February Follow-Up and Introducing March

So February has come and gone. I was thinking a bit last night about how this month went, and judging by how many people clicked on the reviews of the movies, it seems to have gone quite well! I hope you enjoyed what I wrote up about the movies because I really enjoyed watching them. Phew, I'm really tired, but I want to get this done because I've been terrible all month about blogging. I've just been so busy!

So here is my top ballet movie list, based on the movies I watched this past month (and The Red Shoes and Black Swan added to the mixture). If you're sad that I didn't like a movie as much as you did or that I didn't watch a movie you love, leave a comment! And since these are just my opinions, be sure to take them with a grain of salt. I'm not a film expert so I don't really know what I'm looking for outside of entertainment value.

8.) Ballet Shoes (1975)

Poorly acted and awkward dancing. I was ready for this movie to end. Was it the worst movie I've ever seen? No, but that doesn't mean I had to enjoy it either.This was made for little girls, and it can't compare to its newer remake.

7.) Black Swan

 I had a really hard time placing this movie. It was either this movie or The Turning Point in this spot. I liked neither. I enjoyed neither, but this film got knocked down after much consideration for several factors: 

1) Natalie didn't dance her parts. And if she did do any, it was not the girl from Turning Point, who did fantastically; 

2) Ballet was featured more in Turning Point. In Black Swan it's just sort of....there. Mixed in with some Swan Lake; 

3) Turning Point didn't have blatantly obvious symbolism and precede to beat me over the head with it every several seconds. 

For those three reasons and those three reasons only, Black Swan is in my #7 slot. I wanted to like you, Black Swan, but sorry. I just liked the other movies a lot more. Perhaps we should go on and see other films? No, no, don't cry. It's not you; it's me. No, wait...it's you. Move out, please.

6.) Turning Point

I just couldn't get into this film. It had a decent story with decently developed dialogue but something just felt dead inside. I don't know what it was from because I really couldn't put my finger on it, but something tells me that the story is just lacking. It was a forgettable film for me, and I probably won't really remember it in the long run. Despite my impartiality toward this movie, it wasn't bad. The dancing was done by the actors. Emotions were portrayed nicely by the actors, too. It was a nice film, but not one of my favorites.

5.) Suspiria

Dario Argento... I used to cringe at your name... thinking that all you were was some crackpot old fool who liked to film his own daughter naked. Okay, so I still think you've got some issues, but I actually really enjoyed Suspiria. For a horror movie, and one coming out of the 70s, it wasn't too bad! When I imagined little girls playing the roles, it made it a lot more exciting and horrifying. Yes, it's tacky, but that's exactly what I was expecting and that's what I got. Plus, you've got a great horror theme that isn't from a classical piece. You were either going to be here, Suspiria, or in Ballet Shoes (2007)'s spot. I downgraded you because I think I'd rather watch Ballet Shoes again first, and I thought the acting was significantly better. Also, it had a stronger ballet focus. 

4.) Ballet Shoes (2007)

Yes, I'm surprised I put this movie above Turning Point and Black Swan, too, but I just liked this movie so much more. The girls were all great at playing bratty little girls. The little girl, Posy, dances her parts nicely, Emma Watson has a brilliant cry scene, and I liked the period setting. I felt enveloped into their world, which is exactly what I want a movie to do. For a television movie, I thought it was quite brilliant and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The movie would appeal to more than just little girls thanks to the great acting from the entire cast. The only problem is that this doesn't have a lot of ballet in it, like Suspiria.

3.) The Company

For a movie without a solid plot, I sure enjoyed this movie! There was enough going on for me to stay interested, but it was not structured. If anything, this felt more like a window into reality than a movie. I felt it was an honest movie. Plus, I loved the dance numbers. This movie had its drama, comedy, and romance. I went in completely neutral and came out quite happy with the movie I watched. Would I watch it again? Sure, why not? Is it my favorite movie? Probably not.

2.) Margot

I am incredibly impressed by this movie. The settings were great. The dancing was great. The editing was great. The acting was great. I found this movie incredibly underrated and didn't receive the publicity it deserves. Yes, this is a made-for-television movie, but the story has many messages it wants to send, and I feel it is quite successful in doing so. 

1.) The Red Shoes

 

I LOVE this movie. I can't say more. It has the right amount of surrealism, dance, drama, and romance for me to watch this movie again and again. It's the only movie of this list that I include as one of my personal favorites. The more you watch it, the more you catch on and notice. LOVE, love, LOVE this movie!


And that concludes my list of top movies for the past month!
March will be Youtube month. This is where I post clips I find on Youtube because I find them interesting in some way, shape, or form! I hope you liked February's month of movies!