'No Strings Attached' Review

A little late to the game with this one, but such is the peril of limited screening schedules not meshing with weekly deadlines. This movie is a lot better than you think it is, almost entirely thanks to the smack-dab-in-her-prime Natalie Portman. I spoke before about my concerns that Natalie's 2011 output might foul up her 2010 Oscar chances. Given her boundless charm (or "charm out the wazoo," as a colleague so aptly noted), neither she nor I have anything to worry about.


Bunk'd


Read my full review of "No Strings Attached" (my first official 2011 review, I might add), now online at SouthPhillyReview.com. CLICK HERE.

Natalie and 'Norbit'

Of sweet girls and "Dreamgirls"

Over at The Film Experience, I concocted a post about Natalie Portman's very crowded (and not so promising) 2011 slate, and how it may damage her chances for Oscar, a la Eddie Murphy's assumed self-destruction with "Norbit" in the 2006 season.

To my delight, the post sparked much discussion among TFE's astute and articulate readers. Part of the reason I wanted to post it was to start a dialogue about the Best Actress race in general, as I haven't heard a whole lot from folks about who they believe is the definite frontrunner. The comments suggest a Portman consensus, but there's still plenty of faith in Bening.

To read the post and the convo that followed, CLICK HERE.

Black Swan

So, while I'm sure you've heard of Darren Aronofsky's upcoming dark dancer drama "Black Swan," perhaps you weren't aware that the trailer (and poster) have landed. I love, love, love when an enticing film aimed right at my pleasure zone is perfectly, artfully packaged to increase my excitement.


The poster will likely be among my favorites of '09 (what with its beautiful white space and the enhancement of Nat Portman's perfecto facial symmetry), but the trailer, embedded below, is easily one of the year's best. Offering gorgeous teases of the lensing by Aronofsky's favorite DP, Matthew Libatique, and a whopper of a final revelation that never gives away too much, it practically wills you to dish out the ticket price. See for yourself: