January's Film of the Month: Black Swan
Who could possibly have guessed that combining ballet and horror would be an act of cinematic genius?
This is an engrossing and incredibly creepy psychological thriller. It's also one of the most anxiety-inducing films of recent years. Almost every scene had me squirming and pitying the poor over-pressurised, stressed-out dancer at the centre of the story.
As that dancer, Natalie Portman is outstanding. There's barely a moment when she's not on screen and she carries off a difficult role, involving multiple personalities, with apparent ease. There's also a fine supporting cast which includes Mila Kunis as Portman's rival for the lead role in 'Swan Lake', Vincent Cassel as her sleazy director/choreographer and Barbara Hershey as her slightly unhinged mother.
The influence of Roman Polanski is apparent. Portman's mental deterioration and surreal fantasies bring to mind Catherine Deneuve in 'Replusion', while her extreme paranoia is akin to that of Mia Farrow in 'Rosemary's Baby'.
Like Darren Aronofsky's last film, 'The Wrestler', 'Black Swan' is shot in pseudo-documentary, vérité style. The hand-held camerawork gives the material a voyeuristic quality and makes the more bizarre moments believable. So, separating reality from fantasy becomes as tough for the audience as it is for Portman's character.
Expect this film to appear on the Oscars shortlist in most of the major categories, with Natalie Portman currently the bookies' favourite to win Best Actress.
