MUCH hyped Black Swan, starring Natalie Portman, is the choice of films released this week - and it more than lives up to the hype...

Film: Black Swan

Rating: 15

Duration: 108 mins

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassell, Winona Ryder, Barbara Hershey

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Artistic director Thomas Leroy (Cassel) presides over a ballet company at New York’s Lincoln Center, all too aware that his productions have lost their edge.

Thus he very publicly terminates the services of prima ballerina Beth Macintyre (Ryder) and chooses Nina Sayers (Portman) as her replacement to lead an erotically charged new staging of Swan Lake.

Nina is technically gifted but she struggles to express her emotions on stage, which causes friction with Thomas.

Soon after, sensual ballerina Lily (Kunis) is cast as understudy to the lead role and Nina feels threatened.

Harangued by her mother (Hershey), a former dancer who gave up everything to raise a family, Nina wrestles with fear and paranoia, teetering on the brink of an emotional breakdown.

Rating: 9/10