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

Captain Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) and his wife Grace (Natalie Portman) have a modest, but idyllic life with their two daughters.  He was the high school football player, she the cheerleader, they were high school sweethearts.  Sam’s brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) is the bright, but unmotivated fuck up who, at the beginning of the film, is just being released from prison (his stay merited by a botched bank robbery).

Sam is serving in the military and is called to serve another tour of duty in Afghanistan.  While there, his helicopter is shot down and he is presumed dead.  Actually, he is taken prisoner for several months.  At home, Tommy steps up to care for Sam’s little family, walking a thin, and undefined line between supportive brother-in-law and possible love interest.  The unknown nature of their relationship will eventually torture Sam.

Sam eventually escapes his captors and returns home.  This is where the film finally starts to gain it’s bearings.

The characters in this melodramatic plot are surprisingly multifaceted, in no small part due to three oustanding performances by the leads.  Yes, their cliched to the hilt (and even Grace calling herself and her husband one can’t change that fact).  Tommy’s character continually feuds with his father (Sam Shephard).  In fact, all of his decisions seem to be attempts to win a little patriarchal affection.  At one point Tommy tells his father that he’d slit his own throat to bring Sam back.  While Sam and Tommy were friendly, this statement seems disingenuous, and more pleading for acceptance.  He even starts to remodel Grace’s kitchen because his father mentioned that it needed to be done in passing.

Due to months of torture and incarceration, Sam comes home quite unstable, and is disturbed at how close his family has grown to Tommy.  The distance is only reinforced by his inability to connect with those that, as he puts it, ‘don’t understand.’  He has it in his head that Tommy and Grace were physically intimate together.  While all of his fears, real, or imagined, seem justified, the tension it causes isn’t the point.  Nor is it, as it easily could have been, some redundant political commentary (at one point, the ‘bad guys’ are referred to as “the ones with beards”), as it seems Sheridan isn’t offering answers, but merely asking questions (an assumption very much supported by the film’s rather abrupt ending).

Some of Sheridan’s antics come across as false, and empty.  His attempts at portraying a perfect life for Sam and Grace, before his tour, fall short of the mark, effectually ruining the contrast.  But his skill becomes apparent during one particular scene, a birthday party for Tommy’s daughter after he’s returned home.  While nothing seriously significant happens, it’s a wonderful example of how to create tension and sustain it.

In an Oscar season with few outstanding performances, Gyllenhaal, Maguire and Portman could all deservingly receive nominations.  Its cliches and melodramatic antics won’t let Brothers become a great film, but thanks to its leads, it will stick out as one of the more memorable of the season.

3 out of 4 stars

Her quest brings her into contact with various interesting encounters and people, including restaurant worker/love interest Jeremy (Jude Law), lonely and angry wife-of-an-alcoholic (Rachel, Weisz), and a gambling addict with daddy issues (Natalie Portman).

While the adjectives sure sound interesting, the story isn’t so much. It seems that Wong tries to make up for this fact by using all sorts of unusual camera effects, such as blurred vision, overexposure, and slow motion that apparently is meant to add to atmosphere.

Despite these shortcomings, the cast is able to shine. The performances of Weisz, Law, Portman and even Norah Jones (for whom this is her film debut) are above par and allow you to forget that the story isn’t that interesting.

1.5 out of 4 stars

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including violence, drinking and smoking.

Rottentomatoes score: 47%, with Top critics: 30%