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The Dancer Upstairs Details

2002 Certificate 15
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 3816 members

The directorial debut of John Malkovich, THE DANCER UPSTAIRS is a riveting political drama set in an undetermined Latin American city. A revolution has started, and the local police have been assigned to figure out who is leading it and what exactly the revolutionaries want. Agustin Rejas (Javier Bardem) is the detective .. Read more

Starring Javier Bardem, Laura Morante, Juan Diego Botto, Elvira Minguez
Director John Malkovich
Genres Drama

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The Dancer Upstairs

The directorial debut of John Malkovich, THE DANCER UPSTAIRS is a riveting political drama set in an undetermined Latin American city. A revolution has started, and the local police have been assigned to figure out who is leading it and what exactly the revolutionaries want. Agustin Rejas (Javier Bardem) is the detective leading the investigation. However, with the military involved and corrupt government officials making Rejas's job especially difficult, he faces constant frustrations. The leader of the revolution goes by the name Ezequiel, but the police cannot figure out his true identity. Even more beguiling are the increasingly violent terrorist incidents that appear to be carried out by children who swear their loyalty to Ezequiel with no explanation of why. Caught up in the middle of the revolution and Rejas's investigation are his wife, his young daughter, and his daughter's lovely ballet teacher, Yolanda (Laura Morante). One event after the next adds to the suspense and nagging anxiety felt by Rejas, until finally, with one shocking discovery, everything becomes frighteningly clear.
Combining a serious political drama with a tender and introspective look at a man in mid-life, THE DANCER UPSTAIRS has something for every viewer. Its scenes of violence and terror are offset with truly artistic and romantic moments, using excellent photography, striking sets, and graceful acting to bring cohesion to the duality of the plot.

Starring Javier Bardem, Laura Morante, Juan Diego Botto, Elvira Minguez
Director John Malkovich
Studio 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 2 hrs 7 mins
Certificate Certificate 15
Genres Drama
Language DVD: English
Hearing-impaired English
Released DVD: 20 Oct 2003
Production year: 2002
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (3) of The Dancer Upstairs

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  • 3 stars out of 5

    Adapted by Nicholas Shakespeare from his own roman à clef and enriched by José Luis Alcaine's predatory camerawork, John Malkovich's directorial debut owes a sizeable debt to the brand of political thriller perfected by Costa-Gavras. Javier Bardem excels as the Latin American lawyer-turned-cop who is constantly hindered by official corruption and public indifference as he agonisingly comes to realise that ballet teacher Laura Morante is associated with the perpetrators of a series of terrorist assaults. Despite a surfeit of contrivances and the unconvincing tension between leads who are romantic soulmates but ideological adversaries, it's an arresting blend of policier and sociological treatise.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006
  • 2 stars out of 4

    Taut, complex political thriller of the dilemma of an honest cop caught between terrorists and a ruthless government.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
    • Posted 02 Mar 2006

  • Most helpful member's review of The Dancer Upstairs

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  • 47 out of 50 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Intelligent film

    The dancer upstairs is low key but highly intelligent look at Latin American terrorist movements like the Maoist Sendero Luminoso in Peru. Malkovich looks at the personal lives of individuals caught up in or affected by the violent philosophies of a charismatic leader. Such a treatment of the story makes for a subtle but strong film. Javier Bardim is quite likeable as the decent lawman trying to capture a vicious terrorist, while in the employ of a regime that is itself corrupt, violent and ironically deserving of destruction. The film was done in English by Latin American actors. This makes for a very authentic and well textured film, but the accents are sometimes a bit difficult. The film is well worth viewing though.

      • A customer from Wembley, England
      • Posted 14 Mar 2004 19:52

  • Most recent members' review of The Dancer Upstairs

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  • 6 out of 7 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    Oh dear...

    Sorry, Mr Malkovich...

    This film starts off great. Romantic in the true sense of the word, with a darkness and idiosyncratic feel I would expect of the director.

    Then, it just ups and goes off the rails. Our hero makes a few decisions (well one key decision anyway) that seems totally out of character. The plot leaps and whilst it's still easy to follow you don't really understand how you've got there. And the lashings and lashings of sentimentality are, frankly, sickening.

    And the ending... crikey. Everything happens excactly as you would expect, except you don't expect it to go as you would expect. So I guess you could argue that in being so totally obvious and lacking any kind of imagination, it does surprise you. I guess.

    This film starts with oodles of promise, pretty much none of which is realised. Don't bother.

    • DarthRich
      • DarthRich from Wokingham,
      • Posted 16 Nov 2005 20:53

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      • The directorial debut of John Malkovich, THE DANCER UPSTAIRS is a riveting political drama set in an undetermined Latin American city. A revolution has started, and the local police have been ...