Black Swan (2010)

Natalie Portman in Black Swan (2010)

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder

It's only every once in a while you walk into a movie theatre and see a true work of art. It's also extremely rare for a person to feel compelled to see a movie more than once in order to completely wrap your head around not because you have to, but because you want to. Well, Darren Aronofsky's 2010 masterpiece, Black Swan, gives you both and then some.

The movie isn't without its flaws -- few are -- but when they appear, they're minor, and don't detract from the quality of the movie whatsoever. For example, sometimes it seems like the movie is trying too hard to be poignant when it accomplishes it so easily with the simple stuff.

First and foremost, let's talk about Aronofsky's directing. I'm glad that I have seen this movie more than once before bringing my thoughts to you, because in all honesty, I don't think it's possible to fully grasp every aspect in just one sitting, or even two. I have now seen the film multiple times, and each time I watch it, I see something new and exciting, whether its the use of greens in one particular confrontation between Nina (Natalie Portman) and her mother (Barbara Hershey) or the costume design, which literally tracks Nina's transformation through the use of color.

To be honest, color is a big deal in this movie, and it's not just about the different between whites and blacks. That's a part of it, sure -- Mila Kunis's Lily wears black almost exclusively throughout the film, appropriately tagging her as one of the film's titular "black swans." The use of pinks in Nina's room also gives you a window into the innocence of her as the film begins.

But the film's crowning achievement -- and certainly, various awards show outlets seem to have agreed on this point -- is the performance of its leading actress, Natalie Portman. Portman portrays Nina Sayers, a young ballerina who gets her wish: to play the Swan Queen in a New York ballet company's production of Swan Lake. However, it begins to take a toll on her -- much more than she has ever faced or expected.

Portman is literally in every scene of the movie, and almost every shot. There isn't a moment of the film when her character, Nina, isn't somehow involved in the action that is currently going on. On top of that, it's pretty clear that for the most part -- if at all -- she didn't use extras for the dancing scenes. Long takes start on her feet, making you think that there's another dancer doing the choreography for her, but then directly pan up to a face which is quite obviously hers. It's a remarkable achievement -- she has really put in her time, and deserved all the awards she won.

On top of Natalie Portman's Academy Award-winning performance, you've got such great supporting actors lined up. For example, Vincent Cassel plays Nina's... slightly creepy dance teacher, and it's perhaps the weirdest movie-watching experience ever because you start off really hating him, but there's a moment in the movie where you feel like maybe, just maybe, he's the only one worth liking. It's extremely weird.

Overall, this is a good movie. And it's definitely worth your time. So head on over to the movie rental store, pick up a copy of Black Swan, and watch it -- sure, you may not like a movie about dancers, but there's so much more too it, like intense action sequences, a steamy, controversial romance, and many other amazing qualities that all coalesce to make this movie what it is: truly amazing.

Final Rating: 9.0/10
Notable Performance: Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers