Black Swan

Black Swan has been lauded by everyone it seems and it has a lot going for it, but I'm not sure it deserves quite the level of praise it is getting.

Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is a committed member of a ballet company who are about to put on Swan Lake. The role that she wins proves to be the start and not the end of her problems.

Her insecurities run wild and spin her into destruction.

Portman puts in a brilliant performance as both sides of Nina that I would struggle to fault, but the film overall doesn't quite seem to deliver on my expectations.

What is being played out is all too clear and the characterisations are truly wonderful, but at times it is simply too brash and stilted.

It is hard to put my finger on exactly what I didn't like about this film, after all the supporting actors are perfect and the characterisations life like, but I just wasn't left as wowed as everyone else seems to be.

I guess I just feel it's almost there, but not quite, ironic in the extreme for such subject matter.

It seems to want to be as much horror as drama and I'm not sure it works.

It doesn't help that Swan Lake has never been a favoured plot of mine.

I prefer Coppelia, the woman is still standing at the end of that one.