Review: 'Black Swan'

What you've heard coming in to watch Black Swan, will strongly alter your perception on the film. Some will find the thriller to be a silly exaggeration of the psychology behind ambitious ballet dancers. Others will see a mind-twisting art house portrayal of the breakdown of a young dancer beautifully portrayed by Natalie Portman.

The Darren Aronofsky film features Portman as Nina Sayers, a young ballet dancer who is set to play both the black swan and the white swan in Swan Lake. The innocent and composed perfectionist has difficulty letting go for the black swan half of her performance. She falls into hallucinations -- but it's difficult for the audience to tell what is real and what isn't real, thus making the film appealing and thrilling.

The production's director, Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel), is sexually driven and volatile, pushing Portman to search for her darker side. While Sayers makes failed attempts to display passion and sensuality, she also becomes increasingly paranoid about a new dancer Lily (Mila Kunis) who is more of a free spirit.

The film is surprisingly graphic and sexual. However, throughout the film, you're second-guessing yourself as it's difficult to tell what really took place and what was merely in her head.

The costumes are also whimsically crafted -- both enthralling and inspiring. Both Portman and Kunis committed to months of intense training for their roles and their toned, slim physiques is reflected throughout the film through their dance numbers and sexual encounters.

The climax of the film is especially invigorating, accompanied by Clint Mansell's dramatic compositions. After viewing the film, it's difficult to listen to pieces from "Swan Lake" without falling back to the eerie qualities the film creates through dim lighting, rapid editing and shaking camera work.

The ending is open-ended and ambiguous, but transcendent and beautiful on many different levels. The twist and turns of the film never end.

Black Swan will likely make you jump out of your seat at least once. But the film isn't cheap thrills; Aronofsky isn't afraid to provoke thoughts while driving audiences themselves mad watching a maddening ballerina.