Black Swan (Aronofsky, 2010)

This film has a solid first half but then goes all over the place. It shoots into the dark and keeps missing me. I didn't care for the teasing of paper-thin themes and lack of follow-up to them, as if each one were a prick of a needle or sonar pings. I got pulled in five different directions without truly going anywhere due to my silent guide that might be blind in one eye. Where are we going, Aronofsky?

This tumble wasn't helped by the excessive horror movie elements and jump scares that feel beneath this production, or the ending that left something to be desired after our irksome dance together. After the Black Swan took flight, I had no clue what flight she was on, but definitely felt pulled over the cliff with her.

In Aronofsky's words, this movie definitely clicked in his head, but not in mine. I find it disappointing that his subjective goal as a director stunted the film from connecting to me as the viewer. Near the end of production, Aronofsky lamented about "all the shots he missed." Alas, I am moping alongside him during our sad dance. If he hadn't missed all those shots, that late barrage of silly scenes could've been avoided. Nina's legs are breaking, and my eyes are rolling.

The overall execution of "Black Swan" is akin to Nina falling in the first act of "Swan Lake." It could have been a dark masterpiece, but lacked the brilliance of clarity. However, I would watch it again for Natalie Portman's performance, the artful presentation, the musical score and the sweet dance choreography.