Black Swan

I'm not really sure what to make of Black Swan. I went to see it at Movies@Dundrum with Susanne last Friday night. I had heard and read mixed reports about it. Some critics saying it was the movie of the year, articles saying that it was hard to take, with scenes of drug-taking, lesbian sex and stomach-churning violence.

It's none of the above, really - ok, there is one capsule of some un-named drug taken in a bar, the lesbian sex is a lot of sighing and a woman's long hair covering the lower part of Natalie Portman's body. No pubic hair in sight, and not even a hint of a breast! As for the violence, I was able to watch most of it, so it definitely was not major. There are scenes in The Sopranos more disturbing than this

At the end of the day, it's a story of obsession, of a controlling mother, of a controlling artistic director (Vincent Cassel), of a passion and ambition for dancing that takes over the character's life. For all of this, a good movie, but nothing like the hype that's out there.

My verdict? 7.5/10. A good night out, but not a life-changing experience.

And I did not recognise Winona Ryder as the older, discarded, ballerina!