I'm Not That Girl Anymore

Rating: 9/10 (1 April 2015)

Nina Sayers is a hardworking ballerina in a New York City ballet company. She is the perfect ballerina for Odette, the white swan, but she desires to be Odilr, the black swan. Natalie Portman's performance of Nina Sayers is heartbreaking and brilliant. She captures the madness and Nina's inner demons so well. Barbara Hershey is perfect as Nina's mother, Erica. She can be overbearing but she watches her daughter change with this career making role. Unfortunately, Erica shields and protects Nina but she can't save her daughter. Nina's self-destruction is a slow painful process to watch but she had a history of cutting and scratching and self-mutilation. Nina deteriorates quickly and Portman deserved all those accolades for her performance here. The director here also did "The Wrestler" where the title character also would risk his health for his job. Unlike career wrestling, ballet is a tougher discipline where perfection is sought. Nina's mental health is sacrificed for her career when her mother tries to save her, it is too late. It is a heartbreaking end to such a promising career. If you have the DVD, you can see Tina Sloan (Guiding Light's veteran Lillian Raines) and the director's parents at the gala meeting Nina. I found the movie hard to watch at times. Mila Kunis is wonderful in her role too.