Movie Review: Black Swan

I'm just back from the cinema where I took in the new movie "Black Swan" starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. Here are my thoughts on the film.

Prior to leaving for the movie tonight, I went to the old reliable amongst movie review sites. That's right, I enlisted the knowledge of RottenTomatoes.com. In case you haven't heard of it, RT is a place for movie enthusiasts and movie critics alike to share their insights. It covers almost every piece of cinema ever created and is definitely the place to be for up to the minute news and reviews of the world of film.

Black Swan scored 88% i.e. not too shabby and actually quite good. A good friend of mine has a rule that he follows closely: If Rotten Tomatoes gives the movie 70% or over, then you have to see it. End of story.

I did exactly that.

Black Swan (or is it "The Black Swan"... or is it even important?) is labeled a psychological thriller and I believe it fit that bill quite well. I won't claim to be a movie connaisseur who can tell you all about the very best thrillers of all time because, quite frankly, I haven't seen many. I like to think I have a wide knowledge of cinema and the genres that are contained therein, but this movie made me reconsider my stance.

From the beginning, the movie draws you in to the dark and disturbed world of professional ballet through the eyes of protagonist Nina (Natalie Portman). Now, we're not talking girls between the ages of ten and sixteen looking at themselves in the mirror and twirling, only to be floored with gleeful applause from their way too enthusiastic parents. No, no. We're talking hardcore competitive girls in their mid twenties looking to make it in this cutthroat business. It's about stage shows. It's about making your mark.

Above all, it's about being perfect in the eyes of the audience, a point I will touch on later.

Hint: the italics mean it's significant.

I've only seen Natalie Portman before in supporting roles, the worst of which was the terribly written Star Wars Episodes I through III, but let's not get into that. In this, one of her first true lead roles, she was simply fantastic from start to finish. Portman's character endures a struggle within herself and her own psyche to live up to the expectations of the choreographer of the show and her boss, Thomas. It is how she sells the internal battle that grabbed me. I have never seen her pull off such an emotional role before, and it was quite impressive to watch.

In watching this movie initially, or perhaps even before you even go, you may have the incorrect impression that this will be a rather uninventive "girly" film just because you associate ballet with femininity. That couldn't be further from the truth. In reality, you are taken on the journey of Portman's character and feel the pain she feels, go through the same hallucinations and get a sneak peek into her disturbed world. There is no spoonfeeding for you in this movie - it is simply raw, passionate acting at its best.

More than anything else, this movie tells a compelling story of how the search for perfection in life is often a fruitless one fraught with peril and inevitably, heartbreak or worse. Portman's character learns this the hard way in the dancing business which, although glamorous and sparkly on the outside reeks of backstabbing, countless hours of labour and a lack of wholeness in life. Like all good films, it takes you on a whirlwind of a journey that you won't soon forget.

Ladies and gentlemen, my scores are in...

8.9/10

Black Swan was a terrific piece of cinema that I would recommend to anyone. It keeps you entertained throughout and also challenges you to empathise with this Nina character in her search for the perfect performance as the Swan Queen. I won't go into any details to spoil the movie. Just go to a showing. You won't regret it.