Etoile

“Ah ballet” Me pretending I know Swan Lake as anything other than the Dracula theme.

Mostly Gary McCleery trying to figure out what happened to a girl he went on one date with, then pretended not to know him. It doesn't stop him from having sex with her when he suspected she wasn't all there or in control of her body though. Connelly doesn't get much to do here so she's mostly acting adrift in pretty clothes. Overall this was competently shot and a non-horror Suspiria. I liked the uncle. Who was the uncredited pretty girl in the library? Fav scene: hilarious bird fight.

Honestly, about 80% of this movie is carried by the beauty, grace and presence of Jennifer Connelly. The male lead is lukewarm and neutral, only there for the sake of the story, but some of the side characters do carry a stronger presence. A fairy tale that's stretched too thin for its own good, it's still a decent watch for the curiosity and beauty of some the scenes. The mystery is not quite enough to cause for any insane thrills.

Well-shot, has a nice atmosphere, & a strong set of main players in Connelly, McCleery, & especially Charles Durning as wacky Uncle Joe, but it's also just such a bizarre & confused hodgepodge of genres & ideas that it becomes more like a fever dream than a coherent narrative- which might have been the point, actually. It's not bad per se, as it's definitely intriguing through to the end, but then the actual ending comes & it just falls kinda flat. The sex scene is a little sketchy, too.