Black Swan

After a couple of weeks of fun and frivolity, we are now firmly back in my wheelhouse. Matt and I will be reviewing all the nominees for Oscar’s Best Picture in 2011. The first movie is Black Swan and it is a great place to start.

In Black Swan we delve into the world of ballet. Evidently, this is a crazy, competitive profession where dancers at the top tier are always forced to fight for their spots, while watching their backs. Natalie Portman plays Nina, a ballerina with talent who has never been able to reach the leading roles. As casting begins, Nina is discouraged because her director is less than encouraging about her ability to play the Black Swan Queen. He acknowledges she has the purity of the White Queen, but none of the sultry fire of the Black.

Nina refuses to give up and she dances her best in an attempt to win the coveted role. Against all odds, Nina wins the lead role and is introduced to a world she has never known. The back-stabbing is now at an Olympian level and she is constantly running to avoid being caught on the casting couch.

Unfortunately, her home is no haven. Nina lives with her mother, a former dancer, who is WAY too involved in the minutia of Nina’s life. Her mother feels her own career was cut short when she gave birth to Nina so she is focused on living vicariously through her daughter. Unsurprisingly, it appears that Nina has some emotional problems and is cutting herself to relieve the pressure on the job and at home.

During all this upheaval, a new dancer, Lily (Mila Kunis) joins the company and seems to be in pursuit of Nina’s leading role. As the pressure mounts, Nina loses her ability to determine between paranoid fantasy and reality. The viewer is also left to wonder. The ending is a gorgeous cacophony of costumes, music and insanity and will leave you wondering how it all came together.

Black Swan earns a solid four stars. The acting is superb, the writing is sharp and crisp and the musical score is creepy, yet elegant. If you are looking for a good psychological thriller, curl up on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn and Black Swan. Its twists and turns will keep you glued to the couch until the bitter end.

Michelle D. Kieffaber