From the too-revealing trailers, you probably know that Natalie Portman plays an intense, unstable ballerina who might be losing her mind because she either is or is not – the psychological tension works either way – being undermined by a competing dancer (the gorgeous Mila Kunis).
What you don’t know is that Darren Aronofsky’s film is dark, off-kilter and tense throughout as it weaves together story elements taken from Swan Lake (duh), “The Double,” and stage mothers, real and fictional. Portman’s performance should not be missed; she embodies the emotional and physical frailty of a woman driven to the edge.