It's "Eraserhead" for stupid 16 year old girls

Rating: 6/10 (4 February 2011)

This review has massive spoilers.
This movie can be split in two, kinda like the white and black swan analogy. About 15% of it deals with the world of Ballet, in a crude, sort of realistic manner. This part of the film demanded acting, which the whole female cast delivered. It demanded some major dancing, which Portman delivered in a way no other actress has - she really did her homework and delivered an awesome rendition. Wynona Ryder disappears in a great supporting role as well. These 15% alone grant this movie a 6 out of 10, it's that good.
The rest... Well, 5% of it are unnecessary masturbation scenes. The other 80% are a stupid mess, mixing the clichéd "unreliable narrator who is hallucinating and things will show up as they are in the end" with uncomfortable, awkward scenes and a weird "pseudo-horror" vibe. Like Jack Nance in Eraserhead, Nina goes from one awkward and disturbing moment to the other. All the way through the whole film. It's over the top, it's self indulgent and, aims for an ending that looks like it came from M Night Shyamalan's rejected ideas bin. It's so confusing, we are absolutely lost in the character's madness in a way that takes away the joy of the movie. We are treated to unnecessary injury shots, and the whole Kafkaesque hallucinated metamorphosis too literal (and bizarre) to be taken seriously.
And how the hell did she manage to dance with a fatal wound for half of a presentation? How convenient she managed to bleed only at the end.
Al in all, it's not that bad of a movie, it's watchable, but don't give it too much credit.