Ruffling Feathers

Rating: 7/10 (13 December 2010)

A couple of the other reviews mentioned that this film belonged in the horror category rather than the psychological thriller. For starters, it's probably a combination of both, and the confusion might originate from the fact that once again there are too many cooks in here. In my opinion, to remain focused in a film like this is the key, and at times, it does lose its way, but thank God it remains entertaining throughout, and this is the result of the acting and directing talent. As the nightmare evolves and personalities as well as egos are shattered, we remain glued to the screen to see how bad the wreck is going to be. The conclusion might start a debate, but I doubt it will reach the heights of movies like "Fatal Attraction" or "The Sixth Sense" In general the film has a very good premise, reality mirrors art, and art's intensity benefits from an overactive mind, or maybe a few minds. Everyone involved has something to contribute, and at the center there is the, way too tortured performance by Portman, who does a decent job, portraying the Swan Queen, but who could have added a bit more darker shading to her role. She is truly mesmerizing for about five minutes in the last third of the film, but there was a time when I wished the Lily character could have dispatched her, so we could have a more interesting film. It might not be Portman's fault that her character doesn't quite reach the expected heights, but we have Hershey and Cassell pulling the strings, and those two can certainly throw some curves and keep us guessing. We know they have a direct effect on Nina's behavior and ultimate fate. Their acting is spellbinding, and only if those lines were a bit sharper, then even Hitchcock would have a problem finding fault here.
In the film, the main character is seduced, haunted, stalked, tortured, abused, and possibly every sort of evil action is either done or hinted at. For a while we don't really understand who or what is doing, and the question is where does reality begin and end? Pressures grow, deadlines near, jealousy flares, and for a while even, a dash of sex adds some interesting perspective to the mix. Things become darker, paranoia grows, and we know one way or another, the end results aren't going to be pretty.
So, come in and expect to be entertained, and watch as the seeds of jealousy and resentment can poison even the best of us, and how some technical virtuosity can almost save a weak script. Sometimes getting the right actors and directors does make a big difference. It certainly does here.