BLACK Swan, the film which saw Natalie Portman claim an Oscar as best actress, is Richard Bryson’s pick of this week’s DVDs.
Black Swan (Fox, �14.99)
On the face of it this is the story of a ballet dancer (played by Natalie Portman) who wins the lead in Swan Lake.
While perfect for the role of the delicate White Swan (Princess Odette) she slowly loses her mind and becomes more and more like Odile, the Black Swan.
It’s that transformation that makes this film so arresting and will wrong-foot anyone expecting it to be all grace and delicacy.
This is a psychological thriller with enough haunting imagery to scare any budding young ballerina.
There are conflicting views of how much of the dancing Portman accomplishes but she is still very good in the lead role and Barbara Hershey is rather vile as her mother.
The music is loud (perhaps too loud) and Portman gets under the skin of a young woman undergoing a mental breakdown.
Interesting movie - but expect to be unsettled.
RICHARD BRYSON
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