Oh Natalie!

Now I understand why many film critics and viewers favor Natalie to get the much-coveted Oscar statuette. Not only because of the preparation she had for the film (it was reported that she was trained for six months to dance like a true ballerina), but also because of her engaging performance in it. But boy, she was disturbingly thin in the film!

In Black Swan, Natalie plays the role of Nina, a ballet dancer who wants to be perfect. When she was chosen to be the new swan queen by her gorgeous artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) over her competition Lily (Mila Kunis), it was a dream come true for her. But she needed to play both the role of the White Swan and the Black Swan. Thomas said Nina was perfect for the White Swan, with her grace and fragility, but she fails to impress him as the Black Swan that requires boldness and sensuality; both of which matched Lily's personality. The two became friends, and soon Nina developed her dark personality that translated to her perfect performance as both White Swan and Black Swan.

Thomas (Vincent Cassel) challenging Nina (Natalie Portman) to let loose for her role as the Black Swan.
Photo from jabcatmovies.com/2010/09/black-swan/

There were just so many memorable scenes in the film: Nina touching herself as per order of Thomas ("I have an assignment for you--go touch yourself") not knowing that her mother (who was a former ballerina) was sitting beside her bed; Nina being seduced by Thomas ("That was me seducing you," said Thomas, "when it should have been the other way around"); make-out session between Lily and Nina that never happened; and the final scene when Nina as the White Swan killed herself because of loneliness, but Nina was happy about her performance ("it was perfect") despite the hole in her stomach that threatened to end her life (it was her own doing).

Nina doing her homework. Photo from http://starcasm.net/archives/61393

Lily (Mila Kunis) and Nina making out.
Photo from http://starcasm.net/archives/61393 

In a way, this psychological thriller provided ordinary audience access to the elitist ballet world. Aronofsky put the audience at the edge of their seats with the suspense and twist of the film. The seemingly invisible transitions between shots in the first part of the film was good editing. The music and sound and silences added drama and suspense where both are needed. But above all it is a film that would give Natalie an Oscar win (she already won the Golden Globe Best Actress).