'Black Swan' has plenty of dark moments as Portman stars
"The Black Swan," currently playing at The Galaxy Fandango Cineplex in Carson City, is Natalie Portman's movie, good or bad. Reported Portman lost 20 pounds over six months of ballet lessons to fit the part and while not ballet slim does look pretty good.
Plot is that Nina (Portman) is a young NYC dancer out to dance the white and black swan in "Swan Lake." She's a loner living with her mother Erica (Barbara Hershey, a former ballerina and task driver) and becomes involved with the ballet company's director Thomas Leroy (Vicent Cassel) after he decides to replace the company's prima ballerina Beth (Winona Ryder). Nina gets the role with Leroy telling her to become involved. Meanwhile, there's competition in the form of newcomer Lily (Mila Kunis) who's great as the black swan while Nina is fine as the white swan.
Much muddles here as Nina mutilates herself doing fingernails, sees things that aren't there, has a lesbian affair with Lily and fantasizes murdering Lilly. She goes on to star in the ballet but somehow is stabbed with a piece of glass as the ballet ends.
Lots of loose ends here but Portman is convicing, Kunis is sexy and Cassel effective as the sexually-charged boss of it all. As far as the dancing goes, it's hard to tell, but it seems that six months is not enough time to become a skilled dancer. You judge.
The dancers' rivalry changes into a bizarre friendship as the show's debut approaches, and Nina becomes overtaken by dark revenge fantasies against Lily and starts to lose her grip on reality. Rated R for sex scenes and language, two hours.
— Sam Bauman
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Cast
— Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers
— Mila Kunis as Lily
— Vincent Cassel as Thomas Leroy
— Barbara Hershey as Erica Sayers
— Winona Ryder as Beth MacIntyre
— Benjamin Millepied as David
— Ksenia Solo as Veronica
— Kristina Anapau as Galina
— Janet Montgomery as Madeline
— Sebastian Stan as Andrew
— Toby Hemingway as Tom
— Sergio Torrado as Sergio