Over blown, Over wrought and Over acted, but visually very good

Rating: Null/10 (24 February 2011)

I watched Black Swan finally and though it is admittedly very arresting visually, I found the whole thing to be rather tiresome. The problem was with the script. In the first place it was very difficult to give a toss about the central character. I mean really, who cares whether she can excel at her Ballet job? what happens to her if she doesn't? nothing that's what? she'll go back to having a good ballet job playing other characters. A job that many little girls will already envy. The fact that 'artists' think we give a Frick about whether they can dig deep and emerse them selves in a role shows us just how pretentious they are, and this film if anything does reflect how actors and theatre performers take themselves waaaay too seriously. Its not like they're as important as a nurse or a soldier. There is nothing at stake if they fail to perform. But even so, I could maybe have been manipulated to care a bit more if the central character was just a bit more interesting. Jeez this girl was dull. I would walk the other way if i saw her coming down the street. she was impossible to care about. I understand that her character was meant to be closed off but that doesn't help us access the story. We need to root for her and we just don't.
Visually tho, it was outstanding, with some very striking moments. Aronofsky is clearly a hugely talented film maker, if a perhaps a little indulgent and too concerned with being 'seen' as a genius at the expense of his audiences experience in his movie.
Natalie Portman isn't that great apart from the effort she puts into the ballet scenes, but that's not what acting is all about. that is a peripheral requirement to what's important. She is dull and closed off. and Portman is just over rated as an actress. She was great in Leon but she's been been very ordinary at best in everything else. Someometimes just down right bad as with princess armadildo