Ode (or obsession....) to Natalie Portman

I hate to be that person... but I'll do it anyway. 

I knew that Natalie Portman was cool wayy before you did. Really, I did. Because I knew that:

In Star Wars, she was awesome (I don't care what the general nerd-public says, the first 3 episodes are just as cool as the last 3 episodes. And by the first 3 episodes, I mean the last 3 installments, with Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, and of course Natalie Portman. They may not have the badly tuned music, fake space-monsters, and a gorgeous Harrison Ford yelling at a large, angry, furry, - and in my opinion, annoying - giant, but they are also magical. Everything about them is great - besides the continuation of overly-cheesy action, which seemed to be a trend in the Star Wars films. The music, the concepts behind the awesome sky cities, the costumes... they're golden. As are the original 1970-1983 episodes, don't get me wrong. I love all of them!). 

She was pitch-perfect in Where the Heart Is. She tore my heart apart every time she cried, and when her baby disappeared for that one hot second I felt my life spinning out of control, as if I too had just lost my only child.

I think V for Vendetta (with her terrible, shameful British accent) is where she started to gain respect, even though she had been respectable for years.

Garden State is seriously a fucking gem. I know that sounds stupid, but I'm serious. It's worth gold. It's directed by, written by, and starring Zach Braff, who is one of the most underrated actors of our generation. If you haven't seen it yet, you've simply been wasting your time. There's a quote towards the end that sounds something like, "What if this is it? What if this is life?"... or something like that. It made me realize that there's no straying from the path, because whatever you're doing is the path. The path of your life. It has changed my whole perception of living. Not many statements have had such a great effect on me. Anyway, of course Natalie Portman is a main character in this movie, and she's awesome. Her character is weird, and she plays weird perfectly. Seriously - watch it.

Her role as self-destructive yet endlessly loving character of Alice in the film Closer is indescribably powerful (the first time I watched Closer I hated it, but with each viewing I became more involved in the story, more understanding of the characters, and more invested in the emotions caused by their rash and rude actions. Now, it's one of my favorite films - after all, with a cast of Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, the ever-adorable Jude Law, and the ever-sexy Clive Owens, how could I stay away??) 

She also performed the unforgettable "Natalie Rap" on SNL, a masterpiece of its own. Somehow I picked up the... nickname? of "Victoria, A Badass Bitch" from that video (there may have been alcohol involved). Anyway, watch it here: Natalie Rap.

In Black Swan, Natalie Portman solidified her position has a talented actress, with exceptional critical acclaim and an Oscar to show to anyone who thinks that the film is less than a masterpiece. As an art student and a lover of beauty, I think the Black Swan is as close to perfection as any other film I've ever seen. I appreciate this movie for several reasons, most of them being normal ones, such as great acting, attractive characters, and beautiful music and choreography. But I also love it because it relates closely to my life. I know the definition of passion. I know about its power to both consume me day and night, and yet simultaneously breathe life into me and provide the motivation to carry on.

So. Natalie Portman is talented. But beyond that, she's epically beautiful. She has an interesting face, with tiny, delicate features, and strangely long eyebrows. But she has a face that is capable of playing a whole range of characters that can make me laugh and cry, feel love and anger, and both sooth and infuriate me. With her beautiful face & small frame she makes a great model, which she has proved with years of exposure in many, many magazine covers and spreads.

Here are a few great photographs of Natalie and a video or two, just to prove my point.

<3

Vogue America, 2006

David Letterman Compilation

Hebrew

(She's so cool! She sounds sexy as hell speaking Hebrew, which is definitely not a sexy language. And she still looks gorgeous with no hair - if I shaved my head, I'd look like a giant alien baby.)

Anyway, my point is that Natalie Portman is seriously legitimate. She has been for a long time. It didn't take a sex scene with Mila Kunis to make her awesome (although I don't think anyone can complain about that...) she was cool long before that. She's smart (Ivy League, check), talented (see above), and really fucking hot (again, see above). 

This is where I get cheesy - she's an inspiration. She is a great role model. I'm excited to have someone in Hollywood like Natalie Portman. She's down-to-earth (and by that I mean not ditzy - my biggest pet peeve is when I really can't tell if there's actually a brain inside a girl's head). She's intelligent, pretty, and funny. Le femme parfaite!