Black Swan

An unsettling journey through the ballet stage with an atmosphere that takes your breath away in every shot. Aronofsky came up with his version of mental darkness and I can't stop staring. Mainly thanks to the mesmerizing camera and brilliant Natalie, it is one of those experiences that must be removed from your head almost forcibly due to their suggestiveness. It is difficult to say in one sentence why Black Swan is so amazing. I just know and feel that it truly is. (22/12/2010)

The same (un)attractive Aronofsky, a director who masterfully handles details and always, with the reliability of a Swiss watch, and excels in taking an overall view of the matter. The same goes for Black Swan, a film with incredible potential, offering an unconventional look into the world of ballet and its backstage. The director skillfully utilized this (Libatique and his camera escapades), while Natalie Portman's performance is captivating. Unfortunately, when it comes to the plot, it is lacking. The transformation is unengaging and essentially the same song – meaning Darren relies on certainty and follows the same psychological pattern (plus a few striking inserts). After several times, however, the effect is somewhat muted, and one tends to search for more and more flaws in each subsequent film of his. (29/05/2011)

Aronofsky's declaration of love for The Red Shoes. A psycho (not psychological!) update of Swan Lake for the 21st century in art-mainstream trappings with the now traditionally weeping Natalie who also happens to play her own self wonderfully. I expected more of a balletic backstage full of sharp elbows, intrigue, and obsession, and fewer would-be horror elements that Aronofsky didn't quite master yet (um, mirrors… like seriously Darren?). Still, it works, and it escalates magnificently. (18/02/2011)

Yeah, it’s alright. In the end, I hope it helps real ballet because the over-hyped fans will go see what the girls who are mutilating themselves actually like about it. Otherwise, it's a solo Portman film, no question about it, and it’s more disappointingly inconsistent genre-wise. A few of the special effects are very bad. The mom seems to be right out of Carrie, which didn't have to be the case. Winona, on the other hand, was a delight, but she always is. Cassel is nothing special. In the end, it’s a well-aimed advertisement for ballet, which names like Aronofsky and Portman helped bring to the people. (12/02/2011)

You can stone me, but Aronofsky is repeating himself for the third time and it's getting old. Although he once again emphasizes the physicality and the decay of the soul and body, the film lacks any sort of more prominent moment that I haven't seen from him before. The lacerated fingers do hurt, but what I saw here was more so pseudo-art, where he gracefully tiptoes around but doesn't get to the core even once. The metamorphoses at the end amused me unintentionally rather than making me feel any kind of gradation or even catharsis. However, I can understand the standing ovation the film receives. (26/12/2010)