Dancing on the Edge

Darren Aronofsky’s trippy, hallucinatory, sexual and psychological opus moves to its own intense rhythm. It defies expectation and busts convention while embracing Douglas Sirk levels of melodrama.  Working from a deceptively simple script written by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin, Aronofsky continues to dives into the world of the human psyche. Whether he’s dealing with genius ("Pi"), drug abuse ("Requiem for a Dream") or aging dreams of athletic glory long gone ("The Wrestler") Aronofsky concentrates on character allowing his striking visuals to boost the emotional connection.  Portman is extraordinary. She enters an emotional minefield so complex and layered that you wonder how she came through filming intact.

And yet, part of me still feels distant from this. There is a slight disconnect, something keeping me from embracing the picture as fully as I’d like. Don't get me wrong. This is a sensational piece of work containing what I think maybe the performance of the year. It is a movie I cannot wait to see again and the longer I think about it the more positive I am this is a psycho-sexual new age ballerina masterpiece close to being on par with "The Red Shoes." Aronofsky has challenged me, moved me and perplexed me, making "Black Swan" a dreamlike enigma I can’t wait to devour again.