Dark, Twisted, Brilliant

Rating: 10/10 (17 December 2010)

BLACK SWAN follows the story of Nina, a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life is completely consumed with dance. When artistic director Thomas Leroy decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily, who impresses Leroy as well. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side with a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.
BLACK SWAN is a dark yet viscerally engaging film that is perfect on almost every level. Director Darren Aronofsky crafts each scene with care and precision. The use of mostly handycams is nothing short of a brilliant decision, bringing in a sense of realism and grittiness which is appropriate for this film. Most importantly, Natalie Portman gives the performance of her career. Like Aronofsky's REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, BLACK SWAN starts off small but slowly builds up to great intensity with a chaotic climax that will leave your jaws dropped.
The film manages to sustain an unsettling atmosphere throughout along with hypnotizing you whether you like it or not. The score by Clint Mansell is pretty captivating too. Along with Natalie Portman, the rest of the cast are just as fantastic. Mila Kunis is one of my favorite new stars out there after having seen her in FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL and THE BOOK OF ELI and she gives an effortless performance playing a sexy and slightly dangerous character. Winona Ryder also gives a terrific performance although she's in a brief role. Vincent Cassel and Barbara Hershey are pretty good as well.
While not as depressing and intense as REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, BLACK SWAN is a pretty similar film. With a wildly terrific performance by Portman, an interesting visual palette that your eyes can feast upon, and an unrelenting atmosphere that will put you at the edge of your seats, BLACK SWAN is a twisted yet seductive tale about the dark side of human nature which we can all relate to, as unfortunate as that may sound. BLACK SWAN is really one of the best films of the year.