'Black Swan' - Movie Review

"Black Swan" is the latest effort from acclaimed director Darren Aronofsky. This dark look at the world of ballet and the toll that a lead role takes on one ballerina has gotten quite a bit of awards buzz. The film itself and Aronofsky have won many critics award. Star Natalie Portman is nominated for the Best Actress Oscar and has already won the Golden Globe for her work. As one of the big contenders this awards season the question is can the appeal of the film reach beyond the critics to the audience? With a film as masterfully crafted and riveting as this it's difficult to think that it won't win over viewers just as easily.

in "Black Swan" Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is a professional ballerina who has perfected her technique to the point that she's just about the most tightly wound person in all of New York City. However when she receives her big break and is cast as the lead in a production of Swan Lake, it forces her to start to unwind and give up some of that control she clings to so tightly. Her director (Vincent Cassel) urges her to break free, fearing that if she doesn't she will never be able to embody the sensual release of the Black Swan. Nina finds freeing herself up more very difficult, and the fact that she lives with her stage mom of a mother (Barbara Hershey) doesn't make things any easier. However when Nina starts to get closer to the newest member of the troupe (Mila Kunis) she starts to find ways of opening herself up. As she does so things begin to take a sinister turn and at times it seems that her transformation into the Black Swan is beginning to manifest as an actual physical twisting of Nina's own body.

It should be pointed out that the psychological and possibly supernatural aspects of "Black Swan" have been a bit over played in much of the marketing and trailers. While these elements are vital to the story being told they also don't really start in earnest until the last third or so of the film. Up to that point the film is almost a straight-forward tale of one ballerina's quest for perfection, and it probably could have played out in that standard fashion and still been a good movie. However the psychological aspects and the things that are happening to Nina's body add a whole other layer to the film that is at times frightening and always fascinating. Things start subtle with some wonderful audio cues such as rapid breathing and the flutter of wings, and these start long before any physical symptoms. The film is very carefully paced, and luckily the film is still fully engaging even before the weirdness that's been the focus of the trailers starts to happen.

Aronofsky is known for letting the camera get in very tight on the face of his star actor and keeping it there, and "Black Swan" is no exception. This sort of approach really requires an actor who can keep the audience engaged, because relying on an under-qualified actor means the audience can get board of seeing their face halfway through. Fortunately Portman is more than up to the task. She's able to convey a surprising range of deep emotions while maintaining Nina's extremely sense of personal control. Of course as that control begins to weaken it allows her to take the character to new places and that is very exciting to watch. In a way "Black Swan" bares a resemblance to Aronofsky's "The Wrestler." Both follow entertainers who rely almost completely on their bodies to be able to do their work, yet their work involves effectively destroying their bodies. Of course "The Wrestler" dealt with a man at the end of his career while "Black Swan" deals with a woman who's career is just taking off, however they almost seem to serve as companion pieces.

The supporting cast does admirable work as well. Mila Kunis as Lily is able to be just wild enough to be fun and slightly dangerous yet she keeps the character grounded and likable. That of course makes her interesting to watch, as it's never clear if she's really on Nina's side or secretly working against her or trying to steal the lead. Vincent Cassel also does a great job as the director of the ballet. He has the tricky proposition of having a character who's a bit of a sexual deviant but really can't be played as a full on sleaze. It's not an easy thing to pull off but he manages it make it look easy. Barbara Hershey has a similar challenge in keeping the controlling mother character from becoming a "Mommy Dearest" style cliche, and she also manages to do keep things grounded. Ultimately though this film is almost entirely Portman's movie, with the camera so tight on her for most of the film there are times when it feels almost like a one woman show. There's a reason she's considered all but a lock for Best Actress Oscar.

"Black Swan" at it's heart is a darker telling of Swan Lake itself, while having that actual ballet serve as a backdrop to the proceedings. The music of the ballet is used liberally throughout the film, mixed with great original work by Clint Mansel. The entire movie is wonderfully steeped in the ballet world and feels rather insular, which is fitting since Nina's world effectively begins and ends with ballet. This movie manages to be a thoughtful artistic piece that can still manage to be a crowd pleaser. It's obviously a bit on the dark side so those only interested in the dancing (which is done almost entirely by the actors themselves) might get a little more than they bargain for. But anybody ready for this trip down the dark alley of a ballerina's psyche will be glad they took the journey.

Final Score: 4.5 out of 5