Ugly duckling: the angst years

Rating: 7/10 (19 May 2015)

Anxious dancer strives for perfection. Will she pay a price? And is it melodrama?
The story wraps itself around the tragedy of Swan Lake, but replaces love lost with self-regard. Early on a strong note of horror is introduced, with a mysterious doppleganger and very deliberate sound effects. Then comes the decay of personality, with psychotic episodes, and you sense the heroine is not meant for this world.
The lead actress exudes anxiety from her poor little face, and even her desperate breathing is conveyed in the rehearsal scenes. Then she makes those mad eyes to camera as the black swan, and you find out later what she's done to earn it. The lead actor adds good authority, and all round the cast plays it well.
The music does what you'd expect, with great scenes where the camera circles the dancers, but it's too dramatic during the violent scenes, contrasting with the horror vibe from earlier on.
The story feels like a tightrope act by the director, between melodrama and horror, and it comes down on one side. There is a sub-genre in horror of Hollywood wannabe descending into Hell, but this one doesn't fit in. And as a portrait of mental illness it's not quite as good as, say, Magic Magic - maybe because the heroine has the tidy and not so disturbing aim of making a beautiful corpse.
Overall, impressive but doesn't hit the spot.