‘A rare indulgence’: why Black Swan is my feelgood movie

The latest in our series of writers explaining their go-to comfort films is a tribute to Darren Aronofsky’s dark and unusually satisfying ballet nightmare In early 2011, sometime after the film was released on home video, I sat down with mum to watch what she had heard was a “new ballet movie” by Darren Aronofsky .

I was 12 years old, spending school nights training to be a professional dancer.

Without any warmup, knowing very little of the ballet and pointe work that earned Natalie Portman her best actress Oscar, we pressed play on Black Swan .

Well before Brendan Fraser’s time on the couch and the many houseguests of Mother! , Aronofsky increased the wattage with a companion piece to follow his heavy-hitter, The Wrestler.

Watching Nina Sayers’ (Portman) intense physical trials and her stilted sexual awakening, with my mum beside me, I was understandably disturbed.

At this point in my adolescence, I thought Jumanji was a scary movie.

Like the film’s injured bird, I was being introduced to a darkness I didn’t understand.

And somehow I couldn’t get enough.

Why did it feel so good? Continue reading...