Black Swan is predictable, creepy, and beautiful. There is an overwhelming sense of impending doom from the very first minute of the film. It falls in the category of films that you should probably be in the right mood to watch…
Ballet dancer Nina, Natalie Portman, is given the lead role in Swan Lake by the ballet director Thomas, Vincent Cassel. Thomas believes that she is perfect for the part of the gentle and graceful White Swan but he has reservations about whether or not she can pull off the seductive and sensual Black Swan. A slow mental breakdown ensues as Nina’s quest to perfect both parts of her role brings about envy, self-doubt, and paranoia. Nina is a mentally fragile woman from begin to end and she, of course, has mommy issues.
Portman is good at looking like she is about to cry during pretty much the entire film. She plays crazy well. Cassel expertly plays a talented and sexy sleaze-ball. And Barbara Hershey, who plays Nina’s over-protective and vindictive yet loving mother, steals the show. Everyone in the cast is an ideal fit in this well-directed film. Almost every piece of the film has clear intention behind it from the not-so-subtle use of the colors black and white to its slow but steady pacing. There is a lot to appreciate in Black Swan. It is obvious yet intense.
