Ever since the first trailer debuted for “Black Swan,” it’s been one of my most anticipated awards season releases. It looks so dark, so mysteriously, so hauntingly odd.
It’s no surprise it comes from the twisted mind of Darren Aronofsky of “Requiem for a Dream” fame. Nina (Natalie Portman) is a New York City ballerina who has just been given the role of a lifetime, the lead in “Swan Lake.” She fits the role of the White Swan perfectly — sweet, innocent, demure.
But she must also learn to embody the dark and sensual Black Swan, a role that fits a new dancer named Lily (Mila Kunis) perfectly. A competition brews between the pair, and determined to nail the performance, Nina begins to explore a darker side of herself she didn’t know she had.
A psychological thriller about ballet is certainly an intriguing concept, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s Aronofsky. Nina is a role unlike anything she has every played before, and from everything I’ve read, she kills it. This is one of those movies I’m trying to avoid reading about because I want to go into it unspoiled, but the clips below are a great taste of the film’s tone.
Also starring Winona Ryder and Vincent Cassel, “Black Swan” is now playing in limited release.
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I’m looking forward to seeing this one.