Tale of Tales

Interwoven fantasy yarns featuring an astonishing amalgamation of cheesy dialog and emotionally impressive performances. Big-budget visuals are given an odd tone by slow editing and a monotonous but pretty score. Passionate project allows complexity to consume its own heart and the method of telling is telling but ultimately lacks any

Trance

Boyle’s Nolan knock-off barely simmers as it falls through a series of clunky twists without so much as an empathetic character to cling to.  Delves far too deeply into the pseudo-science that must have been used by Boyle to get then-girlfriend, Dawson to use her Rosario as a plot point.   

A Dangerous Method

Cronenberg assembles wondercast playing fascinating characters and somehow delivers his least interesting film to date.  Aside from Knightley’s English/Polish/Russian, performances aren’t bad, but considering the players, are nothing astonishing either.  Whole film feels tied down, and trapped in a claustrophobic play setting.  Far from dangerous but should still seek analysis.

Black Swan

Aronofsky introduces wrestler’s scarier sister, beautifully depicted by petrified Portman. Ryder and Kunis are brilliant as washed up and insincere respectively, and Cassell is expectedly outstanding, though his ‘black/white swan’ speech gets old. Still, brilliant script steers clear of campy horror despite staple leg snapping, finger ripping, and lesbian sex.