Ever been curious to see what Natalie Portman looks like as a ballerina? Well now is your chance as the first images from Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan have arrived online via USA Today. Aronofsky, of course, is the guy who directed The Wrestler, which was not only as comeback for Mickey Rourke, but also for Aronofsky himself (in a way) after spending ages on The Fountain only to watch it sort of fade into the background. What’s interesting too is it looks like Portman took this role instead of that other scary ballerina movie, David Gordon Green’s Suspiria remake, which is supposedly on track to shoot next year.
So Aronofsky is back, and he’s roped himself into this intriguing psychological thriller about a ballerina on the verge of a breakdown after winning the lead role in Swan Lake. Here’s more of the plot:
“The dark tale with psychological twists stars Natalie Portman as Nina, a technically brilliant ballerina whose life takes some strange turns after being picked as the lead in a New York City production of Swan Lake. Pressures mount as her overbearing mother (Barbara Hershey) pushes her to succeed and her manipulative dance master (Vincent Cassel) commands her to be more seductive and loose in her performance. Complicating matters is the arrival of Lily (Mila Kunis), a sultry dancer who exhibits all the innate ease and sexuality that Nina lacks. Nina begins to fixate on the newcomer as the two forge an unusual relationship.”Check out a couple images here and more over at USA Today. A psychological thriller involving a ballerina? Does that sound like your cup of tea, or are you more drawn to Portman in that funky get-up?
