January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
At the movies
Movie review: Black Swan ****
Black Swan ****
Stars: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder, Barbara Hershey
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Rated: R
Showing: Neptune Theatre Thursday, January 6 at 7:30pm. Week of Friday, January 7 - Friday 7:30pm; Saturday 6/9pm; Sunday 2:30/5:30pm; weekdays 7:30pm. For more information, call 292-7296.
Runtime: 108 minutes
Drama/thriller
Natalie Portman is a hot contender for the Best Actress Oscar thanks to this tour de force performance as a tortured ballerina descending into madness.
She plays the skeletal Nina, a self-mutilating and cripplingly insecure ballerina who lands the lead in her company’s production of Swan Lake.
But negotiating the roles of pure White Swan and dark Black Swan soon affects her already fragile sanity, as does the constant criticism of dance director Thomas (Vincent Cassel).
Nina also has to cope with her rivalry with sexy newcomer Lily (Mila Kunis) and her mentally ill mother, a failed ballerina who suffocates her daughter and treats her like an infant.
The acting is first-rate throughout, while the ballet sequences are stunningly beautiful.
The cinematography and choreography is exceptional and director Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler) keeps things dark and atmospheric to reflect Nina’s increasing despair.
He combines elements of horror with drama to create an engaging and gripping psychosexual thriller.
Watch if you liked: The Machinist
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