http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/black-swan/5174
Ed Gonzalez' review of BLACK SWAN is probably the most perceptive so far regarding its virtues and flaws.
My take on the film is that its a mixture of Val Lewton-esque psychological thriller capped by a final half-hour of Ken Russell-esque excess that even Russell would find over-the-top. Suffice to say CGI-effects are wielded a la the comedian Gallagher performing his Sledge-O-Matic routine. Obviously Darren Aronofsky thought the audience needed a heaping dose of literal-minded dramatization of madness.
Essentially, Natalie Portman's performance is Seven Degrees of Tremulousness followed by One Degree of Wearing Red Contact Lenses--with no real in-between (probably the way Aronofsky wanted the character to be played).
And it must be said that for all the filled-with-ominous-portent you-must-find-the-Black Swan-within talk from Vincent Cassel's ballet master (rooting for Cassel and Barbara Hershey to get Supporting Actor/Actress nominations this awards season--as well as Clint Mansell's score and Matthew Libatique's cinematography), BLACK SWAN is a film about two actresses (Portman and Mila Kunis) who steadfastly refuse to be fully naked on film even in non-gratuitous contexts.
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