Memories Alone

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This edit is a stunner! Q2 has merged these spiritual cousins beautifully, so that it truly feels as if the two films belong together. The editing is graceful and naturalistic, daring but not intrusive, with both films balanced beautifully around their shared themes and motifs. A few times I picked up on what was cut, but at no time did I feel like I was missing out; such is the superb craftsmanship of this fanmix. A few people felt that the end product was a bit too long, and it is a long film, but I was so engrossed in these stories (that I'd already seen) that it never FELT too long to me. Don't miss out on this one!

The only gripe I have is with the video quality of the file I watched. I got the HD MKV, and about 45 minutes in, I started to notice degrading in portions of the frame that looked like compression artifacts. (A dramatic example starting at 01:04:28) These kept up off-and-on throughout the rest of the film, and they were pretty distracting. They were especially detrimental in the later Black Swan scenes when they would obscure the subtle FX work on Nina's skin.

Spectacular, harrowing, sublime. In one corner we have the The Wrestler, the friendly fighter, the yang, the profane. In the facing corner we have the Black Swan, the neurotic artiste, the yin, the sacred. The two stories grapple and merge, the whole greater than the sum of the parts.

You'll be surprised how many parallels and echoes the two movies have. Darren Aronofsky would be surprised. Q2 has found them all, shuffled them together, the one story refracting and amplifying the other, back and forth, around and around. The two leading characters are worlds apart but they have a believable psychological link. This isn't how a "real" movie would put them together, and you never forget it's a fan mix you're watching, still the creative power is undeniable.

Technical qualities are perfect. Menu and extras are minimal. Concur with Neglify the 140 minute run time feels a little long, on the other hand I've got no suggestion what to cut. Each character goes through a full arc of rise and fall, reaching out and pulling back. Q2 gives the stories room to breathe while cutting big parts from each movie. The wrestler is more of a loner, the swan's world is more dangerous, in both stories the tension is cranked up. Memories Alone is a knock down drag out, come prepared.

Well I just finished watching this. Pretty, pretty, pretty good.

I'm a fan of most of Aronofsky's work and enjoyed both The Wrestler and Black Swan. So I went into this fanedit knowing Q2's intention but at the same time not being sure what to expect. Overall I really enjoyed this edit. Some really great choices in terms of how the story goes back and forth between the two characters. Definitely worth checking out.