Pop Preview: Natalie Portman Kisses Mila Kunis in Black Swan

You all probably know by now how much I love cheesy dance movies, but let's get one thing clear off the bat: Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan ain't no Center Stage. Natalie Portman stars as Nina, a ballerina whose career is threatened by newbie Lilly (Mila Kunis) as they compete for the leading role in a production of Swan Lake. As Lilly gets into Nina's head (and maybe even her tutu), Nina starts to lose her grip on her dancing and her sense of reality.

The juxtaposition of black and white is obvious here: the trailer strikes a balance between the beauty and grace of ballet with darker themes of delusion and manipulation. We see Lilly lurking around corners and eventually invading Nina's dreams—there's even the suggestion that Nina's actually turning into a swan. The preview is perfectly tense, but I'm hoping the film won't induce the same level of squeamishness as Aronofsky's Requiem For a Dream. I'm loving it, but check it out for yourself and let me know what you think!