We normally leave awards show predictions and analysis to our brother blog Gold Derby, but we couldn’t help but notice the first round of reviews for Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan.”

While lead Natalie Portman may generate awards buzz for her turn as a tortured ballerina, the early notices for Winona Ryder are what flagged our comeback radar.

Ryder, who makes a brief appearance as an aging dancer being shoved from the spotlight, brings “an almost frighteningly credible neurotic intensity” and “sets the bar high for Portman to match,” according to film critic Todd McCarthy.

This is precisely the kind of delicious, arty-but-campy turn that could propel Ryder back into the mainstream — which frankly she’s been on the margins of since 2002’s “Mr. Deeds,” released shortly after her arrest on shoplifting charges at a Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills.

We can’t wait to see for ourselves, but we’d love some Winona in the supporting actress category if she makes “Swan” dance.

— Matt Donnelly