Excruciating, Intoxicating, Superb!

Rating: 9/10 (29 January 2011)

Excruciating, Intoxicating, Superb! Many people are somewhat familiar with Tchaikovsky's classic play Swan Lake the tale of a princess turned into a swan, who is deceived & chooses to make the ultimate sacrifice for love. Screenwriters Mark Heyman, Andrew Heinz and John McLaughlin have taken many elements of the classic tale and transformed them with violence, sexuality, intensity or as one Alex DeLarge in Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" would put it Ultra Violence!
Nina (Natalie Portman)is a New York city ballerina who's life is completely consumed with her profession. When company director Thomas (Vincent Cassel) announces that a fresh production of Swan Lake is the upcoming project & that he is casting a new leading ballerina in the title role replacing long-time princess of the stage Beth (Winona Ryder), Nina jumps at the opportunity to receive the honor. Constantly trying to impress her director & an overbearing mother (Barbara Hershey), Nina is fragile who need only a push to completely fall apart.
Thomas assures Nina that she is perfect for the role of the White Swan, which represents innocence & grace but the lead dancer is also required to portray the evil Black Swan, representing sensuality. Nina has a competitor, a new dancer Lily (Mila Kunis) who is everything Nina is not, a personification of the Black Swan it seems, and bears a striking resemblance to Nina.
The two young dancer's expand their rivalry which fuels a twisted friendship. With a growing paranoia on Nina's conscience she begins to believe Lily is out to get her. Encouraged into the idea that for her to successfully become the Black Swan on stage she must lose herself in her performance, Nina's mind take's this into her reality. The idea becomes a virus attacking Nina causing her to hallucinate, it becomes near impossible to differentiate reality from her living nightmare.
Natalie Portman has delivered the performance of her career, brilliance doesn't quite do the justice it deserves. There isn't a doubt in my mind that Natalie hasn't earned herself her first Academy Award win with this breathtaking performance. The supporting cast Kunis, Cassel, Hershey, Ryder make the most of every second on screen and have flawlessly given the audience fresh characters to admire.
Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler) is one of the most consistent directors of our time. Unlike any other director in Hollywood, Aronofsky is able to make any working material excruciating to watch, the Ballet in this feature would seem like a blood sport more damaging to the body than professional wrestling. Each Aronofsky film seems to surpass one another, receiving 5 Academy Award Nominations including Best Picture, Director & Actress in a leading role.
This psychological thriller is an instant contemporary classic, one that will be talked about for years to come. The ending is truly exhilarating & poetic, those who loved Fight Club & Amadeus will adore BLACK SWAN.