A beautiful and horrific masterpiece that transcends genres

Rating: 10/10 (24 December 2010)

I know that this review will more than likely become buried deep within the reviews here on IMDb. That being said, I couldn't pass up the chance to comment on this film. It is too wonderful for me to be negligent in placing a review.
Very few movies come along that change the way you view the world. Interestingly enough, for me, Natalie Portman has been in two of them. She is always dazzling. My favorite movie is V for Vendetta. That incredible film changed my entire outlook in so many ways. It remains my favorite, but now, we have Black Swan.
This movie is as beautiful as it is horrific. It is a study of incredible contradictions. It is a study of intense character. Of the human condition. Of the thin line between sanity and insanity, good and evil. Of the pursuit of perfection to quell the indestructible demons that lie within. Unlike most films, Black Swan can't truly be identified as one specific genre. It never falls into one category, but rather masters several at once; its main elements are a blend of psychological thriller meets horror. There is also a very gritty, real, independent feel to the film without ever causing it to feel low budget. It is really a beautiful blend with something to please even the most discriminating movie goer.
Aronofsky takes an incredibly stunning, disturbing and enthralling story and brings it to life beautifully with intricate close shots and over the shoulder follows. There are so many shots where you feel as though you are walking behind the characters, or right there beside them. This visual achievement allows you more intimate access to the story and characters as they develop throughout the film.
Natalie Portman is superb and Oscar worthy in hands-down the finest performance of her career. She plays Nina Sayers, a professional ballet dancer who has always strived to achieve perfection. Ever the studious daughter, Nina still lives at home with her overbearing and smothering mother (Barbara Hershey). As the movie progresses and you see interactions between Nina and her mother, you begin to realize where Nina gets her insatiable quest for perfection and her instability from. Always eager to please her mother, she has never allowed herself to grow from a child into a woman (subtly of this character flaw is evident in Nina's still-childlike bedroom). This works for her mother who forever wants to keep her the child she is in her mind.
Nina is finally given the lead role of her dreams at her ballet company in"Swan Lake", for which she has to portray elements of good (the White Swan) and evil (the titular Black Swan). She easily taps into her good side, but struggles to express the darkness within. Despite finally getting to fulfill her dream, it is here that Nina begins to go off the rails. The closer she gets to the show, the more she starts to lose touch with reality. She begins to hurt herself in ways that are unfathomable to a well mind. Aronofsky uses this to his advantage so that we, the viewer, are at times unable to separate fact from the fantasies of Nina's delusional mind. Her fractured psyche comes into play, and the people around her become more aggressive in their attempts to undermine her. Sadly, it becomes glaringly obvious that her downward spiral is not due to any outside influence, but her rapidly deteriorating mind.
Some of the finer moments, to me, are when Nina is discovering not only her sexuality (several scenes are highly intense but very tasteful), but when she is shedding her "White Swan" to make way for her "Black Swan". The transition is flawless and terrifying. She begins letting go of her inhibitions, of the things that have held her back in her life, that have kept her with an unstable mother who, due to her own mental instability, hindered her growth. Natalie plays this character so well that you honestly forget that you are watching Natalie Portman, but actually see her as Nina instead. For someone with a film resume as long and varied as hers, that is the mark of a truly brilliant and skilled talented actress. I think she is the best actress of our time.
I also wanted to give a mention of Mila Kunis, who is brilliant as Lily. She has been in the industry for a very long time and is finally coming into her own as the gorgeous, talented lady she is. Her performance really shines in an already stellar cast. I look forward to Mila's future work. She and Natalie Portman have both been nominated for Golden Globes, and I'm sure Oscar noms won't be far behind. Both nods are VERY well deserved.
Black Swan is what separates movies from cinema. It is art in its purest and rarest form, not just trash on celluloid as the majority of Hollywood releases today. If you haven't seen Black Swan yet, please, do yourself a favor and treat yourself this holiday. You will be horrified. You will be mesmerized. And, if you're like me, you will be changed.