Black Swan

   Let me start by saying that this could have been a great movie, but unfortunately, it only comes close. Black Swan as a movie is merely an average psychological thriller. The plot points are somewhat weak and easy to guess at and the writing as a whole only mediocre.

   Luckily, that is not why you would see this movie. This movie is all about Natalie Portman. She gives an incredible performance and makes the most with what she is given. She plays Nina Sayers, a ballerina who has been dancing for a long time in the same company and is given her big break on the new performance of Swan Lake. Portman has completely changed herself for this role. Every movement she makes is precise and with meaning, she not only dances like a ballerina, but moves like one. She is in complete control of her body. There is a scene where she is practicing her dance, and we can tell how upset she is just by a flash of her eyes, even though she doesn’t show it anywhere else on her.  

   She is surrounded by other fine performances. Winona Rider plays the older ballerina that Nina is replacing and Barbarah Hershey chills as Nina’s mother. Hershey is the ballerina who didn’t get the big break. She raises her daughter to be the best and then lives vicariously through her. As the movie goes on and reality bends, the mother gets creepier. It is easy to see how Nina could end up as messed up in the head as she is. She lives alone with her mother, who is overbearing and pounces on her right as she walks through the door, hounding her about her day and everything in it.

   Without giving anything away, the plot basically shows Nina preparing for her role and gradually losing track of her “white swan” and her “black swan.” With the white swan being the controlled ballerina, and the black swan representing her more base and passionate side (read: evil). Mila Kunis playing a dancing version of Mila Kunis helps Nina unlock her darker side. If you are reading this, you probably already know about the lesbian scene, but I thought it did a good job of showing how much Nina has slipped into her role, and out of the real world.

   The ending is fine, but guessable, like most of the plot. In all the movie is a fun ride, and while it might creep you out, it doesn’t go over the top (but it doesn’t go far enough either). For it to have been great, the script would have to push the limit a bit more and trust Arnofsky and the actors to be able to keep it grounded. Unfortunately, they can only work with what they are given, and that was not enough.

Overall, this movie was fine, and it was fun just to watch Portman work. The dancing is very elegant, and the music is fine. Expect Oscar nominations, and very possibly a win for the lead.

Final Verdict: 7