When I was in Atlanta, beginning of the month, I checked out Black Swan, the latest Darren Aronofsky film. Aronofsky is one of the boldest independent filmmakers in the business who has directed “The Wrestler,” “Pi,” “the Fountain” and “Requiem for a Dream.” A collection of daring films that offers theatre audiences a psychological thriller rollercoaster ride complete with a “punched in the gut” feeling as the credits begin to roll.
Black Swan features the exceptional acting performance of Natalie Portman (Nina Sayers), who is deserving of an Oscar nomination, and the exceptional cinematography work of Matthew Libatique, who has worked on all of Aronofsky’s prior films. The musical score was conducted by Clint Mansell, who heightens the psychosis of the lead character through a phonetic pacing of musical compositions.
Black Swan is a flickering of tempestuous visuals that get your blood moving as each scene unfolds Nina’s intense pressures as lead in Swan Lake. The music, visuals and acting performances were solid. However, the daring revelations of a ballet star transforming into a swan falls short for me. As the tensions of a young ballerina and her psychological challenges reach climax —to the point of audience laughter—my personal “punched in the gut” crescendo was weakened and my mind requesting filmmaker tweaks to enhance the experience.