Reviewed By: Emanuel Caros

It's not too often such a perfect combination of a mega-talented director, mega-talented leading actress, and mega-talented supporting cast is put together for an independent film.  But, in typical fashion for the director, Darren Aronofsky puts the pieces together to form a story-within-a-story that hits hard with such dramatic force from the start and does not relent.  But while the jumbled plot could've seemingly become convoluted, Aronofsky smooths the ride for audiences, making the dark themes and intense scenes palatable.  
As in all of the director's previous films (Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler) the film hinges on a strong performance from the main protagonist.  Natalie Portman delivers that and more as the naive and virginal Nina Sayers, a professional ballerina strenuously trying to steal the attention of the ballet director, played by Vincent Cassel.  Every actor plays to perfection, but their performances are dimmed by the wonderfully morose lead.
Still, until the end of the film brought it all together, the sci-fi elements had a cheesy feel; and what was built up to be an extremely dramatic final act didn't feel as epic as audiences are led to believe it will be.
Regardless, Darren Aronofsky puppeteers Natalie Portman into a near-perfect performance in a near perfect film that mashes together various genres and does so well.  With Black Swan, Aronofsky continues to show that he is the go-to director for storytelling that evokes drama and passion in the best of ways. 
10/10

The Fighter is an example of when the pieces don't fit together as well as they should.  Director David O. Russell makes the film look amazing, offering a fresh take on the once-stale boxing drama through an unexpected soundtrack, and a contemporary visual style that found him remaking telecasts of classic fights.  Mark Wahlberg FINALLY learns to play the common man after unfortunate attempts in The Happening and The Other Guys; and both Christian Bale and Amy Adams completely transform into the boxer's broken older brother/trainer and girlfriend.
Where The Fighter fails is in the way the plot rolls out.  The first act is short, the second brutally long-winded, and the final act seals up just as quickly as the first.  While the film notifies the audience that drama and suspense exist, they aren't parlayed on-screen, as the first hour and a half seem like the same couple scenes looped over and over again.  When the conflict finally reaches its apex, the difficulties that had been brewing into this huge complication are effortlessly alleviated by Wahlberg's character.  The film wraps up too cute and clean in comparison to the constant pounding of the "this is gonna be bad..." feeling that was rammed down the throats of the audience throughout the whole movie.  What results is a lackluster ending that puts to waste primo acting performances by a handful of Hollywood's best actors.      
6.5/10