Black Swan
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Directed by: Darren Aronofsky; Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder. Rating: 7/10
THERE are times you go along to a film with a vague idea of what to expect.
If you haven't succumbed to all the hype and TV specials on Black Swan, you could perhaps be forgiven for thinking it's a "chick flick" about ballet.
You'd be wrong.
In fact it's a gripping and occasionally terrifying psychological thriller for which the term "edge of your seat" is all too apt. You have been warned!
Director Darren Aronofsky, feted for Mickey Rourke's compelling comeback film, The Wrestler, pulls no punches when lifting the lid on the unexpectedly dark world of a New York ballet company.
As Nina (Portman) and Lily (Kunis) compete for the part of the Swan in Swan Lake, their rivalry quickly develops into a twisted friendship.
Company director Leo (Cassel) knows that Nina, who strives for perfection in everything that she does, is perfect for the role of Princess Odette, the white swan.
His dilemma is that he wants the same dancer to play the darker role of Odile too, setting the scene for a rollercoaster ride into the darkest recesses of the mind.
Nina's overbearing mother (Hershey) has, we learn, been forced to halt her own career to bring up her daughter, adding to already rich psychological mix.
Nina has to deal not just with the petty jealousies and outright bitchiness within the company but also the looming spectre of the fading star she is about to replace, Beth (Ryder).
The director clearly takes great delight in a smoke and mirrors approach (particularly heavy on the mirrors) which leaves the viewer never entirely sure if what they're seeing is real or imagined.
Portman excels in the lead role, her facial expressions through extreme close-ups portraying a range of emotions in a matter of moments. Stick thin she looks the part of a ballet dancer, a role for which she apparently spent a year preparing.
Cassel's name may not be immediately familiar but his face will be. The French actor has become a darling of European cinema through a series of uncompromising roles ranging from his breakthrough La Haine (Hate) and last year's compelling gangster epic, Mesrine: Public Enermy No. 1.
The viewer is by the final reel left gasping for breath. Black Swan, it is fair to say, will make your heart beat faster. And contrary to its detractors (some of whom have claimed it sets the cause of ballet back half a century), it's surely more likely to bring the art form to an even wider audience.
* Black Swan is being screened at Eden Court until February 10. Details can be found online at
