Michael Russnow: Black Swan: A Must See Even if Ballet Ain't Your Thing

I don't go to the ballet and have only seen one a long time ago. Interestingly, it was Swan Lake performed, as in the film Black Swan, at Lincoln Center in New York City.

It is an art form that doesn't interest me and I say this at the outset, because, as in the case of The Fighter, about which I recently wrote, though I'm not drawn to the arena I was captivated by the motion picture itself.

Like The Turning Point and Billy Elliot, two major films that dealt with similar subject matter, Black Swan is elevated by a story of conflict, hopes, unfulfilled dreams and the fear of failure, and in those areas the movie soars.

Plus, it's a mystery and a bit of a thriller, as we're not really sure what's going on at the beginning when we meet the young ballerina Nina Sayers, played so movingly by Natalie Portman. We see red marks on her body and it appears that perhaps her career will be cut short by a serious illness. Maybe it's leukemia or Hodgkins, we don't know. But we are saddened by the prospect, and that's all I'm going to tell those of you who haven't yet seen the film.

We are introduced to her mother, Erica, portrayed by the always surprising and still beautiful Barbara Hershey, and though we might be expecting a ballet version of Mama Rose, it's not quite so. There are similarities in the sense that there is a competitive drive she instills in her daughter, but it's not pathetic and there's no cruelty. She has missed her own chances and, yes, there may well be a vicarious thrill she experiences in her daughter's success, but she is loving and genuinely cares.

We also see the political world of ballet, the cutthroat competition exhibited by newly arrived dancer Lily, played by a fairly transparent but intriguing Mila Kunis. Lily is alternately likable and devious, and to the audience it's clear she wants to be the star, and the only way to get the principal role is to get rid of the timid and haunted Nina, whom she aggressively befriends.

All this, as Nina fights to become the White/Black Swan and to seduce the choreographer with her persona. However, Thomas Leroy, played in a tough, yet loving manner by French actor Vincent Cassel, would prefer a true sexual dalliance, as he'd had with the soon to retire, now over the hill ballet star, Beth MacIntyre, whose performance is conceived so well by an embittered Winona Ryder.

The writing by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, John J. McLaughlin, with the story by Heinz is taut and unpredictable, and the melodrama is kept to a minimum as any good suspense mystery should be. And it's wrapped together in a wonderful package by director Darren Aronofsky to such an extent that you are gripped from almost the beginning right until the captivating end.

Ballet may not be your thing and it may keep the box office grosses from setting any records. But if you like to watch beautiful images and at the same time engross yourself in a masterful world, at times unexpectedly keeping you at the edge of your seat, I recommend Black Swan as one of the best films of 2010, sure to be an Oscar contender in major categories.

Michael Russnow's website is ramproductionsinternational.com

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Michael Russnow: Survivor Nicaragua: Yes, Fabio, There Is a Santa Claus!

With Christmas coming, isn't it great when a miracle occurs? Judson Birza (aka Fabio on the latest edition of CBS' Survivor Nicaragua) managed to stay under the radar as a good-looking, generally perceived vacuous competitor, who no one really considered a threat until it was too late. And he won!

As I said commenting in another article during the Survivor Nicaragua run, it would be foolish to take this 21-year-old guy for granted. True, there were a lot of goofy things he said around the campfire, but in private confessionals he often revealed lots of common sense. His awareness about how he was viewed by the others and strategy revelations convinced me from the beginning he was the one to watch.

Why? Well, he was very strong in the reward and immunity challenges, helping his teammates escape Jeff Probst's quenching of their torch too early. He was also one of the first winners of individual immunity when the teams were merged.

But it all slid by the notice of the others who considered themselves superior, in particular the sly and crafty Brenda who, with Sash, fancied themselves the puppet masters of the tournament, as did Russell a couple of seasons back.

And indeed they were able to sideswipe a number of their targets, who they believed to be stronger threats, leaving Jud, now known as Fabio, because of his long golden locks, to take a back seat and amiably go along with how they told him to vote. Their success was fleeting though, because, unbeknownst to Brenda, she was betrayed by her "friends" Sash and Chase, and was sent out of the game as the third member to sit in the jury box.

At a certain point as the numbers dwindled down to seven it became clear maybe it was time to get rid of Jud/Fabio, and I feared it would happen. Perhaps it was because he'd shown some brainpower when he missed putting together a complicated puzzle, losing to Sash by only a matter of seconds.

So, they convinced Jud/Fabio that Holly would go, while the conspirators, including Benry, told the audience it would be Jud/Fabio. But Benry had likewise been a force and had come in second to Chase in the reward challenge, so it was a shocked Benry whose torch was snuffed out.

Okay, Jud/Fabio got a pass, but it was clear he would go the next time -- unless he won the immunity challenge, which Jane, Sash, Holly and Chase were determined to block. However, a funny thing happened to their plans as Jud/Fabio pumped up his mental acuity, matching pieces he was only allowed to feel as the competitors were blindfolded. And even though he failed the first time he thought he'd finished, he worked so fast he had a second chance to recoup before the others could beat him.

Sash and Chase, who thought they could lead the "dumb" Jud/Fabio around like a mule, told him the next choice to go would be Dan, but found Jud/Fabio had different ideas. He wanted Jane out, sensing her hard luck personal story might win the jury votes and, though Jane was allied with the "noble" Sash, Chase and Holly, they dutifully voted her out.

But they'd get Jud/Fabio the next time for sure, and this time it looked like it would happen, because the kid, who in their minds was clearly deprived in the smarts department, had in fact failed to answer a critical question in the challenge, and Sash, Holly and Chase were well into putting together a jigsaw puzzle before Jud/Fabio could begin the process. But wouldn't you know, son of a gun, this rube from St. Louis, getting by on his handsome pug, just zipped along, eyes purposefully on the stack in front of him and won immunity again. The others couldn't believe it.

Jud/Fabio tried to save Dan and it looked as if they all agreed to get rid of Holly, but at the tribal council it was Dan who joined the jury, even with Jud/Fabio's vote. Well, in fairness, Dan had previously voted for Jud/Fabio to leave in an earlier episode.

One more immunity challenge and the three would certainly vote Jud/Fabio out. I was hoping for an endurance challenge, but it was a balancing act, wherein coins of different sizes were added to a pile until it fell. First, Holly's heap crashed, then Chase's, and it was between Sash and Jud/Fabio, whose slowly mounting coins seemed precarious on a number of occasions. My heart was beating fast. This would do it. And no way would Chase and Sash get rid of Holly. Jud/Fabio was dead.

But the Gods were with the good guy, as sometimes they are, and it was Sash's pile that fell, and the blond surfer/model was now in the finals.

It was amusing how everyone started sucking up to Jud/Fabio, in particular Sash who pretended to be his friend and lied that he would've gotten rid of Holly had he won immunity. Jud/Fabio, no fool he, saw right through it, but sensed Holly would get more jury votes and the three men voted her off that evening.

At this point, to my mind it was a no-brainer, not just because of my personal feelings, but clearly there'd be new found respect for Jud/Fabio, even by those who'd dismissed him like Brenda and NaOnka (forever to be known as one of the Survivor quitters). During the final tribal council when the three finalists were interrogated, it was Chase and Sash who got a lot of flack for telling lies, and Jud/Fabio appeared clean and likable. Though it did make me wince when Holly wondered whether Jud/Fabio's play was, with his three back-to-back immunity wins, too little too late?

Jud/Fabio was earnest and articulate with his replies. To her query and to the attacks by Sash and Chase that he'd been a pawn and not much of a competitor, he masterfully defended himself. He'd gotten to the final three, hadn't he? And with loads of pressure, knowing he'd be voted out if he didn't win immunity, he did so three times in a row. What more did they need, regarding what makes a champion?

The capper came when Alina, the first to become a jury member, said she wasn't sure she wanted to give a million dollars to a "boy." And Chase tried to pull out the heartstrings by indicating he'd tithe his winnings to cancer research in honor of his dead father. Not missing a beat, Jud/Fabio chimed in he would use his winnings to help his parents.

In the end, it proved quite suspenseful. We knew there were two votes for Jud/Fabio and Chase, the latter of whom got clueless Alina's vote and that of Brenda, even though Chase had double-crossed her. Jud/Fabio got Marty and Dan, but as of now there hasn't been news of how the other five voted.

When Jeff Probst read the results, it was Fabio, Chase, Fabio, Chase, then Chase, Chase, leading me to believe, oh, no that unethical Chase is going to win. However, the next three votes went to Jud/Fabio and the audience roared its approval as it did every time his name was announced, as opposed to a sense of dismay when Chase was mentioned. Sash, the self-proclaimed grand master didn't get a single vote.

All in all an exciting finale and a justified one, referencing Aesop's fable about the tortoise and the hare. What bothers me, though, is that the role of a jury is to examine the evidence, and at least four of them couldn't get past their initial view of Jud/Fabio and look at the realities, that he'd outlasted all but Chase and Sash and had performed remarkably under a huge amount of pressure in the final three immunity challenges. Let's hope that jurors on real criminal and civil cases don't function in that manner.

Hip, hip hooray for Judson Birza. A nice and interesting guy won. Isn't that swell?

Michael Russnow's website is ramproductionsinternational.com

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Michael Russnow: 2010 elections: Obama Marc Antoine needs to define this right

-Is this just me or does that Shakespeare was right when he rejected the masses so effectively in Julius Caesar? Are we rabble just, which twist and turn to the emotional rhetoric without the ability to think for ourselves?

Two years ago our country was in a crisis of so many ways, not the least was the economic turmoil that have caused the bankruptcy almost worldwide and the tragedy of so many lives lost in unnecessary wars that has persisted to the Middle East.

There are other problems of course, more important than others but all contributing factor to our misfortunes.If we changed of course with a landslide that elected our first bi-raciale President who won not only with a significant majority, but therefore unlikely supported Republican States such as Virginia and Indiana.

The majority of the Democratic Congress is almost irreversible, with 60 votes in the Senate and the voices of save in the House of représentants.Les people were eager to change, which was indeed a bit slow to be forthcoming.

Part of it is due to Barack Obama pledge and stubborn insistence that his presidency would be composed of things we do given avant.Son administration would not in politics and it could affect the Republicans, who had not had the the thanks to do the same for the Democrats in 2000, even though more than people voted for Al Gore than George W. Bush..

Obama attempts were arrested and he took a year or for him to go into account that the Republicans achieved right when they took her fonctions.Il had said, Hey, "we care not how we got here, but we're here and we will be running the show." So finally, after the Democrats have lost their majority as a result of the death of Senator Ted Kennedy and the election of Republican Scott Brown has been acting difficult when they pushed by landmark, health care package which had already passed the Senate and the House in persuading still formidable democratic majority in the House to accept the Bill in the Senate.

Republicans am, but they work, a feat that had escaped the nation since Harry Truman attempted to ball rolling sixty years ago. A fiscal stimulus package was also transmitted, as well as reforms in the credit card industry.Folks, much progress has been made, and the administration has been in Office less than two years.

However, because there is still much unemployment, even if job losses have declined and there is still much to solve, there is a roll the buttocks of fate fervor sweeping the nation.Most experts predict definitive loss of the Chamber - a huge turnaround - and a Senate even with Democrats in control, what will be the majority as the name.

Of course, this is because while the Republicans are primarily a stripe, except for the two women, who represent the State of Maine, there are so many different types of democracy across the nation, it's a miracle when Trues reforms are made of tissue which reminds us a party when the FDR, Truman f. John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson was in charge.

The reality is that we are on target to improve things, and things are better that they were two years if we are forced to paraphrase request Ronald Reagan for us in 1980, "are you better off that you were four years ago."We are in excellent shape, the finished work, the answer is of course, aucun.Mais should stop and hand the reins of power to the spokespersons of the large enterprises and the so-called moral, folks who proclaim themselves as the only true American conspiracy because they promote discrimination against immigrants and denounce gay patriotic who want to serve in the army? to me, this is a self.

But it seems we are on the verge of doing so, and if it happens then the country deserves what he fait.Il will be largely dependent on short-sighted and a high degree of racism by those who believe that a guy with a very dark Kenyan father has somewhat become our President self interest Act.

And media like controversy and promoting governmental disorders, undoubtedly increased ratings of Brian Williams at NBC, those of Katie Couric on CBS, Diane Sawyer on ABC and Anderson Cooper on CNN.

There is still time to stop the madness and give leaders that we elected the time to do what must be fait.Disons tweet on Twitter rant on Facebook or absurd position Tea Party candidate outlined on YouTube.Je must admit I'm not too optimiste.Comme I mentioned at the beginning, William Shakespeare included people and their weaknesses too much and he excelled in dramatic form which could well be enclosing our nation as transfigures in modern tragedy.

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