Natalie Portman pulls off high-wire acting in 'Vox Lux'

There are two trailers circulating for writer-director Brady Corbet's provocative exploration of the intersection between fame and tragedy Vox Lux. One strangely makes it look like an inspirational crowdpleaser on the same wavelength as the current blockbuster A Star Is Born.

And another, quite effectively, evokes the strange melange of ominous threat and quirky satire which are more accurately reflected by the finished film.

Hopefully, more people will approach this movie seeking the latter experience rather than the former because if they don't they will be sorely disappointed. Vox Lux is an aggressively alienating film -- which is not to say I didn't really like it -- it may just be a masterpiece, but it has a lot of rough edges (it was apparently shot in just 22 days!) that certainly will turn some audiences and critics away.

What is undeniable about the movie is that it demonstrates what an accomplished performer Natalie Portman has become. She has quietly become one of the most exciting actors in movies, and has been on quite a role following her breathtaking work in Jackie and the under-rated Annihilation from earlier this year.

In Vox Lux -- which spoiler alert -- she doesn't appear in until about the halfway mark -- she plays an manic, contemptuous and complicated pop star while sporting an exaggerated Staten Island accent (some have criticized this, but I consider it akin to Pacino's Cuban accent in Scarface, it's meant to be theatrical).

The first half of film details her character's rise -- which was borne out of an incident of horrific violence, and in not remotely subtle terms the film argues that she has both been a victim and a manipulator of the circumstances which befall her.

There is an unsettling vibe throughout the film which can at times feel grounded and realistic and at other times there are scenes that are excruciatingly awkward or histrionic -- this is a very difficult movie to pin down or categorize, which is part of why I liked it so much.

The film seems to be ambiguous about pop stardom -- the songs that the lead character sings (all penned by Sia) are good but also opaque. Meanwhile, the movie's violence (and constant threat thereof) is frighteningly kinetic but also, perhaps, ultimately meaningless.

Corbet employs a detached voiceover narration, supplied by an unmistakable Willem Dafoe, which recalls Kubrick's Barry Lyndon -- it seems to be both mocking the character and explaining her true inner thoughts at the same time. And the finale -- which is an extended concert sequence raises more questions than answers about what unfurled previously.

There are all sorts of unusual touches -- like the film's entire credits play at the beginning like an old Hollywood production and one actor is asked to play two different major characters while everyone else simply 'ages.'

The film is dedicated to the late Jonathan Demme, which at first seems like an odd choice -- since his films were distinctly humanist and almost always very accessible. But he also always put an emphasis on emotion in his movies, and he wasn't afraid to go 'big.'

I'm not saying he is always entirely successful, but in Vox Lux, Corbet is clearly trying to be big, bold and inspire an intense reaction. There are too many exciting and virtuoso sequences in this film to dismiss it, and I imagine it will grow in my esteem after repeat viewings. But I will say Portman gives one of the most electric, eccentric performances I've seen all year, and that will certainly make this film stick with me for a long time.