Style over Substance

Rating: 4/10 (7 February 2011)

Although there are many great user reviews here, I am certain the critics influenced much of that.
Yes, the ballet sequences are filmed beautifully. If you're a fan of ballet, this may be more interesting for you than most audience members. And yes, Natalie Portman is a brilliant performer. Sweetness and innocence literally exudes from her in a some magical way. She's a phenomenon. Vincent Cassel is so sexy and magnetic --truly, the cast was great.
But, the movie is still style over substance. Way over. There is just not much happening. It's pretty slow. The only interesting parts are her hallucinations. This movie is SO MUCH like the director/writer's last two films, "Requiem for a Dream" and "Pi". (And "Pi" is possibly the worst film I've ever seen!) Black Swan has better-known actors and a much bigger budget, but the bottom line is this: these films are about a person who is slowly spiraling out of control. The person is paranoid, anxiety-ridden, obsessive, fearful, and eventually hallucinatory. There is almost always hallucinated self-inflicted injuries, gore, and gratuitous sex, in addition to a lot of nothing-happening scenes..... just nothing.
I am heartily pulling for Natalie Portman for the Academy Award as she is and always has been a "to-die-for" actor. I think anyone who doesn't adore her has not seen her films. But, I certainly hope this mess of a movie doesn't receive any other awards!