If anyone had any doubt in their mind, that Darren Aronofsky is a masterful director, it will be completely erased upon viewing his latest film, one that’s nothing short of masterpiece, Black Swan.  It’s an erotic thriller; a combination of head-spinning madness and paranoia.  While this madness is unpredictable, it’s never random.  There’s a cunning in the film that we haven’t seen in anything else released in 2010.  And it’s never anything short of breathtaking.  It’s clear, from the moment the film begins, Black Swan is never anything but exactly what Aronofsky wanted.  And it’s remarkable.

Natalie Portman stars as Nina Sayers, a dancer in a fictional New York ballet company.  She’s been chosen to play the titular role in the company’s upcoming season, when they’ll be performing the classic Swan Lake.  But she’s not an average ballet dancer.  She’s heavily doted upon by an overbearing stage mother past her prime (Barbara Hershey).  There’s hints of self-mutilation and eating disorders to help cope with the massive amounts of stress her career brings.  But more concerning to Nina is Lily (a pleasingly understated Mila Kunis), a perceived nemesis threatening to take away the spotlight.  And of course, there’s Beth (Wynona Ryder), a washed up, dangerously unbalanced version of what Nina fears she will ultimately become.

Portman’s performance will undoubtedly receive an Oscar nomination, and will most likely earn her a win.  And rightfully so.  She’s not only called upon to play the mousy, technically talented ingenue.  She is required, like her character in the ballet, to morph into something darker, twisted, and menacing.  Vincent Cassel and Barbara Hershey will most certainly be the unsung heroes of the film, as they’re performances are so pitch perfect, you forget the fact they’re acting. It would be great to see Cassel get some awards nods.

The film, loosely follows the plot of the ballet, a story filled with jealousy, madness and metaphysical portents.  Like Tchaikovsky, Aronofsky has takes great care in crafting his narrative.  The film is not, however, afraid to descend from the lofty perch ballet keeps in society.  And that’s part of the fun: mixing the higher persuits, with the less noble to the downright sleezy.  There’s sex, there’s mild drug use and alcohol, and there’s blood.  But none if it left up to chance, it’s all calculated, and has a very good reason for showing up.

At first glance, it might be easy to dismiss Black Swan as mindless thriller pulp.  But a closer examination will reveal that there’s much, much more than meet the eyes, and this is evidenced very early on.  Aronosky has plenty of tricks up his sleeve to keep the jarring atmosphere up.  Most pleasing of all them is how he uses the mirror, a ubiquitous facet of ballet life.  You know it’s a digital trick, but the fact the cameras aren’t showing up is agitating.  Much more so is the fact Nina’s reflection doesn’t always behave as it should, and that New York seems to be filled with disquieting doppelgangers that radiate a certain sinister semblance.

Again, the highest praises must go to Aronofsky.  There’s been plenty of rewrites for the script (a script that credits three writers, and another for the story, none of whom are Vladimir Begichev or Vasiliy Geltser), and the film could have been a sloppy mess were it left in less capable hands.. But it’s not. It’s electrifying, and arousing, and shocking. And it’s certainly one of the best films of the year.

4 out of 4 stars

Max Payne is a hard ass detective, hardened by the murder of his perfect wife, and beautiful new born baby. That’s really all the background we’re given, two lines of dialogue. So don’t expect to really care what happens to this guy. Payne spends his days clerking on cold case files at his precinct, but spends his night as a vigilante dressed in black. Finding the seediest members of society to ask them questions, to track down the killer that murdered his family. It’s then that he comes in contact with a Russian junkie, Natasha (played by Olga Kurylenko, the bond girl in the upcoming Quantum of Solace). We’re also introduced to her crazy sister Mona (Mila Kunis, with one of the worst Russian accents since Sean Connery in The Hunt for Red October). Natasha ends up getting herself murdered after she stoles Payne’s wallet, and then Payne and Mona join forces to track down the person they think killed both their family members. Oh, and there’s some sort of drug out there that is left over from a military experiment that makes people super strong, aggressive, and evil. Original, eh?

The film was shot very stylistically, with a washed out grey pallet most of the time. Think Sin City, or 300 but not as well done. Neither Wahlberg, nor Kunis is believable in their parts, as everything they seem to do is humorous. This film is directed by John Moore. The script from first time writer Beau Thorne is laughable as well. There’s serious logistical issues (I know this is based on a video game, but Max gets shot from close range with a shot gun, and he just walks it off…). Mostly, I just wanted this movie to be over about 20 minutes in. This might be worse than Hitman. Who would have thought that Tomb Raider would be one of the better video game adaptations?

0.5 out of 4 stars

Rottentomatoes.com: 18% - Cream of the Crop: 5%