Aronofsky+Portman=...I don't know what

Rating: 4/10 (25 May 2013)

Two names drew me to this movie. Darren Aronofsky and Natalie Portman. Aronofsky has made some very unique films and Portman is a fine actress. But that does not mean both will be a great movie. The story is simple. It is about a ballerina (Portman) who is obsessed with being the best performer, or in this case, being the Black Swan. Full of out-there characters, strange camera techniques/special effects, bizarrely, disturbing hallucinations, and a character driven to self-destruction, this movie reeks as a masterpiece by Aronofsky. What could go wrong? The problem? There are many. For starters, it is too reminiscent of Requiem for a Dream. About a third of the movie is nothing more than the ballerina's crazy delusions of her flesh and nails peeling off, faces in pictures mocking at her, and even conversations with other characters that never happen. While I enjoy such off the wall stuff, it is in excess and feels out of place for the film's plot. It is as if Aronofsky wanted to throw in craziness as a means to entertain or rather shock the viewer. The artsy film fans will love it but it is a put off for the average viewer. I don't mind it. It is just overbearing. It makes sense for such bizarre delusions to occur in a film about drug abuse like Requiem for a Dream, but not about a ballerina dancer. After awhile, you cannot help wonder if Portman's character is a psychotic.
The second problem with this film is that it lacks characters we care to see succeed. Aronofsky pulled this off marvelously in The Fountain and even Requiem for a Dream to an extent, but this is non-existent in The Black Swan. Third, supporting number 2, the performances were not that encompassing. Portman won the golden globe, the BAFTA, the Screen Actor's Guild, and the Oscar for this film. In all honesty, she acted mostly with a tear-stained face that is as memorable as a girl about to killed in a b-horror movie. I am not a Natalie Portman basher. I love her work. But she was not that good in this movie. The fourth problem, it has many scenes that have no relevance to the overall plot. Among them is a love lesbian scene between Portman and Mila Kunis. While this might work in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, it feels contrived for simple shock value (and perhaps maybe an excuse to get young male viewers excited to watch this movie).
I could go on and on, but I'll spare you the pain of reading anymore. It is not a complete disaster though. Like all Aronofsky films, it has a haunting score and exquisite cinematography. The dream sequence in the beginning where Portman dances with a male performer that morphs into a monster is a spectacular feat. It is only a three-minute scene, but it is something for me to remember about the movie. The choreography is also very beautiful. Vincent Cassel as the ruthless play director is also very amusing to watch as he grills Portman and the other girls to do better. He delivers as the chauvinistic pig very well. I tried to watch this movie with an open-mind, but it is not my cup of tea.