Average film carried by a good actress

Rating: 6/10 (25 January 2011)

I didn't know what to expect going into Black Swan, which is always the best way to view a new film. From the opening scenes, I was expecting an emotional, paranoid thriller. In reality, it was more of a mediocre cross between Jacob's Ladder and The Red Shoes.
The film tries so hard to be shocking and raw that it quickly becomes irritating. There are two rather vulgar (and ultimately unnecessary) sexual scenes that where screaming so hard for attention you can almost hear Megan Fox in the background wondering why she wasn't cast for the role of Nina. The rest of the cast are so cardboard and cliché they aren't even worth a mention. The story is predictable from the first 10 minutes if you know the ending to Swan Lake and has as much intrigue as a dead dog in a skip.
At time of writing, it has already won a golden globe (Portman, best actress) and has been nominated for similar awards at the Oscars. I find it quite annoying that the cardboard cutout of a film behind the lead actress is completely ignored because Natalie Portman acted well. If this had a lesser female lead, it would have been bargain bin material and forgotten about within a few years. Completely and utterly carried by the beautiful Natalie Portman.