Black Swan is the latest ballet movie to hit the global box office since Mao's Last Dancer in 2009. However, it is not the run-of-the-mill ballet movie with a fairy-tale ending. It tells the story of a ballet dancer, Nina Sayers vying for the lead role of Swan Queen in the ballet company she is working for in its latest production of Swan Lake. Nina is a talented dancer, however, being a perfectionist she is, it is all the more difficult for her to realise her fullest potential.
Nina did get the lead role of Swan Queen. However, securing this role came with a catch; she also needed to master the role of Black Swan. While mastering the role of Swan Queen came within her grasp, mastering the role of Black Swan soon became an unimaginable nightmare. Nina has to put up with the daunting pressure from her domineering mother and an impossible artistic director.
Not only that, Nina began to feel convinced a new dancer in the company by the name of Lily was determined to snatch the role of Swan Queen from her. As the pressure to excel began to mount on Nina, it was also the point where she began to show signs she were to succumb it. The horrendous hallucinations she was experiencing became the breaking point. Nina finally did managed to master both the role of Swan Queen and Black Swan, however, it came with a terrible price as she did not managed to muster the courage to ask for help.
The character of Nina Sayers was helmed by the ever gorgeous Natalie Portman, and she played it to absolute perfection, performing 90% of the dance scenes in the movie. Thus, this year's Academy Awards category of Actress In A Leading Role has aptly gone to Portman for her brilliant portrayal as Nina Sayers in Black Swan.
Mila Kunis who played the role of Lily was excellent too. The dual personality of the "bitchy" and "nice" Lily was so real beyond any description I could think of. Kunis' acting could have rivalled that of Portman's, they are in my opinion, equally excellent.
As I'm very partial to ballet movies, this would hardly come as a surprise to people who know me well that I would review Black Swan favourably. I seriously think it could have rivalled The King's Speech in terms of global box office collection, despite the fact these two movies are from very different genrés. And yes, I HIGHLY recommend Black Swan even if you are not a fan of the ballet and/or ballet movies.
I love Ballet,as much as I love to read this novel,the Black Swan,I envy Nina Sayers as well as sympathized with her mother and Nina for the tragic ending.But I always enjoy a good showmanship of Ballet and both Nina and Lily portray them well.I also like the story because I am a victim/or patient myself in my past 27years of growing up and around,I know there is a cure for Nina and as much as I wish for a happy ending to the story,I think Nina found her solace and comfort in heaven...
ReplyDeleteI think if the movie has a happy ending,it wouldn't got onto the stage of publicity as it is right now,I believe a tragic ending always leave an impact on an individual to memory and that was the best thing about Black Swan,it reaches out and beautifies the art of Ballet and as in ending,really make the audience speechless in awe.
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