The Black Swan

I’ve been performing or have been around performers since I was twelve years old and it fascinates me how some people make it and others don’t. I can tell you with complete authority that it is not the most talented people that make it in this business, it’s something else and it’s hard to define. In the Black Swan, Natalie Portman (The Other Boleyn Girl) plays Nina Sayers, a seasoned prima ballerina. Technically she is the most proficient dancer in the company, but her drive for perfection often causes her to disconnect emotionally with her characters. She comes off cool and fails to draw on that human spirit that we find so attractive. Her lack of charisma has kept in her supporting roles. But now that the star of the company is retiring, Winona Ryder (Heathers), Nina is finally getting her big chance.
 
Vincent Cassell (Mesrine: Killer Instinct) who is the master of scary-sexy, plays Thomas Leroy the director of the ballet company. He is so confident in his abilities as a director that he thinks he can manipulate a performance out of Nina. If he can combine her artistic proficiency with a truly passionate delivery he would have the makings of a huge star. But what he doesn’t know is the emotional damage that has been inflicted on Nina by her controlling mother, Barbara Hershey (Beaches). Nina wants more than anything to play the white swan, but the black swan is out of her comfort zone and it terrifies her. When a new ballerina joins the company, Mila Kunis (Book of Eli) she becomes Nina’s rival. Technically, Lily is an inferior dancer but she possesses a joy and a passion that Nina lacks. When Lily becomes Nina’s understudy, Nina’s fear and insecurity fractures her psyche and her grasp on reality begins to slip.
 
Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler) supplies this psychological thriller with myriads of dark imagery, which helps us enter in to Nina’s world. It is so complex that at times you are not sure what you are seeing which adds a horror component to the mix. This is a film that invites a second viewing, for by the end you begin to question what you’ve really seen. Like black and white this film is full of contrast and satisfies you intellectually on many levels. The performances are riveting, it is beautifully filmed and the script gives you plenty to ponder. This Black Swan is sexy, smart and terrifying. It will make a unforgettable night in the theatre.

Rating: First Run Sexy, smart and terrifying