 | | | | | |
| LAPDANCE LARRY |
| SEVENTIES SIMON |
| PHOTOGRAPHY |
| COMIC ART |
| INTERVIEWS |
| Sub-menu 1.2.1.1 |
| FESTIVALS |
| EXHIBITIONS |
Mao’s Last Dancer
There’s a moment in Herbert Ross’s 1977 meditation on the world of ballet, The Turning Point, when Anne Bancroft, pondering the life she’s chosen, says “…even now there are moments when it all comes together, the music, the lights…” It’s a great moment and a great line that fully captures that life and watching Bruce Beresford’s latest offering, Mao’s Last Dancer, the words returned to me again and again.
Beginning in the devoutly communist China of 1972, 11-year-old Li (Huang Wen Bin) is taken from an impoverished village in Shandong province and sent to Madame Mao's Beijing Dance Academy. After years of intensive training, Li, played as an adult by Chi Chao (a principal of the Birmingham Royal Ballet), is chosen by Houston Ballet director Ben Stevenson (Bruce Greenwood) to dance in America where he fast realises that western society is not the den of sin his country’s government would have him believe. Li soon falls in love and with the help of immigration lawyer Charles Foster (Kyle MacLachlan) begins devising a plan to avoid returning home.
Many have complained that Beresford’s latest work overflows with cliché. They’d be right too. The political elements threaten to topple this tale which is very much a rags-to-riches adventure (it’s no surprise that Jan Sardi who penned the screenplay for Shine reprises her duties here) yet the pace and tempo are so steady it’s easy to look past the obvious assessment. The performances are, with the exception of Greenwood’s nauseating choreographer (which stands out too much), wonderfully convincing. Joan Chen as Lu’s mother is humility and fire all at once, MacLachlan does a fine job as Foster and the role of Lu is played by capable actors who portray the angst and determination with aplomb.
Yet, and it’s a big Yet, underlining the film is the stage action, choreographed brilliantly by Graeme Murphy. Beresford uses the action as a touchstone for everything else we see. Reinforced again and again, as it should be, is the freedom Lu feels as he flies from one end of the stage to the other. Poetry in motion, the lights and the music really do bring it all together and as shamelessly manipulative as Mao’s Last Dancer is, it’s excused. Muscular and emotional, this is one of the best films of the year.
Michael Dalton
www.maoslastdancermovie.com
Mao's Last Dancer Movie Trailer
| also featured |
| WIN With Modmove! Creation – Win In-season Tickets Thanks to Icon Films, we have three in-season double passes to give away to Creation! Read more >> Inception It's tempting to review Inception simply by saying, "it's just such a Nolan film" and leave it at that as that short statement embodies just about every complementary declaration that can be made about possibly the finest director currently working in Hollywood. Read more >> Greenberg For those of you who have seen Noah Baumbach’s work like Margot At The Wedding and The Squid and the Whale, Greenberg will be covering familiar ground. Read more >> The Runaways Why? This is the question that remains after viewing The Runaways, a rockudrama about the band of the title which begat the career of Joan Jett. Read more >> Knight and Day Will Tom Cruise’s role in Knight And Day provide the Lazarus like resurrection of his popular appeal or become just a blip of the radar? Read more >> Toy Story 3 Has it really been 15 years since the first toy story hit our screens? Not in my house it's not! Read more >> Get Him To The Greek Does Get Him To The Greek, the latest movie from the Judd Apatow and friends universe add or subtract to the lexicon of successful raunchy teen comedies? Read more >> Lou Faced with having all her belongings repossessed by door-knocking creditors, 27 year-old single mother of 3, Rhia (Emily Barclay), takes in her father-in-law, Doyle (John Hurt), in order to procure his carer's allowance. Read more >> Shrek Forever After After the hiccup of Shrek The Third, the latest addition to this established franchise tries its best to reinvigorate the series. Read more >> Legion The time has come. The end is here. We've all been very naughty. It's time to pay the piper. It's time for all of humanity to snuff it. Oh dear. But fear not! Paul Bettany has cut off his wings and rallied to our cause. Get ready for the WWE Angelic Smackdown™! (But only on pay-per-view.) Read more >> Harry Brown Harry Brown (Michael Caine) is a retired marine eking out a modest existence in his tenement housing estate, witnessing with disgust the violence and immorality gripping his neighbourhood. Read more >> |
| Stay up to date with modmove news |
| about modmove |
| What to know how we got started? Read more >> |
| read the modmove blog |
| Check out all the random stuff that didn't make it to the website! Read more >> |
| contact Us |
| If you have any queries or if you would like more information about modmove, we would love to hear from you! Read more >> |
| join our mailing list |
| subscribe to the mailing list and receive the modmove newsletter. |
| search |
| search modmove for previous news and reviews. |