Down the Swanny

Rating: 5/10 (31 January 2011)

As an Arafonsky fan.. OK, it isn't that hard to be a fan as he has only a handful of excellent films to his credit.
He is probably in the part of his career where he has to match personal projects (The Fountain) with money making stuff. Portman is probably at a similar place, and that maybe the best way to understand why this film was made. And the assembled cast is excellent on paper.
The Black Swan falls down rather quickly. The depiction of the claustrophobic Jewish princess and mother starts well but departs usefulness rapidly. And between the clichés (dark reflections in subway etc) there are three part performances (her mum, director and rival) that don't quite mature. But that's because she is mad, and we need to see two sides to everyone at once. Because she's mad. Yeah? No. The camera is on Portman a lot, and that may be the problem. She is not allowed to evolve fully one way or another, and when she does change it is rushed.
This film seems to be a backward move from Requim for a Dream, where we got to see vibrant threads of collapsing lives. With Nina, we just don't get a valid journey. Which leaves the film on a certain river.