[CCIP]

I would say see it for yourself - it's a very difficult movie to explain. Actually it's a very difficult movie to watch in general, but in the end I felt very satisfied that I did. It's a brilliant and clever film, but its representation of stress - a very physical one at that - means that for two hours it really grinds you down, or shocks you with some really disturbing moments. Weird as it might be to say for a film about ballerinas, it was probably the most terrifying movie I've seen in ages. But it's totally not entertaining - it's meant to make you think, and any enjoyment of it really derives from thinking about its themes and messages. So it's definitely a very, very artsy kind of film in the way it's made.

Otherwise, Aronofski is kind of an expert by now at exploring the subject of obsession-to-the-point-of-insanity in his movies. What you would've seen in his previous movies on that subject still holds true here - the heroine's obsessiveness really goes way past the point of insanity. And yes, Portman's acting is pretty fantastic.

I kind of doubt I'll watch it again, but I'm glad I saw it in theater.