Like a symphony... the fine tuning and impeccable interplay of every instrument is what makes it transcendent

Rating: 10/10 (10 February 2011)

With an overbearing mother who lives vicariously through her, the perfectionist Nina lives and dies for getting the lead in the ballet Swan Lake(don't worry, the plot of that is explained early in this, and no, you don't need to like that form of expression... I didn't and don't, and still loved this), as the dual personalities of the Queen. She knows the steps beyond reproach, and she embodies the purity of the White half, as it reflects her own personality. But what of the uninhibited Dark one? Lily is the obvious choice, here, and is thus a potential rival for the part. And as this progresses, our lead comes closer to giving in... but with what result? The ideal casting of all three roles is a vital aspect. The talented Portman throws herself into the innocence(at times, her voice sounds frail as glass) that gradually accepts her urges(the giving up of control that is key to sexuality is an important metaphor in this... and it is rather erotic, and like everything else in this, not gratuitously so), Kunis surprises with how compelling she is, and the stiff-upper lip of Hershey is spot-on. Cassell(another passionate player) is astounding as the direct dance instructor(you truly get a sense of how unrelenting, fast-paced of a world that is). And all four are thoroughly developed, credible characters, in spite of how difficult it is to keep the first three from deteriorating into cliché-ridden, superficial stereotypes. The acting is fantastic for all involved. This really gets to you; I nearly cried three times, of either sadness or joy, feeling what our heroine felt. It's beautifully shot(there's a scene at a club where you are lost in the mood... and while you really are all the time in this, it's one of the strongest examples) and sharply edited all the way through. Like Pi and Requiem for a Dream(this has Clint Mansell also from that doing the score, a twisted variation on Tchaikovsky), this is about obsession and it is about the psychology and what it does to you, and like in those, we are experiencing the the grotesque sights and sounds of the hallucinations along with them. Aronofsky nails you to the seat and in spite of considerably brutal and disturbing portions, you're grateful for it. I recommend this warmly to any fan of his style, or the concept. 10/10