Wow . . . I mean seriously, wow! I've never been interested in ballet, but I do have a lot of respect for Natalie Portman, so I finally decided to give this a watch.
I don't think this entire production could possibly have been done any better, Black Swan is about as perfect as this type of story could be produced. You get pulled into the story as these characters emerge, really feeling like you're there, immersed into their world, and into Nina's (Natalie).
The way the camera follows her as she proceeds into the various threads of the story as they unfold, the atmosphere surrounding her, and how it begins to morph from the real into the surreal in gradual but accelerating increments.
Many of the other commenters already give detailed descriptions and critiques of the scenes, no need to repeat that here, except to suggest the casting really is spot on for everyone in this.
No spoilers here, of course, but even though the viewer might be able to guess how this ends, it doesn't matter, every moment is entirely impactful and engaging.
There's no superfluous moments in any of this, beginning to end. Even if you've never seen ballet before, one does come away with a profound understanding of and respect for the vast amount of effort and focus it takes to perform up to that top level.
It becomes quite believable that Nina would get obsessed into this pursuit, with her overbearing ballerina mother, living vicariously through her journey into this ultimate level of accomplishment, becoming the Swan Queen.
One thing that can be said with certainty, Natalie's work, effort and commitment to perfect her part in this is beyond impressive, any attempt at describing her portrayal of Nina would be an understatement.
I very rarely offer a 10 star rating, but without hesitation, that's exactly what comes to mind.
I don't think this entire production could possibly have been done any better, Black Swan is about as perfect as this type of story could be produced. You get pulled into the story as these characters emerge, really feeling like you're there, immersed into their world, and into Nina's (Natalie).
The way the camera follows her as she proceeds into the various threads of the story as they unfold, the atmosphere surrounding her, and how it begins to morph from the real into the surreal in gradual but accelerating increments.
Many of the other commenters already give detailed descriptions and critiques of the scenes, no need to repeat that here, except to suggest the casting really is spot on for everyone in this.
No spoilers here, of course, but even though the viewer might be able to guess how this ends, it doesn't matter, every moment is entirely impactful and engaging.
There's no superfluous moments in any of this, beginning to end. Even if you've never seen ballet before, one does come away with a profound understanding of and respect for the vast amount of effort and focus it takes to perform up to that top level.
It becomes quite believable that Nina would get obsessed into this pursuit, with her overbearing ballerina mother, living vicariously through her journey into this ultimate level of accomplishment, becoming the Swan Queen.
One thing that can be said with certainty, Natalie's work, effort and commitment to perfect her part in this is beyond impressive, any attempt at describing her portrayal of Nina would be an understatement.
I very rarely offer a 10 star rating, but without hesitation, that's exactly what comes to mind.