully naïve, yet open and friendly Natalie Portman, and so his journey back to the land of the living, and to being a fully functioning human begins.

While the relationship with Portman's character does for the main part, class this as a rom-com, it's actually more of a tragi-comedy focused more on Braff's character, and his route back to being someone.

The comedy is light, witty and perfectly judged, the tragic elements equally light and well judged, and this is overall a wonderfully warm film, that gets warmer as it goes, and even becomes, at times sublime, and even beautiful.

So if you like the "vibe" of Lost In Translation, and wished there was at least another movie, near identical in tone and humour, that make you feel that same way, then here it is.

On the strength of this, give Zach Braff all the money he can carry, and let him go make more of the same!

Brilliant.

(I'm keeping this DVD!)

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Comment by Magic Marmalade:

Exceeded all my expectations.

I am in the mode of picking up dvds of all those movies that have made a dent in the general consciousness over time, but at time of release, I said to myself... meh... not for me.

In this case, the whole ballet business left me rather cold.

...But, it turns out, that's only the circumstance, and it doesn't matter if you're into ballet, or like me.... not. As this is more a tale of artistic obsession, and the darker places of both mind and soul this takes someone to. It's actually almost identical, plot wise, to Whiplash, but with the marked difference that here, Portman's character is rather meek, oppressed, self conscious, and a but of a put upon lamb, who's "dedication" to her craft and the opportunity this presents to her, brings something more out her, by degrees... just can't keep it in people, if it wants, and needs to get out!

But, thankfully, you don't need to have an ounce of consideration or care for ballet, or that world to thoroughly enjoy the performance Portman gives, or the story told here... Just watch t for the drama, the character study, the tragedy and the psycho-melodrama, and it's really quite brilliant.

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Comment by jakal68 ●:

[YouTube Video]