Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis in their prime, partying in New York City and breaking their toes dancing ballet. What’s not to love about Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 masterpiece Black Swan?
Well, there’s probably something wrong with it, but I enjoyed this film immensely. I remember when Black Swan was in the theaters. The nation was still in the depths of the Great Recession. The T.E.A. Party was a valid political movement, and hadn’t yet been co-opted by charlatans. I weighed 290 pounds and worked a job I hated.
Yet I somehow missed it at the time, although it looked like a flick I wanted to see. I’m not big on ballet, but who wouldn’t want to gawk at Natalie Portman? There are many arguments against anti-Semitism, but simply saying, “look at Natalie Portman” is probably the strongest expression of pro-Semitic sentiment.
Lustful digressions aside, my girlfriend and I watched Black Swan on our mountain excursion, and it stuck with me for days. In quiet moments as we hiked or drove throughout the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, I’d think about scenes and ideas from the film, and we’d inevitably discuss them.
The Portly Politico 