Visually exciting and offers real horror, but over-scripted/directed and may seem contrived

Rating: 6/10 (12 January 2011)

First let me start by saying that I didn't like the film much, but didn't dislike it much either. Rating a movie 7 in my benchmark means that I think it's worth watching for many other people, while certain people like me won't like it.
While being labeled as a psychological thriller, the film has some horror and fantasy elements, which however, won't be that horrifying for any thriller fan. So it means any average audience is good to go and see this. But as I judge it from my personal view, the film's probably not going to appeal to those who don't like Shutter Island or Muholland Dr. However, it doesn't mean that Black Swan shares the same kind of twist as they do, by which I mean, the story's surely different.
The overall feeling that I got from watching this film is that, the director and the script writers put tons of efforts to reflect the main character's psychological inner world. However, it falls flat for some reasons: First, the trick is pretty much a cliché. It's like old wine in a new bottle. The majority of shots telling her psychological responses are a depiction of what she thinks, which don't interact much with and affect the "real" outside world or real persons out there, and this brings about little true substance to the movie itself and the idea it tries to express. Second, Black Swan sure has got its emotional content but from time to time it seems to be overdone. Though I don't deny the fact that Natalie Portman delivered a good performance, the acting itself seems rather overdone due to the overdone script. And her switch to the black swan that she's been longing for seems kind of tacked on only for the benefit of offering some visual excitement.
While looking it on the bright side, many would love to see the inner spirit of a struggling soul. Black Swan did it deeply with a large amount of dedicated scenes. It'd be good as long as you didn't mind the trick being old. The music and shooting are both great, and the final dance sequence is enjoyable, both technically and artistically. Speaking of this, shooting the sequence could be a real tough job, which the crew handled flawlessly. Also, on the whole, the film has a very dark tone, which gets you glued as long as you are inclined to.
If you're looking for an emotional journey that might drive you on, going for the film will never be a wrong choice. But if what you prefer is a clever story with witty twists, or something that's truly trying to EXPLORE rather than SHOW the so-called psychological stuff, you have to have a second thought before going to the cinema.