DVD: Black Swan

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First of all, ‘hats-off’ to Natalie Portman, who carried off the lead role in Black Swan  very convincingly. It can’t have been the easiest of parts to study for, and she looked very credible in all the dance scenes.

Now to the story: Those expecting to see that nice girl from Star Wars as a ballet dancer, would have been surprised… very surprised! The similarity (and there weren’t many) was that this film, like Star Wars, explored the battle between the dark and the light in us all. It certainly wouldn’t have been a film that passed my ‘Granny test’ (would Granny have enjoyed it?). If this film was a colour, it would have been the darkest of blacks. Gratuitous sex, drugs, self harm, blood (plenty of it), lesbianism were all part of the storyline – a Royal Opera House performance this wasn’t!

Did I enjoy it? Well, not really! Although the acting was superb, it just made very uncomfortable viewing for me. I won’t reveal the details of the storyline here, as it’ll spoil it for those who’ve yet to see it on DVD or TV, but prepare for the unusual. Think ‘Ballet Dancer on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown’ and don’t watch it with anything hot in your hand – there are a number of shocking moments.

Scary stuff!!!