The hype is worth

Rating: 8/10 (2 April 2011)

And, so Aronofsky makes yet another film.
Fans of the director went orgasmic with this one, and it's not surprising that it really is a good picture.
The story centers on ballet dancer Nina and her obsession (which might be an understatement) with obtaining and mastering the role of both White and Black Swans in a new and innovative production of Swan Lake. The parallels between the Swans of the ballet and Nina's own personality are quite obvious, making it really tough for someone not to get it. To its credit, the script features two opposing views on the ballet, with Vincent Cassel's experienced and learned perception that it's "been done to death" and the two everyday guys that have never even heard of it. This helps the movie stay away from appealing exclusively to the elitists connoisseurs.
The movie does have some flaws. The almost horror tone of the hallucination scenes seems tired and unoriginal, the music being accessory to this. The big shock stingers with the music seem out of place, making Black Swan sound more as a terrifying story rather than the depressing one it really is. The Tchaikovsky original pieces are, not surprisingly, better and, surprisingly, produce a much more interesting effect with the scary scenes.
Given the psychological nature of the story, Aronofsky focuses exclusively on the perspective of Nina, which lends to innovative and very interesting shots, however, they make it rather difficult for viewers interested in the choreography to actually appreciate it.
This makes the movie center 90% on the psychological and 10% on the music and choreography. Yet, an obvious and clear Aronofsky piece.
The performances were solid. Natalie Portman nails the part, really reflecting her innocence and confusion with sincerity in an award deserving work. Vincent Cassel, as usual, delivers, and Mila Kunis not too far behind. Still, a surprise performance by Winona Ryder in a small role and Barbara Hershey's role are more interesting examples.
The lesbian scene seems a little bit out of place, but it becomes quite interesting once you understand the small twist at the end, which is not too original, actually.
The visual effects with Nina's hallucinations are well done, especially considering that most of the shots were done with hand-held shaky cameras. The scene that steals the show is Nina's definitive transformation during her presentation as the Black Swan, where she has red eyes and starts growing black feathers. An actual triumph for the artists. On the other hand, a particular scene where Nina is much more aware that she is turning into a swan with her legs crooking to the back may seem over the top and, let's face it, a bit laughable.
The movie as a whole is depressing, though not as much as Requiem for a Dream, of course. It's a delight to appreciate, and to some extent to enjoy, but not worth watching countless times. It is a noble contender as best movie of the year, but not really a winner. Either way, it's intellectual food and a standout example of good art film.