Black Swan (2010 R)

   The movie stars Natalie Portman (Brothers, The Professional), Mila Kunis (After Sex, That 70's Show tv), Vincent Cassel (The Apartment), Winona Ryder (Heathers, Edward Scissorhands) Barbara Hershey (Last of the Dogmen, Hossiers, The Natural).
   The movie is about a ballet dancer, Portman, who lives with her mother, Hershey and is going through a mental breakdown..  She gets the lead in Swan lake from the director Cassel.  A new dancer, Kunis, arrives while an older dancer, Ryder, is forced out of the company.
   I went to see this in the theater today and I rated it a B+.  The movie is worthy of the Golden Globe and Oscar buzz.  All of the main characters do an excelent job with there roles.  Hershey is good as the mother bitter over givng up her asperations when she got pregnate.  The movie stars off dark and stays dark.  This is not a feel good movie.  But is well done in all aspects.  The backstage of the theater seems realistic.  I  was happy to see an "authentic" stage weight used for the counter ballance system holding a door open.  I remember moving those exact weights when I was working backstage for theater and ballet n college.
   On the preview page for Netflix it says Portman is threatened by the new dancer Kunis.  I think that is a little misleading.  The way I "read" the plot was Portman is havng a mental breakdown and is paranoid.  It is unclear if people are working against her.  She is having hallucinations.  At one point she peels back some skin off a finger only to have imagined doing it.  In the movie Portman and Hershey are preoccuupied with fingernails.  I went to college with a ballet major and knew a few majors.  I never knew about the obsesive over fingernails or if it was made up for dramatic effect.
   I may be reaching but the movie seems to be a warning for how we treat people who give us our entertainment.  It may be true of athletes, dancers and people in the movies.  We have such high expectations of these people that there mental status and bodys take a beating.  Portmans mentality takes a beating as well as her body.  Football players who get concussions may live shorter and be subjected to any number of mental problems.  As a society what does it say about us that people who entertain us are made to suffer after there bodies fail.  How often do you read about Charlie Sheen and all the issues with substances.  Or with Kelsey Grammer who is just divorced and is already planning to get married for the forth time.  I don't know if being in the public spotlight is to blame but it can't help.  On the other hand non movie stars certainly have trouble with drugs and divorce.
   I heard recently that Ryder may be going about rebuilding her carear in a smart way after her legal trouble.  She had a small but good role in Star Trek and in this movie.  I don't think she may ever become a leading lady but may turn into a vary good character actress.