Ksenia Solo | pinartarhan.com

Black Swan starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder & Ksenia Solo. Directed by Darren Aronofsky.

And this year’s most overrated movie award goes to….Black Swan. Well, maybe not even just this year’s. I think I need to give up on Darren Aronofsky’s films because after The Fountain, Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan, I’m quitting on this guy. Requiem for a Dream was just as bleak and depressing it was supposed to be. It was a hard thing to watch but at least it was engaging. I don’t think Black Swan and The Fountain were meant to be boring. Oh well.

There are many things wrong with Black Swan but let’s go over the plot first:

Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is a talented and dedicated ballet dancer. She lives with her controlling mother Erica (Barbara Hershey) and lives to get the dual role of Black Swan/White Swan in Swan Lake during the new season. Her teacher Thomas (Vincent Cassel) thinks she is perfect as White Swan but isn’t sure she can pull the evil twin off. After all, she is timid, sexually repressed and pale. But somehow she gets the part and as the show gets closer, she starts getting more anxious. She is also seeing stuff. And what’s up with the new hot student Lily (Mila Kunis) who seems to want to be “close friends”. Will Nina be able to perform without losing it?

I’ll admit to seeing Black Swan purely because I gave in to the hype. Rated 8.6 on IMDB? Nominated for 5 Oscars? Golden Globe for Natalie Portman? I thought maybe it might be worth the time. Trust me, it isn’t.

Black Swan is one of the most annoying and boring films I have seen. People see movies for many different reasons. Sometimes you want to get blown away with imagination. Inception does that. Sometimes you just want an interesting true story told in a compelling way. The Social Network kicks butt at that. And sometimes, all you need is pure, pop-corn entertainment and The Tourist gives you all the fluff you need in a pretty package. Or you just want a decent epic movie with all the costumes and acting and budget. This year we don’t have epic but we do have a period piece – King’s Speech.

Now, these reasons above are also my reasons for seeing movies. I want to have fun or be in awe or be inspired or a combination of these, if I’m lucky. But I always want an enjoyable story. I want an enjoyable soundtrack. And I want interesting characters. Black Swan offers none. And don’t get me started on the dialogue.

The movie is all about Nina’s uninteresting life. She was raised by an obsessive mother, seduced by a pervert of a teacher and well, she is not so normal herself. Nina is boring, so is her story. The problem is, this drama/thriller is not dramatic or thrilling. I think it could make a lovely dance show if told in 30-45 minutes. But as a movie? Doesn’t work. And frankly, I wish Ricky Gervais had made some jokes about this one at the Golden Globes too.

Oh well. The only times I had fun watching this was when I saw Lost Girl’s Kenzi- Ksenia Solo, cast as a bitch. And it was nice taking a peek at Winona Ryder. Being a 90s kid, she has nostalgic value. But these two aren’t enough to make the experience bearable.

Fun notes:

– Barbara Hershey dated Lost’s Sayid Naveen Andrews for 10 years. They broke up in 2009. She is 21 years older than Naveen.

– French actor Vincent Cassel is married to Italian babe of an actress Monica Belluci and both Vincent and Monica co-starred with English actor Clive Owen in separate films. Vincent Cassel played the baddie in the thriller/drama Derailed, and Monica Belluci starred in the highly fast and entertaining action film Shoot ‘Em Up.

– Vincent and Monica also starred in the extra-controversial film Irreversible together.

– Maybe I shouldn’t swear off Darren’s films just yet as he is directing in Hugh Jackman in the second Wolverine movie. If he makes Wolverine boring… Fingers crossed, he won’t.

Other Natalie Portman Movies:

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits: The Natalie Portman Movie We Aren’t Excited About

Coming Soon:Thor starring Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins & Natalie Portman

Overrated: Closer starring Natalie Portman, Clive Owen, Julia Roberts & Jude Law

Preview: No Strings Attached starring Portman & Ashton Kutcher

Beautiful Girls starring Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Natalie Portman, Uma Thurman

Lost Girl starring Anna Silk, Kris Holden-Ried & Ksenia Solo. Image via blog.xvidivx.com.

Characters & Plot Summary of Episode 1

Bo (Anna Silk)has grown up believing that she’s an “unwilling” serial killer. After all, she has the uncontrollable tendency to drain the life out of people either through kissing or sex. What she can control though is her ability to seduce people with a single touch, hence getting whatever she needs.

When she kills a potential rapist and saves a young girl named Kenzi (Ksenia Solo), her abilities are exposed. She wants to leave town like she always does but Kenzi wants to stick with her. After all, you can hardly beat a friend who has abilities like that…

What Bo doesn’t know is that she is not a human but a succubus- a supernatural being that feeds off human energy. She also doesn’t know that there is whole different world called the Fae, consisting of different creatures – shapeshifters, demons and others included.

Most of the Fae live among humans, disguising their Fae nature. They work at normal human jobs and use their resources to Fae benefits. Such to Fae are Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried )and Hale ( K.C. Collins) . The Fae have divided into two major groups: light and dark. Dyson & belong to the Light Fae, working as cops. That’s how they discover the existence of Bo.

They abduct Kensi and let her know about the rules, and why she needs to choose between sides. The dark side wouldn’t mind killing her, but the Light Fae insists she is tested- the old way. Meaning: she has to fight to the death with two powerful demons. Knowing Bo’s powers, Dyson transfers some of his strength to her through a kiss.

Of course Bo survives. However she is too stubborn and independent to join either side. But because she was powerful enough to beat two strong creatures on her own, the Fae World’s bartender – Light Fae, Trick (Richard Howland) advises they observe her and not kill her.

Dyson lets Kenzi and Bo go, telling them they can call him whenever they need help.

From then on, Kenzi sets up a detective agency so that they can make money the legal way through Bo’s power. Kenzi & Dyson help Bo control her hunger. Bo also gets assistance from the human doctor Lauren (Zoie Palmer), who is working with the Light Fae. Enchanted by Bo’s beauty, Lauren also medicates her to control her hunger. The side-effect however is that it diminishes her ability to heal on the spot. But Bo knows that having sex with Dyson will be the fastest way & most fun way to restore her health so the she doesn’t mind the side effect.

Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried) & Bo (Anna Silk). Image via serialetari.com

Of course Dyson is her first and probably only real Fae friend & ally and the growing connection as well as attraction will make it hard for their relationship to be just physical. Throw in Trick’s objections, as well as Lauren’s interest in Bo and Bo’s life had never been more complicated.

Verdict: LOVE IT!

Lost Girl is a fun & refreshing little gem for all supernatural TV series. It is a good show without any leading vampire characters. It is also refreshing that it hasn’t really limited itself with PG-13 or R-rated scenes. Sometimes there is much blood and gore, and sometimes not so much. And the sex scenes are a cross between The Vampire Diaries and True Blood, both nudity& intensitywise.

Characters (Actors) from left: Trick (Richard Howland), Kenzi (Ksenia Solo), Hale (K.C. Collins), Bo (Anna Silk) , Lauren (Zoie Palmer) and Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried) — Characters (Actors) from left: Trick (Richard Howland), Kenzi (Ksenia Solo), Hale (K.C.Collins), Bo (Anna Silk), Lauren (Zoie Palmer)&Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried) Image:sinetif.com

Sure, not all the Fae characters are as easy on the eye. And the Fae creatures can be as ugly as the demons from Buffy the Vampire Slayer but they fit in with the concept.

The show is entertaining on all grounds: it is mysterious, sexy, romantic and funny all at the same time.

Season 1 has 13 episodes and season 2 is due back in September, 2011.

Oh, and the soundtrack is to die for!

Fun note: Bo is bi-sexual and bi-Fae. Guess what happens when Dyson keeps an emotional distance?

Fun Spoilers – don’t worry they are minor!

– The first kiss between Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried) & Bo (Anna Silk) happens in episode 1.

– The first time Dyson and Bo have sex is at the end of episode 2.

– Dyson is a shapeshifter: he can turn into a wolf at will. He shows this to Kenzi in episode 2, but we already figure out in episode 1 – the teeth he shows during fighting was a big clue;)

– Hottest sex scene between Dyson and Bo: Episode 8, the very first scene.

Also on Kris Holden-Ried

Touch of Pink starring Jimi Mistry & Kris Hoden-Ried

Other Supernatural Shows Covered