"Black Swan" sneaks up on you. What at first seem to be a ballerina backstage rivalry drama becomes increasingly fractured, bizarre, and engrossing as rising star Nina (Natalie Portman) loses her grip on what is real as she prepares for the dual roles of Swan Lake: the white swan heroine and the evil black swan twin who steals her love and dooms her life. This film manages at once to portray the hard life of a dancer, the psychological challenges of performing in a troupe, the hidden and welling desires of the heroine, and the frightening but sensual world of her mind. Often it's not clear until later what is dream and what is reality, but there are subtle clues: red eyes, crawling skin, shouts that turn into screeching bird cries. Director Darren Aronofsky ("The Wrestler") has once again produced a small masterpiece with the most limited of budgets. And the performances he elicits, especially from Portman, as the ice queen melting, and Mila Kunis, as her sensual rival, are nothing short of astounding.
Rated R. 108 minutes. Darren Aronofsky - Director, Mark Heyman - Writer (screenplay), Andres Heinz - Writer (screenplay) (story), John McLaughlin - Writer (screenplay), Scott Franklin - Producer, Mike Medavoy - Producer, Arnold Messer - Producer, Brian Oliver - Producer, Matthew Libatique - Cinematographer, Clint Mansell - Composer, Therese DePrez - Production Designer, Anbdrew Weisblum - Editor. Produced and distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Principal actors: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassell, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder.
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