Black Swan

A typically divisive effort from Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan stars Natalie Portman as Nina – an ambitious ballerina who has been angling for a lead role under director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) for years. Her chance finally arrives as Thomas decides to stage an audacious retelling of Swan Lake, with Nina’s efforts at mastering the difficult “black swan” component of the ballet hindered by some seriously oddball occurrences. On the one hand, Black Swan plays out like a Wrestler-esque look at the cut-throat ballet world – as Aronofsky stresses the backbiting and fierce competition that occurs within the company’s ranks. On the other hand, the film comes off as something… else; Aronofsky has sprinkled the proceedings with a number of exceedingly weird happenings, as Nina seems to be suffering either from otherworldly attacks or delusions of an increasingly terrifying nature (eg her reflection seems determined to do her harm). Aronofsky’s downright masterful directorial choices go a long way towards creating a surprisingly compelling atmosphere, yet there’s little doubt that Black Swan‘s success is due mostly to Portman’s striking, flat-out incredible turn as the central character. The actress’ tour-de-force performance anchors the proceedings on a thoroughly consistent basis, and it’s worth noting that much of the suspense that ensues in the film’s final half hour is heightened by Portman’s flawless work. Unfortunately, Aronofsky’s decision to remain vague on certain elements ultimately effects Black Swan‘s overall impact, as the viewer is forced to leave the proceedings with far too many questions. (Admittedly, this aspect of the movie might wind up being appreciated by certain viewers.)

***1/2 out of ****