Black Swan

             ****   4/5 

directed by Darren Aronofsky. Written by Mark Heyman, Andrew Heinz and John McLaughlin. Running time: 108 minutes. Rated R 

Like many of Aranofskys films” Black Swan” is also about a very flawed broken character  that is trying to achieve something that is larger than life.  This film is a meditation on the world of Ballet and the competitive nature of the dance form. It is very cerebral and you walk out of the theater a bit dazed. There is no doubt it will have an effect on the viewer, whatever that may be for that individual, depending on how you respond to the film.  It’s essentially the story of Nina (played by Natalie Portman with bravado and incredible vulnerability) and her quest to become the Swan Queen of Tchaikovskys ballet “Swan Lake” and do justice to it.   This role of a lifetime requires her to not only play the white swan but its antithesis the Black Swan which requires her to let go of her inhibitions and be free.  Can she pull this off? Her mentor Thomas (played with gusto by Vincent Cassel) has doubts and pushes her in every way to the point where he comes off creepy and arrogant, but it ultimately helps her achieve her goal.  This journey to become “perfect” proves to be a daunting task as Nina has pressure from all around. Her mother is vicariously living through her and won’t let her little princess get sidetracked.  It is also suggested that Nina might have some psychological issues, which would justify some of the gruesome scenes in the film but it’s never stated, keeping the audience guessing.   There is also a rival dancer Lily played by Mila Kunis, who oozes with sexuality and is a big distraction for Nina and of course she has her own insecurities and hallucinations to deal with.  Technically, this film is brilliant. The film mostly focuses on close up shots of Natalie Portman and everything she goes through. The audience really feels like they are living this world with her. It’s a very intimate experience.  One thing Aronofsky achieves with this is giving us a total immersive experience in to the world of Ballet, no 3D glasses needed. I felt like I had done a week of Ballet boot camp after watching it.   The film eventually leads to a rousing conclusion and Ultimately “Black Swan” ends up being a very satisfying film. Portman spent 10 months preparing for this role and she very good in it. It will be an easy Oscar nomination for both Portman and director Aronofsky plus a host of other nominations including, Best Picture; Best Costume; Best Original Score and Best Original Screenplay.  Despite all this, its  not the best film I’ve seen this year but it’s definitely in the top 10 and worth checking out.  Go see it!