Natalie Portman, Naturally Lovely

Actress Natalie Portman attends the Opening Ceremony and "Black Swan" premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on Sept. 1, 2010, in Venice, Italy.

 (Credit: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

NEW YORK (CBS) Could Natalie Portman dance her way to an Oscar win next year?

The actress' performance in Darren Aronofsky's psychological thriller "Black Swan," which opened the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday night, has critics already discussing her chances of earning an Academy Award nomination for the role.

Pictures: Venice Film Festival 2010

In Contention's Guy Lodge called the film "boldly deranged and beautifully despairing," while Peter Debruge at Variety said it was "a wicked, sexy and ultimately devastating study of a young dancer's all-consuming ambition."

Portman trained for 10 months to prepare for the role of Nina, an intensely focused ballerina whose passion for dancing takes a toll on her body and her sanity.

More here.




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