Sound Off: Mila Kunis
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 12:00PM 
Because I spend so much time tied to my desktop, I start talking to myself when you don't comment. You don't want me going all Nina Sayers Black Swan batty, do you?!? I don't live with a portrait-painting mother who force feeds me cake but my cat stares at me so evilly that I wonder what he'd try if he had opposable thumbs. My point is this: if Mila Kunis rang my bell to take me dancing, I'd fly out the door.
By now you've heard that Mila recently accepted an invitation to attend a Marine Ball (military prom!) with a fan which some think makes her the coolest celebrity on the planet. Are you one of those people?
I was recently interviewed on the All Things Kunis topic by MSNBC Movies to coincide with the release of her romcom Friend With Benefits and you can read my quotes over there if you so desire. My basic feeling is that she should ditch the comedies briefly for something E-V-I-L. That vaguely sinister erotic charge that she gifted to Black Swan and the way you could read it as playful one minute and agenda-filled the next, suggests that she has an untapped capacity for darker roles, don't you think?
Black Swan, Friend With Benefits, Mila Kunis
Reader Comments (24)
Weird. I've been slightly obsessing over Mila since she showed up in your banner haha.
I reallyyy want her to be an Oscar nominee one day. The fact that she got so close for a performance that most people didn't appreciate much until they looked back on it really says something. I agree, I want her to take this success and run with it...do something really off the wall.
If it hadn't been for that meddling kid -___- Hailee Steinfeld...just kidding. We all know Jacki Weaver stole the 5th slot, but I was so happy about that and it was probably the most deserved, so...I can't complain. I just felt bad for Mila.
Maybe she can score a GG nom for Friends With Benefits? Idk, but it certainly looks better than that Natalie Portman-Ashton Kutcher Friends With Benefits that came out earlier this year.
I haven't had an urge to re-visit Black Swan for any reason. I was too afraid to admit it wasn't as special as many made it out to be. In fact my favorite performance in the movie is from Winona Ryder-- who has too little to do. I'm not even a fan of hers but seeing her in a major theatrical release made me appreciate her peak years during my growing up.
This morning I read Kunis is a Trekkie-- I hope that isn't pandering to geeks talk.
I preferred hershey,wailing over paintings and clipping nails and getting rid of cake!!!
LOL Mark.
I've got to agree with Philip that Mila's presence on the TFE banner has sneaked her into my subconscious; I spent about half an hour yesterday looking at old Black Swan stuff from around the web and had no idea why I was suddenly reobsessing until now. I came really close to rewatching the movie last night for the 10th time, too. (Instead I just posted a couple gratuitous pictures of Vincent Cassel.) But my enthusiasm for BS hasn't died at all in the few months since I named it my favorite movie of 2010 - it's only entrenched itself deeper into my brain.
"Oh my God? Oh my God! You did! You fantasized about me! [gasps] Was I good?"
Well, she is playing one of them Wicked Witches in the Sam Raimi Oz thing if that ever gets made.
I thought Hershey's performance was the one to watch in Black Swan. I don't get what everyone saw in Mila's performance. It seemed to me that she was acting the same as she always does, and anything sinister or interesting from her character was because of the script, Natalie's reactions, editing, and the score. But I don't begrudge her success, I just think she's still unproven.
Movies like that come along once in a great while :)
Mila Kunis was very good in Black Swan (though I prefer Hershey's performance). I'm actually very excited to see what she does next. For anyone wondering, she's fantastic in Friends with Benefits and her and Justin Timberlake make great on screen tandem.
I know I was in the minority but I was really rooting for her to get an Oscar nom for Black Swan. For some reason her and Andrew Garfield gave my two favorite performances so when they were both snubbed this January my little ol' heart broke.
You don't have to choose either Hershey or Kunis; you can actually choose both, you know. However, I'd choose Kunis. I know she was on TV, but I don't have any TV memories of her, so I thought she was wonderfully snarky, nasty, and sexy. Unfortunately, Hershey, who was so lovely and natural when was she was in her prime, joins the list of actresses who have what I call the Plastic Surgery Barrier. They've crossed a line of too much surgery or Botox, where all I can think of when I look at them is how sad the plight of female actors are in this world that they have to resort to self-mutilation. I can't focus on their acting anymore; it's become a Barrier. Kidman is getting close to this barrier. Julie Bowen of "Modern Family" crossed this line between season one and two. The list is sadly kind of endless. I understand why Woody Allen sets up meetings with his potential actors just to make sure they haven't had too much surgery.
I still have a hard time reconciling the fact that the Mila Kunis from Black Swan and Forgetting Sarah Marshall is the same Mila Kunis from That 70s Show. I think they're two different people. Because the Mila Kunis from That 70s Show was the worst actor on that poorly acted TV program.
"This morning I read Kunis is a Trekkie-- I hope that isn't pandering to geeks talk."
No, I don't think it is pandering. She's the voice of Meg - Meg! (the overweight nerdy girl) in Family Guy - so I think she does like nerdy/geeky stuff. We just don't expect that of her because she looks like a glamour girl, who usually aren't into those type of things.
"My basic feeling is that she should ditch the comedies briefly for something E-V-I-L. That vaguely sinister erotic charge that she gifted to Black Swan and the way you could read it as playful one minute and agenda-filled the next, suggests that she has an untapped capacity for darker roles, don't you think?"
Hell, yes. I remember watching Gia a few years ago (oh Angie, come back and give us these types of perfs and not junk like the Tourist!*) and Kunis played the young Gia, and I remember thinking, 'hey, that girl has the spark, plus she really does look like a young Angelina.' And like Angie, she does have the capacity to play Evil Bitch Goddess, and probably would rock (not to mention relish) such a role.
* - sorry for the aside mini rant
Her big strength is making even the most ridiculous concepts come across as natural. You can say a lot of stuff in Black Swan was absurd. She, however, managed to sell even that eroticized wiping of the lips after the sex scene. I think Mila needs to pursue a serious drama or two where naturalism is key.
David Lynch should give her a call.
Btw, I'm gay but I find her to be like, one of the sexiest women ever. Gosh. She's just HOT.
Owen - I understand you, but I also understand the pressure to stay "young and pretty." In the moment of getting their first wrinkle, they freak out...I mean, actresses are hardly able to get good roles once they hit 40 or a little over, for crying out loud. So in the moment they just want to keep their career and in Hollywood the only way is to look young and flawless for as long as possible. Obviously they end up making themselves worse, but in the moment they obviously don't know it or don't care about it.
Nicole Kidman is getting there...the lips and the forehead are so obvious, I totally noticed it in Rabbit Hole. Luckily she's a good enough actress that it didn't really hinder her performance. For Barbara Hershey it only made her scarier (clearly, she wanted perfection), but that can't work for every role, and I sense that's why I actually didn't know who she was before Black Swan.
Like Courteney Cox in Scream 4...it was sad.
I love more Mila Kunis each time I saw her. Not only because she's clearly hot, she also has a effervescent and goofy personality off-screen. Yes Jonathon, I'm still angry with Garfield (He would be sexier and sweeter his category) and Kunis respective snubs. But I'm sure both will have their sweet revenge.
I'm on a total Mila Kunis high. I think she was outstanding in Black Swan, and I love her career path. I hope she gets movie stardom, because she really does have talent mixed with intelligence (in her career decisions, at least) and those beautiful looks that only work on movie stars. I loved this past award season how people were ALWAYS dying for her to show up to red carpets. And by "people," I not only mean the blogosphere but also celebrities (like Sarah Hyland!). I could go for another round of awards season hype around Mila and her fashion choices next season =)
Kunis and Sarah Hyland from "Modern Family" in a black comedy about sisters...who do something really funny...or really awful...or both...maybe they're both angel-of-mercy nurses at the same hospital unbeknownst to each other (the fact that they're both killing patients, that is).
I am so sleepy right now. That's all I got.
I used to liked Ms. Mila. Since I heard she broke up with Macaulay Culkin in the height of her Black Swan popularity. Suddenly I lost interest , Come on, you got engaged/dated this guy for 9 nine whole years, all of sudden, it's over. What's a coincidence? Is she into fame?
Is it confirmed that she broke up with him? I think it's possible that her new found fame strained her relationship. Some men aren't used to being with powerful/more successful women. I don't think I need to give any examples.
Total rooting for her though. Would love to have seen her nominated. Can't wait to see what she does next.
Except she's no longer going to this ball with the soldier and now people hate her.
Mila Kunis is a Lars von Trier actress in the making.
I'm so glad to see all the love for her in these comments. I've never seen her in anything but Black Swan, and I know absolutely nothing about her personal life, but I love her based on that one performance. I wasn't big on Black Swan, but I thought she deserved an Oscar nomination. She managed to latch onto what could have been a one-note character and make her feel real at almost every turn. I agree with everyone saying that she and Andrew Garfield were snubbed.
/minirant
I agree with Troy - Kunis and Sarah Hyland from "Modern Family" should really play sisters. At some red carpet pictures, I had to look twice to see which one it was.
I'm so glad you like the blog. Faded Elegance is so beautiful...you are right. This blog has been so much fun to write. I just love it!
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