Original psychological thriller

Rating: 8/10 (9 December 2012)

This movie is an examination of obsession, and a mother living vicariously through her daughter. Ultimately it proves to be a journey into madness. Natalie Portman is utterly believable throughout as the shy but talented Nina Sayers, and deserves the awards she is likely to receive for this performance. Mila Kunis plays the darker role of Lily with equal skill and style. For me, these two make the movie although they are very ably supported by Barbara Hershey as Ninas mother, Winona Ryder as the usurped prima ballerina, and Vincent Cassel as the company's artistic director.
Black Swan has to be one of the more original psychological thrillers in recent years. Although the first hour goes a little slowly, there is a complex plot building all the while. As the film goes on, and it becomes clear that the line between hallucination and reality is fading for Nina, the skills of director Darren Aronofsky really come to the fore. The production is superb, with beautiful camera work and light use of CGI to illustrate the hallucinations which are taking Nina over.
Overall this is a highly enjoyable and well delivered movie, with a tight story and plenty of surprises in store!