Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky has made some of the strangest movies I've ever seen.  Between Pi, his low-budget math movie,  and The Fountain, his weird tri-story about the search for a longer life, Aronofsky has covered some very unique subjects with some beautiful images and imaginative scripts.  Now that I've seen it, Black Swan has officially become my favorite of his films.  Aronofsky found the script ten years before the production started for the movie, and at first it was actually about a New York stage group and called "The Understudy.
"  But after talking to Natalie Portman who has wanted to do a story about dance for a while since she studied as a young girl, he decided to change it from theatre to ballet.  At one point, Aronofsky even considered mixing the plot of Black Swan with the plot for the wrestler, making it a movie about a ballerina and wrestler in love.  Not really sure how that would have gone. I'm glad this is what he ended up with.  Natalie Portman does some of her best work in the Black Swan.  Her character Nina is both timid and rigid and dark and troubled.  Nina has been preparing her entire life for this part as the Swan Princess, part White Swan, part Black Swan, good and evil.  Her mother had to give up her dancing career to give birth to her, so Nina has been raised to take over.  Her mother, played by Barbara Hershey, is demanding and over protective.  She treats Nina likes she's one of those porcelain dolls that is meant to be seen and not touched.  Once Nina gets the part she has a couple of obstacles she hadn't foreseen.  A hands on director who likes his leading women and an understudy, played by That 70s Show alumni Mila Kunis, that is brazen and better suited for the dark and sexier Black Swan part.   Until this movie, I didn't really think Mila Kunis can act, and she can.  I'm not entirely sure the lesbian scene was necessary, but I'm sure it helped with the main characters demise.  Nomination Status:  Cinematography, Leading Actress (Natalie Portman), Directing, Film Editing, and Best Picture.  The only one I so far picture this having a chance of winning is Leading Actress, but I agree it deserves the nominations.  I was sad to see a nomination in Makeup and Costume missing for this movie.  Of what I've seen, it's the best in both categories so far.