No More Ugly Duckling

Black Swan

Black Swan is a psychological thriller, following Nina (Portman), a ballerina in New York City, whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her obsessive mother, who can do nothing, but watch her daughter break into pieces under immense pressure. Nina must fight her way through her terrifying demons to the performance of a lifetime.

When I sat down with my popcorn at my local Odeon, I knew that the film I was about to see had already won Natalie Portman the Golden Globe, and was rumored to give her the Oscar too. After watching it I must agree, Black Swan is the performance of her career so far!

It is extremely complex, fragile and disturbingly hard to watch, yet unmissable. Of course this is not just down to her, she owes the script and cinematography a lot too. The uneasy and inescapable close ups, propel you into a world of insecurity, relentless passion and damagingly severe mental illness. It feels very claustrophobic the whole way through, with great use of the Manhattan underground clubs, walkways and dingy stage dressing rooms. It tackles almost every issue a young girl, changing into a woman, must go through, from sexual naivety to the never-ending search for perfection. Yet, it is certainly NOT a teen movie, this is harsh and is sure to play on your mind for days if not weeks. It isn't a film for everyone, and certainly not for those with a faint heart, but for an outstanding example of how GREAT acting, mesmerising shots and beautiful use of sound can create extreme tension and powerful emotions, Black Swan is without doubt worth a look!!