Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman is an American/Israeli actress, producer and director. Portman has been active in the movie industry for over 20 years, with notable roles in film such as the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Closer, V for Vendetta, The Other Boleyn Girl, and Thor. In 2011 she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, as well as the BAFTA and Golden Globe award in the equivalent category, for her starring role in the psychological thriller-horror, Black Swan. 

In 2004 Portman played an eccentric epileptic and compulsive liar in the critically acclaimed Garden State, written and directed by Zach Braff. Her debut film role was 10 years earlier in the English-language French crime thriller, Léon: The Professional, where she played a 12-year old girl who finds herself as a hitman's protégée. For MAP club we watched Garden State followed by Léon.

Hosted at Lette's place, we enjoyed homemade pizzas (including the dough - don't let it prove too long!) featuring topping highlights such as spinach grown in the home garden, 2 types of cheese, and un(fortunately)pitted olives. We drank raspberry lemonade, ate homemade pavlova for dessert, and our thoughts on the films are below.

       

Billy on Garden State: Garden State was cute, but I didn't love it. I appreciate it isn't a conventional romance/drama/comedy and the characters are interesting. But it has puzzling plot turns at times and some of the important issues raised in the film, such as death, mental health and depression, could have been explored in more detail. But it deals with these issues delicately and intelligently, with a lot of light humour, making the film an enjoyable, moving and thought-provoking journey (not unlike other popular "indie" films). I particularly enjoyed the soundtrack, featuring artists such as The Shins, Simon & Garfunkel, and Frou Frou.

Lette on Garden State: I've always loved this movie, and I'm pretty sure I always will. I've seen it so many times and still find it endearing and lovely. Natalie Portman, Zach Braff and Peter Sarsgaard are all winners in my book. I think it was a very ambitious project from Zach Braff that definitely lived up to the hype surrounding it at the time. A very interesting shift from his comedy project Scrubs. The soundtrack compliments the film so well, I love that if features TWO tracks by the Shins and also In the Waiting Line by Zero 7 - that's a tune.

Billy on Léon: I enjoyed Léon a lot! It was a really unique story which gave rise to a very interesting relationship between a successful hitman and an orphaned 12 year old girl. In the context of a sad family environment and widespread police corruption, their relationship is super sweet, funny, tender, at times inappropriate, and fascinating. The undertones of migrant exploitation are intriguing too. In her debut role, aged only 12, Natalie Portman shines.

Lette on Léon: I thought I was across Natalie's film career - but I had never even heard of this movie. When I hired the DVD from the library for our club night the librarian gave a raving review. Maybe he could do a guest spot on the blog because he was on the money! The film's premise is dark but they manage elements of humour and fragility, big thumbs up from me.

The Natalie Portman completion patch.