This is the last entry in the "2010: The Year in Film" series, with which I documented my personal journey through what ultimately proved to be a rather strong year in movies. Never fear though loyal readers, as I've decided to continue the trend of reviewing every flick I see in theaters into 2011. Secondly, let me apologize for taking forever to post this review. I originally saw "Black Swan" on Thursday, December 30th and was delayed by epic NYE revelry and subsequent illness from posting this review. Without further ado, let us begin. Darren Aronofsky is a true auteur/madman. He is one of the most rewarding directors working today, in my opinion. Every one of his films (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler) is an achievement, and an Aronofsky film is a "must-see" for me in a way that only a select few other directors' works are. And it never-fails, his films bring something unique to the table. This particular film has a lot in common with Aronofsky's last film, "The Wrestler", which similarly dealt with an individual making sacrifices for the sake of their craft. "Black Swan" is, at the surface, a film about a ballerina who, through an obsessive dedication to her craft, sees her life and psyche begin to unravel. Our protagonist, Nina (Natalie Portman) is a dancer with a prestigious New York City ballet company whose entire life has been a single minded dedication to ballet. Nina, presumably in her mid-20's (she's at least 21, and comments are made about how she's been at the company for several years), shares a small apartment with her overbearing mother, an ex-dancer herself. Her life, from morning to night, consists of attempting to become a perfect dancer. When the longtime prima ballerina at the company is forced into retirement (Winona Rider), Nina sees an opportunity for her profile at the company to expand, and the company holds open auditions for the role of the Swan Queen in the next season's performance of "Swan Lake". Nina wins the role, but the skeezy choreographer Thomas cautions her that she must embrace a darker, more sexual side of herself to become the Black Swan in the ballet's second act. The girlish Nina struggles with pleasing her mother, Thomas and herself, and finds the pressures of the role begin to drive her to a mental breakdown. The arrival of a new dancer, Lily, from San Francisco, who is everything that Nina is not, hastens Nina's paranoia and breakdown.
The Wrestler focused on the destructive physical effects single minded dedication to a demanding craft could have, and while there is some of that here (Nina's feet are grotesque), this is the other side of the coin, the psychological side. In pursuing perfection, the obsessive Nina finds herself losing her grip on reality. As the film crescendos to its conclusion, Nina and we, the audience, are unable to discern what is real from what is psychological, and the film reaches Hitchcock-ian levels of surreal hallucination.
This film looks great, with close shots and angles adding to the feeling that Nina is becoming trapped. What ultimately makes this film are the performances. Portman gives the performance of her lifetime, and her sincerity in the role grounds what could be absurd as something visceral and serious. Kunis, as the sensual and eccentric Lily, is a revelation. Rider does a great job of conveying the damage that a lifetime of pressure and mindgames can do, and Vincent Cassel is convincing as a choreographer who doesn't hesitate to take advantage of his position relative the dancers. But make no mistake, this is Portman's show. She is prominently featured in just about every shot and without her bringing her "A" game, this movie simply doesn't work.
But work it does. This is a film about showbiz, about the dangers of obsessive behavior, about how the pursuit for perfection and beauty warps those pursuing it, and ultimately, about creation. On a meta level, as an allegory about creating films, is probably where it feels the most personal. The farther away I get from this film and the more I think about it, the more I like it. This is a work of art from a director and a performer at the top of their games. Portman clearly dedicated herself to the role, she is convincing as an elite ballerina, even if it's sometimes clear that she's not always dancing, she does a good enough job all things considered. My criticisms are few, but there are some, mainly that the psychological trippiness of the last act can devolve to almost horror-esque shocks, and it is impossible to discern what's real from what's not. While that's fine as a psychological thriller, as a narrative, it's a questionable move. But that in no way detracts from the impact of the film's conclusion or the value of this film.
As a psychological thriller among other things, this film stands tall among the year's best. This one will be heard from at award's season and stands proudly among Aronofsky's strongest efforts.
8.5/10.
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