048. Le Moine / The Monk (France - 2011)

Dominik Moll recreates one of the most famous Gothic tales on film. And what a surprisingly pleasant rendition Le Moine was, from the spectacular acting of Cassel and Mouchet to the use of framing and clever editing in order to create an atmosphere of clerical dissolution. Ambrosio is an icon of religious genius being the gateway to ultimate sin and rupture with the Christian institution. A film well constructed in terms of setting and authenticity, it tells the story of a Spanish context in French, a genuinely Gothic modus operandi (Gothic fiction usually tells stories set in foreign lands, in different territories and mentalities). The story of incest and imminent doom gives way to beautiful photography and sound, and odd montage construction in scenes that depict dreamy situations. Great rendition of Matthew Lewis' text.

Director: Dominik Moll.

Score
Cinematography: 8.5
Acting: 8.5
Editing: 8.0
Sound: 8.0
Text: 7.5
Concept: 7.5
Premise Execution: 8.0

Average Score: 8.0

006. Black Swan (United States - 2011)

A succession of dramas in the life of a compulsively perfectionist ballerina. Nina lives the dream of being the Swan Queen of the famous Tchaikovskiy's ballet piece, and the road to it is hurtful, full of identity and sexual conflicts. Aronofsky directs a beautiful filmic fiction on the White Swan/Black Swan duality of the piece, and proposes the artist's perspective on the theme (in this case, the ballerina's). The sensorial doubt between reality and Nina's deliria is sometimes bothersome, but I found it to be part of the film's cathartic process. Black Swan, with the geniuses of acting such as Portman and Cassel, and a compelling narrative, is a wonderful film.

Director: Darren Aronofsky.

Score
Cinematography: 8.5
Acting: 9.0
Editing: 8.5
Sound: 8.5
Text: 9.0

Average score: 8.7