A review with nothing to prove.

Rating: 4/10 (28 January 2011)

I love cinema! I have studied film and cinematography in college as well as studied drama and have acted in numerous local stage productions throughout my life. I have also been interviewed on live television as a member of a political discussion panel and have appeared in front of millions worldwide. Impressed yet? Well, if you're not, the one thing I refuse to do to impress you is tell you that this is a fantastic movie and it is an extraordinary piece of film making.
A few of the previous reviewers have hit the nail on the head in their low-rating review of this film. I am here to add my own spin as I reiterate their reviews because I feel obligated to do so. Obligated because I refuse to see this film get the accolades it has been receiving without trying to bring some balance with my contrary point of view and score. I also wish to save people the cost of seeing this film on the big screen by urging potential viewers to wait until it is on DVD. If you have seen one preview/commercial of this movie then you already know all you need to know. It is merely a spectators seat at the depiction of one woman's emotional unraveling and, ultimately, her emotional liberation. That's it, nothing more.
Seriously. I don't know why people are so enamored with the metaphors in this film. The whole time we sat there we kept reassuring ourselves that the predictability of the scenes were part of the ultimate twist. Sadly, it is a twist that never comes. Go ahead, spend the money and the time and prove it to yourself. Then don't be afraid to speak up and ask what the big deal is all about.
Now I will NOT take away from Natalie Portman's INCREDIBLE performance here! She has reached a point in her craft that can only be described as breakthrough. I dare say that it is so good that it will make you re-evaluate any movie that you may have already seen her in. Particularly if you didn't care for one of her previous films; it may make you realize the shortcomings those films may have had had nothing to do with her abilities.
So, I'll leave it at that. I won't go on and on, trying to make you think that I must be an Hollywood insider or that I'm the next great movie reviewer. I'm a straight shooter who merely tells it like it is.