Swan Portman.

Rating: 10/10 (14 September 2015)

Black Swan (2010): Dir: Darren Aronofsky / Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder: Tense and riveting film about personality disorder. Natalie Portman plays Nina, a ballet dancer set to perform the White Swan for Swan Lake but her instructor informs her that she hasn't the feeling to make the transformation to the Black Swan. At home she is dominated by her mother who at one time was a dancer herself. Now she conflicts reality and fantasy sometimes interlocking the two to consequential results. This is Darren Aronofsky's best film since Requiem For A Dream with similar images involving what the mind sees and what is actually there. Portman delivers a maddening performance as a woman who strives for perfection to the point where it controls her. Vincent Cassel plays her egotistical instructor who just dismissed his long time leading lady and now seduces Nina with forceful intensity. One of the pleasures of Aronofsky is that this situation doesn't conclude as expected. Mila Kunis plays another dancer whom Nina fears is replacing her. She seems enthusiastic at Nina's talent and invites her on a night on the town that concludes with an intense sex scene that may or may not be real. Barbara Hershey plays Nina's dominating mother who dreams that her daughter will succeed where she failed. Winona Ryder plays a performer past her prime who is being replaced. Her reaction to this is severe. Visually spectacular with many mind blowing turns where one's quest for perfection becomes a sacrifice of sanity and losing self for the sake of art. Score: 10 / 10