Natalie Portman certainly did a compelling enough job to earn all those awards for Black Swan

Rating: 10/10 (7 August 2011)

Just watched this movie on a Netflix disc. It features Natalie Portman in her Oscar-winning performance as a ballerina who seems to be lost in her role as the Black Swan. Mila Kunis plays her rival...or is she? Barbara Hershey is her mother, Winona Ryder an aged ballerina who resents being cast aside, and Vincent Cassel as the teacher who can be pretty controlling but still inspirational. Director Darren Aronofsky provides such haunting images concerning the transformation of the Portman character that you wonder if she's truly mad before coming to a definite conclusion. I'd say this was quite a beautifully realized dream-like drama that holds on to you till the very end. So on that note, Black Swan comes highly recommended.