Black Swan - And thus continues the trend of Aronofsky's fascination with the themes of obsession and what it can do to our lives. Thought to be a companion piece to his highly-regarded The Wrestler, it is in fact a much different piece (and one I would argue infinitely better than).
I've always liked Aronofsky, never really loved him. However, I absolutely loved this film. It is a haunting piece, both in scope and it's execution, especially with the performance of Portman. Portman is an actress who I've always thought had talent, but for the most part, only showcased a bit of it throughout her career. Let me be clear - this is a career defining performance. The only one I can truly compare it to is Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (although they are different beasts). The slow descent into madness is something to behold - it isn't cliched, and it's totally visceral. As I said earlier, it's still haunting me hours later.
The main components of this film are truly brilliant. Secondary performances by Cassell, Kunis, Hershey all deliver fantastic performances, each one understanding exactly what they must bring to Nina's (Portman) world. The direction is intense at times - we are meant to be brought into the terror of what this young woman is going through, and it's done expertly. The shots of the actual ballet work are stunning at times (and I'm not a ballet fan), with a score that meshes well with Tchaikovsky's compositions.
If you are a fan of psychological horror, stories of obsession and what perfection in art can to do a person, or are just curious to see how a director could make the world of ballet appear so damn engrossing, go see this picture. It is simply the best all year.
A+
Finally watched it.
Definitely well reviewed dude.
I thought each performance was brilliant especially Vincent Cassell who can sometimes be a little over the top.
It is stunning but launches straight into the main storyline from the opening scene.
I wonder if there's a cut that will show us 5 mins of of relative normality for Nina. A few moments to get to like her before the pressure cooker begins.