Black Swan

STARRING Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder
WRITTEN BY Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz
DIRECTED BY Darren Aronofsky

A psychological thriller set in the world of ballet, Black Swan. stars Natalie Portman as an ambitious dancer trying to land the lead in a production of Swan Lake. When a newcomer (Mila Kunis) joins the company, the two women form a dark, competitive friendship. Director Darren Aronofsky actually sees the noirish Swan as a companion to his last film, 2008’s The Wrestler. ”One’s about what some people would call the lowest art, and one’s about the highest art,” he says. ”Yet the athletes [in both] are performers, entertainers. They use their bodies as their instrument and they go through a lot of pain to create what they consider beautiful.” No body slams in this one, though, we’re guessing.