(…) Similar too is the way that this film uses the star personae of its actors to enrich things, whilst also studying some of the same key issues: fear of aging and of being less than you once were. If Mickey Rourke’s own ups and downs were expressed in that last film, then Winona Ryder’s are mined here. Her aging dancer, Beth, was once a star. But now she finds herself no longer wanted and considered too old to play the main role. Portman is the upstart here: the new Winona Ryder.

Once upon a time, Ryder was the young and attractive female lead of Edward Scissorhands, whereas most recently she was Spock’s mum in the latest Star Trek. It is typically bleak of Aronofsky to make this statement, which implies a less than ideal future for Portman, but it certainly works and gives the drama an added dimension, aswell as a sense of hyper-reality amidst the madness and despair. Incidentally, Ryder is also very good in the role, and will certainly be hoping for a Rourke-style comeback of her own. (…)

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We normally leave awards show predictions and analysis to our brother blog Gold Derby, but we couldn’t help but notice the first round of reviews for Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan.”

While lead Natalie Portman may generate awards buzz for her turn as a tortured ballerina, the early notices for Winona Ryder are what flagged our comeback radar.

Ryder, who makes a brief appearance as an aging dancer being shoved from the spotlight, brings “an almost frighteningly credible neurotic intensity” and “sets the bar high for Portman to match,” according to film critic Todd McCarthy.

This is precisely the kind of delicious, arty-but-campy turn that could propel Ryder back into the mainstream — which frankly she’s been on the margins of since 2002′s “Mr. Deeds,” released shortly after her arrest on shoplifting charges at a Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills.

We can’t wait to see for ourselves, but we’d love some Winona in the supporting actress category if she makes “Swan” dance.

— Matt Donnelly

Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter: The movie is so damn out-there in every way that you can’t help admiring Aronofsky for daring to be so very, very absurd. “Swan” is an instant guilty pleasure, a gorgeously shot, visually complex film whose badness is what’s so good about it.

Peter DeBruge, Variety: A wicked, sexy and ultimately devastating study of a young dancer’s all-consuming ambition, “Black Swan” serves as a fascinating complement to Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler,” trading the grungy world of a broken-down fighter for the more upscale but no less brutal sphere of professional ballet. Winona Ryder is a crucial but barely-there part.

Mike Goodridge, Screen: Alternately disturbing and exhilarating, this dark study of a mentally fragile performer derailed by her obsession with perfection is one of the most exciting films to come out of the Hollywood system this year.

Guy Lodge, In Contention: “Black Swan” cements Aronofsky’s place as one of the biggest and most unruly thinkers working in the only notionally small aesthetic of American independent cinema.”

Todd McCarthy, Deep Focus: “When one star is born, however, a previous one must pass by the boards, in this case the aging Beth MacIntyre, played with an almost frighteningly credible neurotic intensity by Winona Ryder that sets the bar high for Portman to match.”

This new Hallmark Hall of Fame focuses on “Bill W.’s” wife, Lois, played skillfully by Winona Ryder, who blames herself for her inability to keep her husband sober. As Bill W., Barry Pepper gives the role all he’s got. Their performances are reason enough to see the movie, which, despite some powerful moments, seems disjointed and too familiar.

Read more:Post Gazette.com

A grown-up love story that’s rambling, quirky and sharp-eyed about mid-life doldrums, Rebecca Miller’s cinematic adaptation of her own novel works largely because it doesn’t take itself too seriously. An across-the-board solid cast backs up Robin Wright Penn’s enjoyable central performance which, like much of the film, is believable without being entirely naturalistic. Still, this is not a sure-fire commercial prospect even on the independent circuit. It comes on like a woman’s take on a Philip Roth novel (except with a sense of humour), and despite its oddball tone and upbeat ending could end up placing in the same $5 million region as Roth adaptations like Elegy or The Human Stain in the US. It may have better luck in urban markets abroad, especially in Europe

It starts in quiet observational mode, with DP Declan Quinn using long lenses to pick out the guests at a small dinner thrown by successful publisher Herb Lee (Arkin, in fine form) and his much younger wife Pippa (Wright Penn), soon after their move from New York to a sleepy Connecticut retirement community. Pippa doesn’t come across as a trapped wife at the beginning: she’s smart, ironic about their new home and seems to be in love with her grizzly-but-affectionate husband who has recently suffered three heart attacks.

But there’s something a little frozen about her smile, a little stilted about her movements. Soon enough she’s sleepwalking, catching herself on a closed-circuit camera as she raids the fridge for cake. At the same time we begin to explore Pippa’s unconventional past life through a series of flashbacks, pushed by some appetising costume and production design into a slightly heightened period style, that are seamlessly interleaved with the present-day action. We meet Pippa’s addled mother (the ever watchable Maria Bello), a benzadrine addict who blackmails her daughter emotionally with her wild mood swings, and follow the teenage Pippa (Lively) as she runs away from home, shacks up with a sympathetic aunt and is induced to take part in lesbian sado-masochistic photoshoots by her aunt’s bad-girl lover (Moore, having a whale of a time).

Meanwhile, in the present day, Pippa meets Chris (Reeves), a drifter who has come back to stay with his elderly parents in the retirement suburb, and the seeds of an exit strategy are planted.

The film’s structure is ‘crisis and release’, but it pans out in quite a loose and rangy way, partly because it takes Pippa a good while to realise that she’s having “a very quiet nervous breakdown”, partly because the backstory has a momentum of its own.

As well as Moore’s tasty cameo there’s a nice turn from Winona Ryder as Pippa’s fragile poet friend Sandra, a needy, pretty wreck with a tendency to burst into tears. Also good are Pippa and Herb’s grown-up twin children, mother’s boy Ben (McDonald) and father’s girl Grace (Kazan). An early scene in which all four go out to dinner in a restaurant nails the skewed family dynamic with great economy of means.

Source: ScreenDaily.com

For example, Adam Brody breaks the first commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” by becoming an idolized God-like figure and causes his wife, Kelly (Winona Ryder), to leave him.

Later in the film Kelly appears again. After separating from Brody, she then becomes infatuated over a ventriloquist’s wooden puppet, and steals it for her own love fest.

Though Ryder made headlines in December 2001 when she was caught on tape for allegedly stealing from a Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills, the fact that she was asked to play out the commandment of “Thou shalt not steal” was a complete coincidence, Wain explained.

“It didn’t occur to me until I spoke to her on the phone and I said, ‘Your commandment is, “Thou shalt not steal,’” and she said, ‘Great,’” he said. “It was a great part for her. And she turned out to be just an amazing actress and completely committed to our silly material and raised it five levels.”
And that’s exactly what this film is — silly.

[read more]

”The Ten,” written by the same director of Wet Hot American Summer, is a compilation of ten different stories, each depicting one of the ancient commandments given to Moses by God.

Christians have expressed their concern about the film and how it degrades and insults God and His laws. Many critics, however, believe the movie will have little influence.

“The Ten Commandments have been a cornerstone of our society for nearly one hundred years,” explained “The Ten” director David Wain on the film’s website. “If you’ve ever taken a Sunday off, or if you’ve ever stopped yourself from murdering someone, then you yourself have been following the Ten Commandments without even knowing it.”

The film has a number of stars in it including Paul Rudd, Adam Brody, Gretchen Mol, Winona Ryder, Oliver Platt and Jessica Alba. Each of them either stars or plays minor roles in each of the short scripts. Each uses the Bible to create a foundation for an often inappropriate caricature.

A main example of one of the acts tells the story of a virgin librarian who takes a trip to Mexico and experiences a sexual awakening with a local named Jesus H. Christ.

Other shorts include a prisoner coveting his inmate’s “wife,” a woman who steals a ventriloquist doll after she falls in love with it, and a police detective who covets his neighbor’s Cat Scan machine.

Some Christian leaders feel that the film is part of a larger trend of increasing antagonism toward Christianity and religion in America.

“This is going to be a very negative attack on faith and values,” said Dr. Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission, to World Net Daily. “It’s very sad society has descended into this attack mode.”

There have been mixed reviews towards the film, with some finding the over-the-top humor entertaining while others feeling it went too far.

The review by the Associated Press gave it one and a half out of four stars.

“Anytime you compile a series of vignettes and call it a feature film, you’re going to have hits and misses. It’s the nature of the structure,” reviewed Christy Lemire of AP. “’The Ten,’ unfortunately, has more misses.”

Many faith-based critics are not greatly worried about the impact it will have morally, however.

Its distributor, City Lights Pictures, is not one of the major companies and should not be far reaching.

“This [film] is not going to be a major influence,” added Baehr.

Still, movie critics are voicing their concerns over the spoofing of something featured so prominently in Judaism and Christianity.

“In the old film code, you couldn’t defame anyone’s religion,” Baehr said.

Source

Variety.com – Despite her small frame, Winona Ryder made a big impression at Monday’s premiere of Sundance pic “The Ten.”

After photogs spent a half-hour shooting the arrival of cast members including A.D. Miles, Paul Rudd, Gretchen Mol and Famke Janssen, their flashbulbs lit up the DGA’s red carpet when Ryder appeared.

The actress happily posed for the cameras but steered clear of the print press.

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I was happy to go to The Ten premiere and afterparty on Monday night; the movie itself was nerve-wrackingly funny. I didn’t think it was possible to break any more movie taboos yet somehow David Wain succeeded. Describing the movie is nearly impossible — part Borat, part Woody Allen. Winona Ryder seduces a wooden puppet, then plays a parody of herself. The one fault: they condensed so much humor. I was often overwhelmed; I had no time to decide whether to love or hate each gag and bit, or simply let the shock overtake me.

Winona Ryder did the red carpet, had her picture snapped, but I didn’t see her in the theater or at the afterparty. Apparently, during Sundance she came to the screening, but couldn’t get in because her entourage was too large. Maybe she decided to skip the NY scene. Soon she’ll be on the cover of Vogue; I’m happy she’s poised for a comeback.

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