Black Swan

Visionary director Darren Aronofsky returns to peak form with a perfect blend of style and substance after briefly abandoning his visual style for "The Wrestler." It could be called a companion piece to the previous work which was about a wrestler at the end of his career, this film is about the psychological disintegration of a ballerina at the beginning of her career. Aronofsky takes the audience inside the fragile mind of woman who's willing to sacrifice everything including her sanity for her craft. The result is a dazzling journey into the world of Ballet that's as tough and brutal as any sport despite its glamorous and superficial surface. Since in the world of ballet the exterior is as important as the interior, Aronofsky got a terrific cast of beautiful women who are pitch perfect that includes Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder and Barbara Hershey. Portman was born to play the role while Ryder returns to where she left. Kunis and Hershey deliver a milestone in their careers as well whether it's at the beginning or late entry. French actor Vincent Cassel is terrific as well as the alter ego of Aronofsky who tries to stage his own dark version of the Swan Lake. Aronofsky's regular partners in crime, cinematographer Matthew Libatique and composer Clint Mansell are also back to bring their magic to this visual poem on art, cinema, dance, music and performance. YRCinema's coverage of the AFI Fest.