The trailer is out for Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, and it looks, well, Aronofskian? But in a good way i.e. more The Wrestler than The Fountain. Also, Black Swan is a ballet movie starring Natalie Portman. If the trailer is any indication, then Portman will be doing lot of stretching while wearing leggings. The film also stars Vincent Cassel (Yes!) and Mila Kunis (Told you she was going to be a movie star!). Some fans (especially those who loved The Fountain) might be dismayed at Aronofsky’s continuing interest in more commercial/less experimental projects. But though early works Pi and Requiem for a Dream are aggressively odd and staggeringly beautiful films, they are also both in-arguably flawed, the products of a highly ambitious young filmmaker biting off slightly more than he could chew.

The Wrestler is a simpler picture, and Aronofsky’s most fully realized work to date. In The Wrestler, narrative complexity is de-emphasized, allowing room for the actors’ performances, and Aronofsky’s excellent visual sensibility. The Black Swan trailer promises more of this mature Aronofsky, but with little twist of Bergman (or maybe ballet movies just feel inherently European). The casting of Kunis seems off, until you remember Marlon Wayans’ surprisingly haunting performance in Requiem. If anything, Aronofsky has a knack for getting great performances out of unexpected actors. Plus, Vincent Cassel is the man.