Black Swan

This is one of the best films i have ever seen and sits atop of my list for the best of 2010. Darren Aronosky once again proves to be a revolutional and awe-inspiring filmmaker. I believe this is his best work yet and i have extreme high praise for The Wrestler. He really knows how to mirror a culture and all of its ins and outs(in this film: ballerina dance). The film mirrors the plot of a classic ballet "Swan Lake" in which its plot has a man, who is in love with a white swan, then gets mesmerized by a black swan and that black swan overpowers the white swan to suicide. The same juxtaposition is seen in Natalie Portman's perfect and mesmerizing role as Nina. Nina is a workhouse, moral, daughter to proud mother, who wants nothing but success(White Swan) but finds out that the only way for her to get that success is to turn into this immoral, jealous, fame-hungry competitive diva(Black Swan) and her inner battles between good and evil is the same battle as the popular ballet. She is coerced into a black swan mentality by her understudy and her ballet producer, both played wonderfully by Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel.

This is truly a masterpiece in intelligent filmmaking and i have a feeling that their wont be any better that Aronofsky, who painfully structures the audience to see what he wants and makes them completely uncomfortable with what they are seeing(this swan's demise). Although the film has great supporting roles, Natalie Portman shines and haunts us as Nina. She is perfect and this may be one of the best leading actress performances of all time. She easily plays the white and black swan perfectly in this role, just as her director(Cassel and Aronosky) would dream of.

Perfect, intense and magical film here. One of the best in a while. I was mesmerized.

Grade: A+/A