Black Swan Review.

Darren Aronofsky’s BLACK SWAN left me speechless for a good few minutes after the credits started to the sound of the audience’s rapturous on-screen applause. This isn’t something that has ever happened to me before. The film is an incredible achievement for the American director, with fantastic camera work that makes you feel the dizziness of Nina Sayers’ (Natalie Portman) transformation into the Black Swan, as if you were spinning those multiple pirouettes along with her.

Natalie Portman has always resonated with me due to her ability to add a sensitivity and believability to her often very complex characters where other actresses would appear weighed down by their scripts. In this film, however, there are glimpses of a real fire about her character, with Nina being someone that, even though you mainly sympathise and admire her longing to be prima ballerina, at points confuses and actually upsets you – not something I’ve ever encountered with one of her roles. Believe me, her Oscar nomination is entirely warranted and her flawless performance emits a vulnerability that at points had me choked and at other moments makes you feel very protective and parental towards her.

Mila Kunis, playing Nina’s competition Lily, is wonderfully and deliciously effortless as the new kid on the block. Even though it takes some time to figure out her motives, you often feel (after her entrance into the dressing room where none of the dancers even acknowledge her) that she, too, is simply trying to fit in and gain some recognition just like Nina’s ambition to become prima. Even though I always think of Meg Griffin from Family Guy whenever I hear Kunis utter her first few lines in a film (a character she is synonymous for voicing), thankfully this is quickly forgotten and I am certain her career is about to take off big time. Even though she did not gain a Best Supporting Oscar nod after being nominated by many other critics circles, this will in no way hinder a girl who can hold her own opposite someone as established as Portman.

Vincent Cassel and Barbara Hershey add to the brilliant supporting cast, with Cassel as the company director and Hershey as Nina’s ‘failed’ ex-ballerina mother who still smothers her daughter to the point of near-intoxication. Even so, we still very much feel her pain in one particular scene when she is trying to deal with a very upset Nina – to say too much would ruin a large portion of the story. Cassel is brilliant casting, appearing extremely powerful and impressive to Nina, but never stealing the scenes away from Portman. Hershey may have been unfortunately left out of the Oscar nominations this year, but her role is one that stays with you and is actually rather haunting, making us question to what extent her daughter will turn out like her.

Black Swan left me speechless and gave me an extremely intense cinematic experience. It won’t be to everyone’s taste as there are a lot of mind-tricks, sexual antics and basic (but extremely effective) gory incidents that are at times very jumpy. But the incredible use of a hand-held camera that gets us right into the heart of the ballet scenes (beautiful choreographed and definitely enough ballet to keep the dance fans amongst you satisfied) and the brilliant and rousing score (keep your ears out for the Chemical Brothers remixing Tchaikovsky in the club scene) actually make this film, in my opinion, beautiful. At the centre of it all is Natalie Portman’s Nina. And Portman is the main reason this film works, because she is an ever-reliable and exciting actress who creates characters that stay with you. Trust me, Nina Sayers won’t easily stay out of your dreams the night after you’ve seen this…

4/5