Black Swan
Dance is the pure display of emotion and every eight count proves that in “Black Swan”. Natalie Portman stars as Nina Sayers, a veteran dancer who gains an opportunity to take over as the The Swan Queen, the lead role for her ballet company. She will be replacing the retiring queen Beth Macintyre (Winona Ryder) who does not seem to want to give up the roll willingly. As try outs begin for the new Swan Queen Nina nails the white swan, but she has a lot to learn to take over the role of the black swan.
The black swan must seduce the audience and have a certain sex appeal that Nina is lacking. Soon the black swan emerges but not from Nina, but rather from rival dancer Lily (Mila Kunis) who effortlessly has everything the white swan desires to take on both roles. Lily is a carefree dancer who lives life to the fullest. While Nina visualizes her every move and lives at home with her overbearing mother who is living her dream out through her daughter.
When Nina feels threatened by the new dancer she finds herself embodying the black swan and doing whatever she finds necessary to take over the role. “Black Swan” is a beautiful tale of a dream and the desperation one can have to fulfill it. It is a dark thriller that leaves you wondering about what is real and what is fiction. Natalie Portman steals the show with her amazing performance. Director Darren Aronofsky again brings a beautiful pure ballerina to a dark demising devil, all without missing a beat. “Black Swan” is one of the great films this year and the best work from Portman. Forget the nutcracker ballet, check out what the Black Swan has hiding in her closet of tutus.
[...] 1. BLACK SWAN : An artistic masterpiece filled with beauty, disappointment and a mental illness that plays out beautifully. Darren Aronofsky showcases this thriller brilliantly making it my top film of 2010. [...]