trailer break: ‘Black Swan’

The film premiered at the Venice film festival and some reviews, the majority positive ones, have already appeared online. I have read the script that was floating online, and if the film is indeed good/great, than credit goes undoubtedly to the director&actors, because the original story was cringingly riddled with cliches and even insulting stereotypes.

One review pissed me off because the reviewer claimed that Portman's character suffers from sexual hysteria ...and I was like ..WHAT? You couldn't find a better way to express the turmoil of this tortured dancer than by invoking a made-up, bullshit disease, used by physicians in the 19th century to oppress their female patients? /rant

Anyway, I would watch pretty much anything with Portman, and while I didn't like The Wrestler that much, but loooved Requiem for a dream (as much as you can love a film that makes you suicidal) I think Aronofsky is a very intelligent film maker.

Can't wait to see what you make of this, MaryAnn.

Definitely looks interesting. I love Natalie Portman, and Requiem was wonderful (if depressing, yes), so... thanks for the heads-up. B)

The movie seems to be based on a lot of earlier stuff from Dario Argento, like Suspiria.

I was thinking that too. It's either a more subtle version of Suspiria, or a dance school version of Perfect Blue (which Aronofsky has an interesting connection to). Intriguing.

@Muzz If you read the youtube comments, folks have been making the Perfect Blue comparisons since the day the trailer has been put up. Aronofsky has wanted to make a live action adaptation of Satoshi Kon's (RIP) work for years now, and this may be the closest we'll get to it.

Yeah it looks great, hopefully will have 3 or 4 good roles for the wimmin

Interesting vucubcaquix. Didn't think it was just me. Although, as my mum pointed out to me, there's a lot about the plot of Swan Lake itself that heads in that direction too.

I hope it's not the last word on a Perfect Blue remake in any case. While this might be a good flick, the dance school setting is a little rarified for most of us. The very real "starlet mill" we watch every day would still make a great setting for that sort of psychological thriller.