The visual effects in "Black Swan" are key to the transformation of Natalie Portman's character, Nina.

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he video: Director Darren Aronofsky's ballet psychodrama, Black Swan, received five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress (Natalie Portman). It did not, however, get a nod for Best Visual Effects, despite the elaborate efforts required to transform Portman's ballerina character as she goes through a mental breakdown — an omission that has some observers crying "snub." Now, Black Swan's studio, Fox Searchlight, has released a video (view below) demonstrating the "dark visual effects" the production team created. (Spoiler warning: The video reveals key plot points.)
The reaction: "After checking out the CGI wizardry showcased in the clip," says Hugh Hart in Wired, "you'd be hard-pressed to understand the snub." This video is a reminder how "seamlessly" these cool visual effects were integrated into the film, says Paul Tassi at JoBlo. Some might argue that watching the video "sort of kills the movie magic," says Lex Walker at Just Press Play, but it also "helps you to appreciate all the technical skill" involved in making the movie so "striking in its skewing of reality with hallucination." See it for yourself: