Black Swan (2010)

Darren Aronofsky is a visual poet and well on his way to becoming one of films greatest helmsmen. I even consider him to be the Stanely Kubrick of the current generation. He haunted us with the dramatics of Requiem for a Dream, dazzled us visually with The Fountain, and surprised us with The Wrestler. Black Swan is no different and could be considered Aronofsky's best work to date. It certainly is a film that is attracting much award buzz and it is that time of year. And we are most certainly interested to see what Aronofsky will do with his next project the X-Men inspired Wolverine.

Black Swan is a story about a dancer, Nina (Portman), who wins the coveted lead role in her company's production of "Swan Lake", replacing the former lead (Winona Ryder) who is being forced to relinquish her star power. Nina performs the role of the white swan to perfection. The problem is that St. Nina cannot capture the lustful essence of the white swans twin the black swan. What ensues can only be described as a psychological whirlwind that plots Nina against her rival (Mila Kunis) and against herself to learn how to play the black swan before its to late.

In a word, masterpiece. That is how I surmise the movie. It is elegant, yet creepy. It is beautiful and astoundingly disturbing. The acting and cast is flawless. If we had any doubts about the talents of Natlie Portman, there are none no longer. She has come a long way since The Professional. Mila Kunis has also traveled a long way as well. Who would have thought that Jackie from That 70's Show would be in an obvious Oscar caliber film? And there is no doubt, this movie will win an Oscar. More than likely Portman will win her first Oscar for her outstanding performance and maybe even Aronofsky for his masterful direction.

Recommendation: This movie ain't for everyone. There are several very sexually awkward scenes that would embarrass most "baby boomers". This includes some girl on girl action that somehow manages not to show any nudity (sorry to burst your bubbles men). Obviously it is not a movie for kids or even teenagers in my opinion. Its not a movie for your parents, especially mine! My mother told told me the other day that her and a friend were going to see a movie and were thinking about going to see Black Swan. I said, uh, pick another movie, please ma! I wouldn't even consider this a date movie for guys looking to impress his new girl by taking her to a "girly" movie. This ain't the one buddy, no matter how much she thinks it might be. This movie is for people who love film as an art and can appreciate it for the masterpiece that it is. Otherwise, stay away.