Black Swan
Watch Trailer Interview with Natalie Portman
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Mila Kunis, Natalie Portman, Winona Ryder
Details: US/107 mins (16)
Portman is professional ballerina Nina Sayers; a beautiful and talented dancer, she nonetheless struggles with some of the more menacing aspects of her performances. When Vincent Cassel's charismatic, but manipulative head of the company announces that they will be taking on the classic Swan Lake, Nina is challenged to let herself go and tap into her dark side. As Nina digs deeper, she begins to slowly lose her mind, with her controlling and creepy mother only pushing her further to the brink of insanity. But is she really going mental, or should she be right to be paranoid?
At times simultaneously elegant and terrifying, this film was always going to live or die on Portman's performance. Thankfully the actress is superb, and alongside Winter's Bone star Jennifer Lawrence, gives one of the most astonishing performances of the past 12 months. Not only does she have innumerable technical aspects of Nina to contend with, Aronofsky regularly closes in on her face so there is no cheating - she has to embody the character throughout the dance routines and can't just concentrate on one or the other. Her increasingly disturbing relationship with her mother is also played perfectly, with nothing ever really spelt out, but subtly hinted at - somehow making it creepier.
You never really know what's going on with Nina; Aronofsky has always been a fan of ambiguity, so there is no real reveal until the very last shot. That on-stage sequence is what the film is building towards its entire running time, and it is choreographed beautifully, but always with that ominous tone lingering. Black Swan never stops moving, but it's going somewhere with purpose and doesn't attempt to skate by on scares and atmosphere.
For those who know their Swan Lake, the smart plays on the ballet's plot will delight you, while others that don't still have a rather brilliant psychological thriller to enjoy.
Review by Mike Sheridan
Your Comments
Carolo
I have marked the date this is coming out on my calendar, I can barely wait!
Posted 10/01/2011 11:56:18
carol
This is one of the best films Ive seen of Natalie Portman. I cannot believe that she is really dancing...she is amazing, the movements are WOW! The plot is twisted and tense. I loved this movie.
Posted 14/01/2011 20:19:43
Bitter Irish Fruit
Agreed that it is an assault on the senses, and is really dark but it almost parodies the melodrama. Still a fine if depressing flick
Posted 20/01/2011 18:07:14
Scorchio
I cannot wait to see this film, at long last a film about one of my favourite childhood past times ballet :D
Posted 21/01/2011 09:13:42
noel
Amazing movie Aronofsky is top 5 movie directors working now This movie is a visual treat from start to finish beautifully written, acted,edited directed. This movie a must see and it deserves all the awards it gets. Go see this wonderful movie go see it twice.
Posted 25/01/2011 16:58:35
Lord Sabre
I've seen it twice now and loved it more the second time. It really wraps you up in a blanket of paranoia or something (I'll leave the words to the reviewer above). I don't believe I'm saying this, but was there any need for the lesbian scene?
Posted 26/01/2011 08:55:56
Davy
The acting in this movie is great... however, I found the 'story' silly, lots of sub stories just disappeared without going anywhere and the ending was rubbish. Cant understand how this movie is getting the reviews it is???
Posted 27/01/2011 17:25:12
Deli
Absolutely amazing. Didn't have much expectation going to see this but the performances are unreal. The darkness is unexpected and the cinematography is just beautiful.
Posted 27/01/2011 18:02:55
teaisformugs
what an amazing film!natalie portman is sensational in the role.gripping till the very last shot.I can understand why its not a film that everyone would enjoy, was disturbing at times and anyway psychological thrillers arent everyones cup of tea.I loved the sub plots as they helped build the paranoia within the plot and for the audience too.definitely a must see.
Posted 28/01/2011 14:53:16
A fan of Julet Binoche
The acting, dancing and choreography was excellent. The movie had psychological suspense galore but it certainly didn't afford me any thrills! After the unstable mind of the main dancer was uncovered the rest of the film was, I found, quite boring. The unreal fantasies of the main star were disturbingly agitating in their unreality but not by any stretch of the imagination the making of a true thriller. What a big disappointment this film was for me after all of the hype............
Posted 30/01/2011 02:46:41
Your Ma
Saw this last night and found the whole thing intensely irritating throughout. Yes Portman is great in it-I'm sure its not exactly easy to portray a ballet dancer but so what. Her character is incredibly annoying and the "descent into madness" theme in a film has been done to death. I was checking my watch after 30 minutes.
Posted 01/02/2011 14:03:52
Eve
I felt it was lacking a storyline, more or less about a dancer who couldn't take the pressure of centre stage. There were cheap freights for freights sake; the madness appeared to be there from the very beginning rather than “a descent”. I didn't care enough as I feel I should have for the lead character. Dancing was lovely, acting not bad and the sense of foreboding was created well but I wish there had been a story.
Posted 02/02/2011 13:07:30
Jim Buckley Barrett
Well, how could you describe this movie? I'll quote the saying of one gentleman leaving the cinema said, "that was one f£$%^d up movie!". His girlfriend agreed! There wasn't one person that had anything good to say! It lacked a serious storyline, you spent half the time with the camera two inches from Natalie Portman face for a lot of it and it looked like some of the scenes were shoot with a video phone. Seriously not worth the money or time to see!
Posted 04/02/2011 09:47:28
Lisa
I want my money back ! What a load of S**t ! Seriously.. no storyline.. boring...depressing.... SICK !
Posted 07/02/2011 17:39:26
gomet
One of the best films I have seen in ages....Dark, edgy, disturbing and the finale was fantastic......If Portman doesn't get an oscar for this role....she never will....
Posted 11/02/2011 00:37:42
iceman
I thought it was a let down. I'm a great admirer of Aronowsky but this is unremarkable by comparison with his other films. The acting is excellent and I agree with the reviewer that the sense of foreboding and ambiguity is always present, but the story is only passable and the sex scenes are embarrassingly corny and overindulgent. It's not bad, but I don't know what the fuss is about.
Posted 12/02/2011 18:50:46
Denise
A good night wasted, I like some other reviewers cannot believe the hype this film is getting. It really is only psychology 101 as it is very obvious at the end of the Lesbian scene what was happening with her mother!!!! As for the rest of it, I really didn't care by the end what was real or not as the character lacked depth and interest!!! Save your money.
Posted 02/03/2011 20:01:29
patrick
I don't see how there are so many people who can't appreciate true art! This is in the same line as a Shakesperian tragedy people! What an absolutely incredible film. Really amazing.
Posted 05/03/2011 17:22:42
chell3
You have to understand the story to understand the movie. Natalie portman fab actress i liked this movie, bit weird but i did like it
Posted 11/03/2011 21:00:42
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