With Cars 2 a surprise runner up. (Haven't seen it but the sharp critical downturn for Pixar is striking.)

We just finished watching the first episode of Sherlock. We really enjoyed it.

It's not often GD and I disagree this strongly on a film.

I loved Black Swan. I've never cared for Natalie Portman but she was spot-on here. Everyone else did a fabulous job as well. I loved the camera work, the stylized costuming, and the symbolism/parallels, which come on very strong but I quite liked that.

GD, not so much. It's nice to know that after 15 years together, we're still individual people.

I get why people like it. I did not. I was Immediately turned off by the choice to stick the camera in her face the whole damned movie. "In her face, back of her head, in her face, back of her head, in her face, back of her head....." STOP! It was meant to feel trapped and closed in...overwrought is the term I'd use. Disliked Portman's performance. Never felt like it made any sense that someone SO weepy and weak would even get the opportunity to be in that position. Which brings up the question of WHY THE **** WAS SHE GIVEN THE ROLE WHEN SHE COULDN'T DO HALF OF IT?! And because everything was so overwrought, the transformation just hit me as goofy.

Of course I think ballet is overwrought and goofy, so maybe I just don't get it.

What it could use is some editing. Say, down to a particular 5 minutes in the bedroom. THAT I'd watch again.

That film is sitting on our coffee table waiting to be watched. Soon, I hope.

I loved Black Swan.

I thought she played that one note quite well. Depending on one's mood, the ending is either breathtakingly brave symbolism or laugh out loud funny. I leaned closer to funny in that while I didn't actually laugh I did have to say, "Okay, let's remember what the auteur is trying to do here."

I get both sides of the Black Swan fence. But in a piece that stylized, I decided to flow with it, and ended up really liking it. Not sure how I'd feel after a second viewing, so I doubt there'll ever be one.

The only thing I ended up liking about Black Swan was Barbara Hershey. (And the swan wings tattoo.)

We watched the 3 Sherlock pieces over the last couple of days. I like those quite a bit. One of the writers - Stephen Moffat - is the main writer/creator of Coupling. I think I may have found a Brit writer to stalk. I suppose that would include Dr. Who as well.

Doctor Who is fun. Not serious, but certainly fun.