Terrifying

Rating: 7/10 (26 October 2014)

Not the type of movie I would normally go for. It felt so predictable - pretty ballet star sleeps with director to further her career. Even with great performances by Natalie Portman and Vincent Cassel (and they are great performances), I was ready for this film to slowly and uninterestingly meander down a familiar path.
Well, I have to say it surprised me.
First there's the deftly managed subplot of Portman's relationship with her mother, who is a suffocating presence, jealous of her daughter and possessive in the extreme. It sets an uneasy backdrop for what follows.
And then there's the imagery. At least it starts as imagery - the dichotomy between the white swan and the black swan, innocence and experience. But then it comes to take over the movie, which becomes a partly allegorical and partly psychological metaphor.
Portman actually becomes the black swan embodied. It's incredibly and painfully realistic and yet so obviously absurd. It's a terrifying, unsettling and saddening experience.
Still not my 'type' of film but very unique and - I have to admit it - excellent really.