Jason KingMao's Last Dancer ($15-)
October 1st 2009 11:29
:
Breathtaking!
Category: No Category
Mao's Last Dancer ($15-)
WOW - that's my description of this beautiful film. I have never had the joy of reading the book but in my opinion Bruce Berersford has done an exceptional job in making an awesome film. There were a few issues I had with it but overall it's close to brilliant. And I will be buying the book very soon!!
Based on the autobiography by Li Cunxin. At the age of 11, Li was plucked from a poor Chinese village by Madame Mao's cultural delegates and taken to Beijing to study ballet. In 1979, during a cultural exchange to Texas, he fell in love with an American woman. Two years later, he managed to defect and went on to perform as a principal dancer for the Houston Ballet and as a principal artist with the Australian Ballet.
The acting is superbly done by all the people who play Li film. As a dancer Chi Cao is mind blowing. As an actor he holds his own well. So well he was way better than Amanda Schull who plays Liz and who I just loved in Centre Stage. In this I just found her entire character, although pivotal, just annoying and the majority of the time she is in the film the story and momentum falter. If this part of the film was done better I would score this perfectly. My standout in this film is Bruce Greenwood, fresh off the bridge of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek to playing the flamboyant choreographer. He is brilliant, subtle and totally believable.
This film has a lot of heart and it pulls your emotions left and right and there will be a lot of tissues required in this film but not for sadness, for brilliance. When Li takes the stage he is astounding. All of the moves he executes he does with grace and natural talent. This film is the first one in a long time that I have been held captive by from the word go! I only ever once considered the real world about half way through, before and after Li is held in the consulate. Prior and after this was just a pleasure.
What I did find a slight letdown is that I wanted to see Li suffer while being held as a prisoner, I wanted to feel more of his pain from him not being allowed to see his family again. But in this it is lacking. There is the incredible way the film leads and finishes but the ultimate moment of the film that creates an international issue is handled too lightly. My impression from the trailer and my limited knowledge is that Li was held for some time and his communist government imposed banishment was a massive heartbreak for him, but besides the one scene it is not overly evident. I think the film could have been half an hour longer to deal with this more.
But the film makes leaps and bounds when it comes to the dancing, and the overall emotional impact of this man's remarkable journey. Choreography is an absolute pleasure to watch and for the first time since I fell in love with a dancer, that I never got to meet, from the Royal London Ballet's Performance of Romeo and Juliet I want to go to the ballet again. The film manages to capture on film what has not been done before for ballet - it captures the emotional aura of the lead dancers and allows us to view it as though at the ballet, not just watching amazing technique onscreen.
I don't need to go into any detailed babble - all I will say to the director is YAY BRUCE! Thanks for the gorgeous emotional journey of heartbreak and joy! I think this is one of Beresford's best works and from a 4.30 screening on a Thursday being half full, mainly mature ladies, this is a good sign this film will have a long and succesful box office and it deserves it.
I loved it - this is one to take your mum, grandma and kids too. It's a great Australian production and well worth the $15- value - take the whole family!!
WOW - that's my description of this beautiful film. I have never had the joy of reading the book but in my opinion Bruce Berersford has done an exceptional job in making an awesome film. There were a few issues I had with it but overall it's close to brilliant. And I will be buying the book very soon!!
Based on the autobiography by Li Cunxin. At the age of 11, Li was plucked from a poor Chinese village by Madame Mao's cultural delegates and taken to Beijing to study ballet. In 1979, during a cultural exchange to Texas, he fell in love with an American woman. Two years later, he managed to defect and went on to perform as a principal dancer for the Houston Ballet and as a principal artist with the Australian Ballet.
The acting is superbly done by all the people who play Li film. As a dancer Chi Cao is mind blowing. As an actor he holds his own well. So well he was way better than Amanda Schull who plays Liz and who I just loved in Centre Stage. In this I just found her entire character, although pivotal, just annoying and the majority of the time she is in the film the story and momentum falter. If this part of the film was done better I would score this perfectly. My standout in this film is Bruce Greenwood, fresh off the bridge of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek to playing the flamboyant choreographer. He is brilliant, subtle and totally believable.
This film has a lot of heart and it pulls your emotions left and right and there will be a lot of tissues required in this film but not for sadness, for brilliance. When Li takes the stage he is astounding. All of the moves he executes he does with grace and natural talent. This film is the first one in a long time that I have been held captive by from the word go! I only ever once considered the real world about half way through, before and after Li is held in the consulate. Prior and after this was just a pleasure.
What I did find a slight letdown is that I wanted to see Li suffer while being held as a prisoner, I wanted to feel more of his pain from him not being allowed to see his family again. But in this it is lacking. There is the incredible way the film leads and finishes but the ultimate moment of the film that creates an international issue is handled too lightly. My impression from the trailer and my limited knowledge is that Li was held for some time and his communist government imposed banishment was a massive heartbreak for him, but besides the one scene it is not overly evident. I think the film could have been half an hour longer to deal with this more.
But the film makes leaps and bounds when it comes to the dancing, and the overall emotional impact of this man's remarkable journey. Choreography is an absolute pleasure to watch and for the first time since I fell in love with a dancer, that I never got to meet, from the Royal London Ballet's Performance of Romeo and Juliet I want to go to the ballet again. The film manages to capture on film what has not been done before for ballet - it captures the emotional aura of the lead dancers and allows us to view it as though at the ballet, not just watching amazing technique onscreen.
I don't need to go into any detailed babble - all I will say to the director is YAY BRUCE! Thanks for the gorgeous emotional journey of heartbreak and joy! I think this is one of Beresford's best works and from a 4.30 screening on a Thursday being half full, mainly mature ladies, this is a good sign this film will have a long and succesful box office and it deserves it.
I loved it - this is one to take your mum, grandma and kids too. It's a great Australian production and well worth the $15- value - take the whole family!!
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Thanks for the comment - how did the move go?
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Thanks for your comment and I hope you love the film as much as I did.
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I have to read that book!
Enjoy and thanks for the comment!!
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Hope u enjoy it - thanks for the comment and have a good one!
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It should be a family affair for you to watch this one. The kids should shout you a cinema trip
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This is one worth buying a ticket too.