@ the Movies/ Black Swan
Aronofsky explores the cruel realisms of that thirst for perfection in this dark thriller, a pinnacle role for its layered star Natalie Portman BY EMIL TIEDEMANN I T'S that mounting pressure to eclipse all rivalry and maintain that seemingly implausible stature in one's craft that breeds a compulsive, exhaustive hunger; one that can gradually take over. It was that particular hunger that steadily eroded ballet dancer Nina Sayers (played deftly by Natalie Portman ) in Darren Aronofsky 's arcane psychological thriller Black Swan . It is a part that very much validated Portman's positioning atop Hollywood's leading lady elite, much like how Aronofsky's The Wrestler blazed Mickey Rourke 's comeback in '08. Black Swan was nominated for a record 12 Critics Choice Awards Actually, it's Portman's encompassing role that seizes most of the glory here, conjuring up steady awards buzz for this new year. In Black Swan she demonstrates the persist...