Black Swan

….and now Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky’s latest film and proof that, following on from The Wrestler, the folly of The Fountain is now a distant memory. First of all, the story. Nina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina in a New York ballet company who director Leroy (Vincent Cassel) selects to take the lead role in their new production of Swan Lake. However, the pressure of stepping up to lead performer soon starts to affect Nina and coupled with the arrival of a potential rival for the role, Lily (Mila Kunis), she soon starts edging towards what appears to be a nervous breakdown. The first thing to say here is that Portman, Cassel and Kunis are all fine, but this is a director’s film if ever there was one. Aronofsky is a helmer with a serious eye for detail and he uses many tricks throughout the film. The mainly muted colour scheme gives a cold uneasy film from the very first frame and once Nina’s hallucinations begin (or do they?) we know we’re on a roller coaster ride that surely isn’t going to have a happy ending. The slow build up to Nina’s eventual mental breakdown (or is it?) is excellently handled by Aronofsky. Did those eyes on that picture move? Is that me on the train? It eventually goes quite bonkers, but not before Aronofsky “treats” us to the best scene ever regarding those painful bits of loose skin you get just below your fingernails. Ouch, indeed. There’s also a nice juxtaposition between the wide open spaces of the dance studio and Nina’s claustrophobic home life with her over-bearing mother, played by Barbara Hershey (excellently cast…hell, she just looks terrifying). I mentioned The Wrestler earlier and it’s interesting that whilst that film concerns someone well past their best, Swan is about someone in their prime. However, as with most of Aronofsky’s output, failure or success, life is tough. Interestingly the film was originally set in the world of theatre before Aronofsky got involved and changed it. The dangerous sexual tension prevalent throughout the film surely wouldn’t have been as applicable in the earlier version so it’s a smart switch. Portman has been getting wild praise for her performance, but I’m not sure it’s all that deserved. No doubt it’s a decent turn, but mainly looking confused for 2 hours is hardly worthy of an Oscar is it? Anyway, this is Aronofsky’s film all the way and it will leave you with many talking points at the end regarding what you just saw. There’s no right and wrong answer and it’s clearly designed to be open to your personal interpretation. The studio will no doubt be happy with that though as this does demand repeated viewings so you can align your perceptions with what’s on screen. On the down side though you may find the conclusion just too wild and illogical and become frustrated as to knowing whether what you’re watching is real or not. Finally, as I’ve reviewed them back to back, The King's Speech has the best acting whilst Black Swan is the best directed and, overall, is the better quality film.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
A great film and Aronofsky visual style is a perfect match for this story of mental meltdown. Rating: 8/10.