Thursday 17 November 2011

Black Swan REVIEW



Let me start of by saying that I was really really reluctant to watch this film. Really..
In fact for most of the film I had my laptop out and was tinkering with updating my antivirus software and other inane stuff on my laptop.

Commercially this movie has done very well
With a budget of $13,000,000 , it grossed > $ 100,000,000
Natalie Portman won an Oscar for her performance.
IMDB gives it an 8.3/10 rating.

However, the premise of a ballet dancer being obssessed with ballet was not exactly my cup of tea.

Cos.. I... don't watch ballet. I can't say I dislike or hate it, it's just something I don't do or watch.

Well let me tell you now, this movie was not what I expected at all.. and in a good way .
Well actually in a freaky psychopathic kinda way.
This movie portrays the tale of a ballerina Nina (Portman)and her quest to be the perfect Swan Queen.
Apparently to be the Swan Queen you need to be able to dance the part of the White Swan and the Black Swan. The Swan Queen plays both the White and Black Swan from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.
In her quest to become the perfect Black Swan, Nina pushes herself to the limit physically and mentally. Actually, she pushed the barriers of her sanity and appears to lose it during the course of the movie.
Enter her main competitor Lily whose wild and free persona is more in keeping with the evil Black Swan.
Lily is played by Mila Kunis from The 70's Show.
Other main characters in this movie, Nina's movie, a controlling ex-ballerina and Thomas Leroy, the playboy director.

You could say Black Swan is a cross between Psycho and "some ballet movie" ( I don't know any because I don't watch them)

Overall I felt it was quite a good movie, it had the right pace, suspense and insanity to keep you on your toes. (see what I did there?)

Conclusion : Recommended - but not for kids~!

For the medically inclined
Diagnosis: Schizophrenia
Differential: Obsessive compulsive disorder with psychotic manifestations

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