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I went to see Black Swan yesterday. After leaving the theater, I couldn’t even come up with the words to describe the film. Finally, I was able to sum it up with one sentence:

“Black Swan is like a piece of artwork. Some people will get it and love it. Others will not understand and hate it.”

I’m not sure if there is a fine line in between those two opinions. I am one of those people who loved it. Yes, the film is pretty dark and disturbing, but it also gives a thought provoking look at mental illness. As the films protagonist, Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman), is a self proclaimed perfectionist. She is a member of a New York ballet company. Her goals are laid out in the beginning of the movie. She wants to take over lead roles and move beyond being a corps de ballet dancer. The company is casting Swan Lake. The ballet requires a dancer who can portray twins: the princess Odette the white swan and her evil twin, the black swan. Yet, the one thing Nina cannot do is portray a sensual Black Swan. She can’t even fake being sensual and passionate. It’s just not there. Nina has several hallucinations believing that a fellow dancer, Lily (Mila Kunis) is out to get her. Lily is a naturally sensual and passionate dancer. Nina is envious of Lily and this makes her even more insecure.

After leaving the theater, I overheard a few conversations from people who just flat out didn’t like the movie. Knowing people personally who suffer from paranoia, psychosis and delusions it was very interesting to see the perspective first hand. There are positive and negative aspects to perfectionism. In this case, perfectionism makes Nina suffer from anxiety, low self esteem, self harm and social phobia.

Should you see Black Swan in theaters? Yes, if you appreciate dance, an excellent musical score and a decent story. Also, if you are a Natalie Portman or Mila Kunis fan, they are both great in this film.

Who should you take? I’m not sure that guys will want to see this one. Though there are some very sensual parts including some scenes with masturbation and lesbianism. I suggest taking a girlfriend and not your mom or any children. If you take young kids, expect to have a lot to explain.

Who should not see Black Swan? If you don’t want to take a detailed introspective look at mental illness, this might be too much. I also suggest you do not take someone who has a mental illness or who has experienced traumatic abuse to see a movie like this. You also do not want to take a person who displays the negative traits of perfectionism.

That’s my take on it. Have you seen Black Swan? What did you think? Check out the trailer below: