Portman is Portman and Black Swan is noir

Rating: 8/10 (13 March 2011)

Natalie Portman performs brilliantly the psycho-ill ballerina role of Nina. The character is absolutely not, nor is it meant to be, endearing. Nobody likes the characters of psychological thrillers; we don't like them for a variety of reasons but mostly because they creep us out. You would not like to have a psycho-ill person as a friend and no more so as an enemy. So why do we watch those kind of movies? We watch them for the thrill of surprise psycho actions, rarely predictable if well written; we loved them also for the dramatic experience, so long as it's vicarious, and we like them if the actors deliver a solid performance.
The success of this movie genre rest heavily on that precarious performance. Not just anyone can deliver a good solid psycho character performance. Many, too many, have tried unsuccessfully but with little damage to their career. To pull off a good psycho performance requires all the skills and talent proper to great actors and I suppose that's why the ones who are good take on those roles from time to time.
I don't care much for ballet and so know little about it, but I did a little research so as not to sound too big of a fool writing this review. The punishment ballerinas are known to endure for their art is notorious. I think Natalie Portman was quite convincing on that count and you're an idiot if you don't agree with that assessment. She in fact seemed to have the whole ballerina look down pat.
This is why I don't care that much for ballet, too flat chested women, not enough smiling nor meat on the bones, pretty much a personal turn off. I recognized good performances by Natalie Portman and also Vincent Cassel, the key actors and for that reason watched the movie right to the bitter end. I did not enjoy the movie and was not entertained by it; it startled me, disgusted me at times and therefore it had to be good. I would not have enjoyed it regardless, had Nina been a size 36B, smiled for more than five seconds at any one time and nor if I was having my favourite cocktail while watching it. Well perhaps I might with that cocktail.