All the Appeal of a Cooked Goose

Rating: 1/10 (16 January 2011)

My biggest gripe about this movie is the fact the Portman character has all the presence and self-confidence of a puddle. In real life, no production company would allow someone with so little confidence to assume the top role. Millions of dollars are at stake and investors would need to be confident that the lead could handle the more difficult" Black Swan" role, upfront. No one would allow weeks of crying and hallucinations, right up till opening night (and even late for that) to prove that they can actually do the job. Also, the big flub in the first act would have likely caused the second to take her place. Obviously, someone with the low self-esteem (demonstrated by the Portman character) could never hope to gain even a minor role with a ballet company, and certainly not the lead. The competition is just too stiff. Also, Portman does not have the correct body type and is a little short at only 5'3". The boiled chicken and fresh-plucked look was also a big turn-off. In real life, someone so mechanical and fearful would never make it to the top ranks. A second-string "Rockette" has more stones than the Portman character.