Black Swan

PROS:  I saw the previews for this movie--more specifically Natalie Portman running at the camera with those crazy red eyes--and thought I was in for a freak show.  While freaky at times, I was pleasantly surprised at how relatable the story starts out (the girl just wants to succeed) and how suspenseful it becomes (she goes bat-shit crazy).  The acting is tremendous and I love movies that let you think you know what's going on and then knock you on your ass. 

CONS: I don't know why Portman's home life had to be so messed up.  The ballet is competitive, she has no friends, her dance instructor is a creep--it's enough to make a girl lose her mind.  Why add that she lives in a shit box apartment with a mom who paints creepy pictures of her and sleeps by her bedside in a room filled with an uncomfortable amount of stuffed animals??  Add to that the crazy amount of scenes where Portman's hands, feet or back were bleeding? It was overkill for me. 

RATING:  The movie's weird but undeniably suspenseful.