Black Swan (2010)

Plot: Nina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina who lives with her overbearing mother (Barbara Hershey), a former ballerina who retired after she became pregnant. The ballet company Nina dances for is doing a production of Swan Lake. The dancer who gets the lead must be able to portray the distinct personalities of the White Swan and the Black Swan. She auditions, which goes horribly, and is told while she may be able to portray the White Swan, she lacks the passion to portray the Black Swan. Thomas (Vincent Cassel), who is directing the production, introduces Nina to Lily (Mila Kunis), a dancer who has the qualities that Nina doesn't have to portray the Black Swan. The dancers' begin a friendship. As Nina becomes obsessed with perfecting the role, she goes to the dark side.

Review: This is a fascinating psychological film. This is the kind of movie that you really have to pay attention or otherwise you'll get lost or confused. When I first heard of the movie's plot, I didn't think it would be confusing at all. What's confusing is that what happens on the screen later on in the film, you cannot be entirely sure if it's real or if it's in Nina's head.

There's no weak actor in this movie. Natalie Portman gives the performance of her career in this film. I always liked her, but didn't really see her shine as an actress. She shines here. She won almost every major award for her performance including the Oscar for Best Actress. The way that she portrays Nina's timidness and her descent into madness is great to watch. Mila Kunis was great in this. She is essentially the title character. I felt that we didn't see enough of her on screen. The same goes for Barbara Hershey, who plays Nina's mother. I think that her portrayal makes you wonder if the madness runs in the family. I felt that while we saw a good amount of these characters on screen, I still felt like it wasn't enough. I was also disappointed that they didn't get recognition at any major award shows like the Oscars. Mila Kunis did get a Golden Globe nomination, but I feel that both Kunis and Hershey should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars. I highly doubt they would've won but I would've liked to see them being acknowledged. Vincent Cassel was also great as Thomas. You could see a very scheming and manipulative character who is taking advantage of these young dancers for his own benefits.

The film is visually stunning. I like the color of the setting, especially during the performance of Swan Lake at the end because we get that sense of eeriness. Director Darren Aronofsky did an amazing job and I am happy that he got recognition at the Oscars, even if he didn't win, he deserved to be acknowledged.

This is the kind of movie that you either love or hate. There are many films that are sometimes an in-between. This isn't that kind of movie. This is a movie you'll either love or hate and I fore one loved it.

Rating: 4.5/5