Black Swan: Natalie Portman's Oscar Moment?

A review of Black Swan from its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September:

"Natalie Portman, apparent soon-to-be Oscar winner," the Washington Post headline blared, with only a hint of drollery. "Evidently Natalie Portman already has this year's Academy Award for best actress all sewn up," wrote Jan Chaney in the Post's Celebritology 2.0 column. "At least the media buzz coming out of the Venice Film Festival — where her Black Swan just premiered — is making it sound that way." In fact, most of the early reviews, while enthusiastic about Darren Aronofsky's psychological thriller and Portman's performance as a ballerina who must face down demons when given the lead role in Swan Lake, stopped short of Oscar predictions. The Times of London's Kevin Maher came closest: "Portman is astounding ... Awards are sure to follow."

In the Black Swan script by Andres Heinz and Mark Heyman, Nina (Portman) is a member of the corps at a prime New York ballet company. Thomas Leroy (the excellent Vincent Cassel), the company's Balanchine-like choreographer, is about to stage his own version of Swan Lake, which will emphasize a woman's tragic duality. One dancer is to incarnate both the pure White Swan and her evil, sensual twin, the Black Swan. Nina, sweet and driven, has the technique to play both roles but the temperament for only one. "I just want to be perfect," she says, and Thomas counters, "Perfection is also about letting go."

He gives her the part anyway, believing he can find the Black Swan within her. He goads Nina ("The only person standing in your way is you") and insults her ("You could be brilliant, but you're a coward"). He tries arousing her with a kiss, and if that doesn't work ("That was me seducing you," he says afterward, "when it should have been the other way around". As she probes to both summon her own Black Swan and control it, she begins to suspect that she is cursed, haunted, pursued by someone or something. When she is alone, lights suddenly flick out; menacing figures seep out of the shadows; she emerges from a bathroom stall to see the accusation "WHORE" scrawled on the mirror. Getting a leading role is a freaking nightmare.

In my opinion:

I've seen this film and it is amazing! Certainly it is very psychological, and sometimes, you can think that it is too paranoid, but it is because it is very metaphorical. That's one of these films of "you know it at the end", you know? At the end, you can understand why she goes "crazy" for her character.

I would give the Oscar to Natalie, of course, because I think that she has done a very good work, you can see it in the film: she dances very very very good! Is amazing! She looks like a true ballerina!

I read that Natalie has had to train hard and long to get to this movie. And the result is visible. We need to reward that effort, and the incredible result. Natalie, my Oscar is for you =)

It's amazing the visual beauty of this movie. Little by little, Nina shows her two sides. The battle between these two parts and, of course, the beauty of dance.

Black Swan, a good film for a good actress.

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2016150,00.html