A few days ago I watched the film the Black Swan. I’d heard about it for years and had always resisted watching it because I knew it was dark and could take me on a bit of a head trip.

So I watched it in two parts, both in the light of day, so I wouldn’t have trouble sleeping. Natalie Portman was exquisite, and played the troubled ballerina flawlessly. I read several reviews after the fact, trying to understand the film and feeling like I needed to watch it several more times to pick up on all the nuances.

I remember seeing Natalie Portman in Beautiful Girls, years ago, with Matt Dillon, and Uma Thurman. Portman was the neighbor to Timothy Hutton, and when I first saw it, I thought, “that girl is going to be a star.” I think she might have been about 15, playing a 12 year old.

Portman has proven herself over an over again to be a brilliant actress and at 35 years old there is nothing she couldn’t do. A particular favorite of mine was the role of Jane, she played in Thor. I think Black Swan deserves to be seen, mostly because it shines a light on mental illness and makes us think about how fragile we all are. The film is riveting and is a must see.