Black Swan

( 46 )

Overview

New York City ballet dancer Nina Natalie Portman enters into an intense battle of wills with a talented and ambitious new arrival Mila Kunis who seems intent on edging her out of the spotlight in this supernatural-flavored psychological thriller from director Darren Aronofsky. Nina covets the role of the Swan Queen in a production of Swan Lake by acclaimed theater director Thomas Leroy Vincent Cassel. The harder Nina works to win the part, however, the more overwhelmed she becomes by her suspicions that talented ...
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Overview

New York City ballet dancer Nina Natalie Portman enters into an intense battle of wills with a talented and ambitious new arrival Mila Kunis who seems intent on edging her out of the spotlight in this supernatural-flavored psychological thriller from director Darren Aronofsky. Nina covets the role of the Swan Queen in a production of Swan Lake by acclaimed theater director Thomas Leroy Vincent Cassel. The harder Nina works to win the part, however, the more overwhelmed she becomes by her suspicions that talented newcomer Lily Kunis is intent on stealing it away from her. As the production draws near and Nina struggles to master the duel roles of the White Swan and the Black Swan, she grows increasingly unstable to the point where she finds it difficult to distinguish fantasy from reality. Though her burgeoning friendship with the unconventional Lily helps Nina to jettison her perfectionist instincts and find her footing as the Black Swan, the closer she gets to perfecting the role, the further her sanity erodes until she begins to experience a bizarre and profound transformation.
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Special Features

Metamorphosis: A behind-the-scenes documentary with Darrn Aronofsky; ; Behind the Curtain - An Inside Look at the Ballet's influence on the film's Costume and Production Design; ; Ten Years in the Making - Natalie Portman and Darren Aronofsky discuss their creative journey from "preparing for the role" to "dancing with the camera"; ; Cast Profiles - Roles of a Lifetime: Presented by Fox Movie Channel, the stars reflect on their challenging and rewarding characters
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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide - Jason Buchanan
Subtlety may not be Darren Aronofsky's strong suit, yet his heavy-handed tendencies have served him well in such features as the harrowing addiction drama Requiem for a Dream and the heart-breaking Golden Globe winner The Wrestler. And despite the fact that his psychological thriller Black Swan features little of the flamboyant visual style that assaulted our eyes in the former nor the operatic emotions of the latter, it still succeeds on its own terms thanks to a compelling performance by Natalie Portman and a dark undercurrent of self-destruction that progressively seduces us courtesy of some supremely creepy, eerily graceful imagery. New York City ballet dancer Nina Portman covets the role of the Swan Queen in a production by acclaimed theater director Thomas Leroy Vincent Cassel. The harder Nina works to win the part, however, the more overwhelmed she becomes by her suspicions that talented and ambitious new arrival Lily Mila Kunis is intent on stealing it away from her. As the production draws near and Nina struggles to master the duel roles of the White Swan and the Black Swan, she grows increasingly unstable to the point where she finds it difficult to distinguish fantasy from reality. Though her burgeoning friendship with unconventional dancer Lily helps Nina to jettison her perfectionist instincts and find her footing as the Black Swan, the closer she gets to perfecting the role, the further her sanity erodes until she begins to experience a bizarre and profound transformation. With Black Swan, Aronofsky and screenwriters Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, and John McLaughlin probe the fractured psyche of a troubled ballerina who fears that she will never reach her full potential. If this sounds familiar, it's probably because Aronofsky's previous film The Wrestler hinged on much the same premise. And though both films share quite a bit in common thematically, they couldn't be further apart in tone. Whereas Mickey Rourke's elegiac performance in The Wrestler instilled that film with a pervasive sense of melancholy that gradually enveloped us as he waged a heartfelt struggle for redemption, Portman's pageantry in Black Swan leads us down an altogether different, more distanced version of psychological decline. Unlike Randy "The Ram," Nina has yet to perform her signature role, and the intense mental strain it takes her to do so may well be her undoing. Screen veteran Barbara Hershey is positively unhinged as Nina's supportive yet disturbed mother, whose presence offers a foreboding glimpse of the treacherous path that the ambitious, not-so-young dancer is headed down as her delusions grow increasingly vivid. Meanwhile, as Nina's home life begins to unravel, bitchy trash-talking amongst jealous dancers and a memorable supporting performance by Winona Ryder up the stakes on-stage as well. The resulting study in insecurity and paranoia is bewitching if not emotionally engaging -- a haunting study of obsession run amuck served with a savory side of gothic theatrics. Thanks to the work of gifted cinematographer Matthew Libatique -- who has collaborated with Aronofsky on all of his features except for The Wrestler -- Black Swan possesses an elegant air of malevolence and psychological decay that helps to compensate for the fact that the plotline feels somewhat recycled. A masterpiece by no measure, yet far from forgettable, it's a minor work elevated by a fascinating lead performance, and delivers enough serious chills to hold us transfixed once the metamorphosis begins to take hold.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 3/29/2011
  • UPC: 024543715139
  • Original Release: 2010

    • Rating:

  • Source: 20th Century Fox
  • Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • Language: English, Español, Français
  • Time: 1:48:00
  • Format: Blu-ray
  • Sales rank: 23,076

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Natalie Portman Nina Sayers/ The Swan Queen, Nina Sayers/The Swan Queen
Mila Kunis Lily/The Black Swan
Vincent Cassel Thomas Leroy/ The Gentleman, Thomas Leroy/The Gentleman
Barbara Hershey Erica Sayers/The Queen
Winona Ryder Beth MacIntyre/ The Dying Swan
Benjamin Millepied David/The Prince
Ksenia Solo Veronica/Little Swan
Kristina Anapau Galina/Little Swan
Janet Montgomery Madeline/Little Swan
Sebastian Stan Andrew/Suitor
Toby Hemingway Tom/Suitor
Sergio Torrado Sergio/Rothbart
Mark Margolis Mr. Fithian/Patron
Tina Sloan Mrs. Fithian/Patron
Abe Aronofsky Mr. Stein/Patron
Charlotte Aronofsky Mrs. Stein/Patron
Marcia Jean Kurtz Costumer Georgina
Shaun P. O'Hagan Stage Manager Sebastian
Christopher Gartin Sexy Waiter Scott
Deborah Offner Administrator Susie
Stanley Herman Uncle Hank
Michelle Rodriguez Nouel Physical Therapist
Kurt Froman Understudy for Siegfried
Marty Krzywonos Conductor
Leslie Lyles Nurse
John Epperson Jaded Piano Player
Arkadiy Figlin Piano Player
Timothy Fain Violin Player
Sarah Lane Lady in the Lane
Liam Flaherty Man in Stall
Patrick Heusinger Rich Gent
Technical Credits
Darren Aronofsky Director
Jon Avnet Executive Producer
Jim Black Musical Direction/Supervision
Therese DePrez Production Designer
Brad Fischer Executive Producer
Scott Franklin Producer
Peter Fruchtman Executive Producer
Ari Handel Executive Producer
Andres Heinz Original Story, Screenwriter
Mark Heyman Screenwriter
Gabe Hilfer Musical Direction/Supervision
Matthew J. Libatique Cinematographer
Clint Mansell Score Composer
John McLaughlin Screenwriter
Mike Medavoy Producer
Arnie Messer Producer
Benjamin Millepied Choreography
Brian Oliver Producer
Rick Schwartz Executive Producer
David Stein Art Director
Tyler Thompson Executive Producer
Andrew Weisblum Editor
Amy Westcott Costumes/Costume Designer
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 46 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(30)

4 Star

(8)

3 Star

(3)

2 Star

(2)

1 Star

(3)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 45 Customer Reviews

  • Posted January 31, 2011

    Outstanding

    How can a movie about ballet keep a room full of blue collar males captivated for 2 hours?
    A sprinkle of great directing by Darren Aronovsky, a pinch of hot lesbian action, and a powerhouse, tour de force performance by Natalie Portman.
    If she doesn't get the Best Actress Oscar this year, the entire show will be a sham.
    Riveting from start to finish, dont miss this movie.

    5 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 11, 2011

    UNFORGETTABLE!

    You may want to look away at parts of this genius thriller, but you cant take your eyes off of it. Led powerfully by a amazing Natalie Portman and supported by tour-de-force Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder and Vincent Kassel. This beautifully produced film is a must see for any daring movie goer!

    1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted August 10, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    Let Me In
    Let Me In

    To The Moon And Back.

    I love this movie.LOVED IT.OWNED IT.LOST IT.BAUGHT IT AGAIN.

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  • Posted April 16, 2011

    Psychological thriller

    The movie kept me on the edge of my seat. A great performance by Natalie Portman, deserved the oscar. Wonderful supporting cast, definitely a must own. Costumes gorgeous.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted March 4, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Very Recommended- Beautifully done

    This is truly an Oscar winning performance. I knew Portman was a good actress but this is GREAT acting. Ballet is beautiful itself but among all this beauty we saw this person descend into madness.

    0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 27, 2011

    I Also Recommend:

    Perfect Blue

    The best movie in awhile

    This movie reminds of the psychological thriller Perfect Blue by the late Satoshi Kon. A young woman descent into chaos, and it looks beautiful.

    0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 45 Customer Reviews