Rating: 
Summary: Lyrical, angry, and honest
Review: Although the pacing is choppy, "The Business of Fancydancing" is haunting and powerful. Successful poet Seymour Polatkin returns to his rez for a friend's funeral and faces harsh criticism for the way he used his people for his subjects, then abandoned them. Evan Adams as Seymour is humorous, sly, confused, and finally shattered by his choices. Strong performances by Gene Tagaban as Aristotle Joseph, who serves as Seymour's conscience, and Swil Kanim as Mouse, the mocking, witty friend who dies. He's also a superb violinist. Michele St. John shines as Seymour's early love interest and indigenous singer who has chosen to live on the rez.
Alexie mocks himself as he poses the question, "What's it like when you talk and white people listen?"
I recommend this film to anyone who wants to understand cultural disjointedness and search for self-identity.
Rating: 
Summary: Another fine piece of work from Alexie
Review: Another exquisite piece of art from Sherman Alexie. This movie is more poetic than Smoke Signals, while oddly enough being less symbolic. In this one Alexie shows what it's like to have made some of the choices he has, and acknowledges some of the things he's had to leave behind.It's about accepting what can be and what can't, what is and what isn't, and living with the difference. The movie wants to say something to you and you can get it because Alexie knows how to communicate ideas in words and pictures. You have to listen, though. The amusing and light-hearted additional commentary between Alexie and actor Evan Adams is informative and entertaining. I like both these guys, even after listening to them talk about their movie and the choices they made putting it together. The clue is in the title: "The business of fancydancing." Who would have thought an Indian (Alexie) would point out to everyone that Indian fancydancing (as well as poetry, the craft of the hero of the movie) is a "business." Likewise film making, I assume. For a long time I've believed Alexie should have had the Putlizer Prize simply for his title "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven." Those nine words say more than the majority of full-length novels, but I suppose Alexie can make a combination of words like that happen because he is first a poet. He's a poet in this movie too. It's exquisite.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent film with a few rough edges
Review: For those who are still living and for those who only remembering living, The Business of Fancydancing presents an absolute depiction of life on the world Rez. The reality of this picture, makes it one of the two most perfect works of cinema I've ever seen. If you desire to see a work of reflective genius, view this!
P.S. Thanks to all involved!
Rating:
Summary: An absolute masterpiece
Review: For those who are still living and for those who only remembering living, The Business of Fancydancing presents an absolute depiction of life on the world Rez. The reality of this picture, makes it one of the two most perfect works of cinema I've ever seen. If you desire to see a work of reflective genius, view this!
P.S. Thanks to all involved!
Rating: 
Summary: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Review: Give this one a miss. It's a waste of time.
Rating:
Summary: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Review: Give this one a miss. It's a waste of time.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting film
Review: I am teaching, these days, a course on postcolonial literature in Mexico and, for my sutudents sake, I just wish this film had Spanish subtitles. I believe it just mananages to reveal, to display, to express what is it to be living in the margin (or the multiple margins) of society. If being a writer is not being an exemplary subject, being a poet is a bit less; if being from another culture is 'in', being native is a bit less; if sexuality is losing its axial presence, being 'gay', chicken or not, is also less 'important'. This movie makes it clear that third cultures are out there. That hybridity is the matter of the day. Is it not politically transparent? Well, nothing is anymore. Life is burdened with ambivalences, ambiguities; with a multiplicity of meanings for each action, choice, value, word, and whatever we do. The time of black and white (TV) should end. The empire is being threatened from inside its own belly (as it happened with every single empire in history). This movie is a must for whoever wishes to ilustrate how complicated life in the margins is.
Rating:
Summary: Who are we?
Review: I am teaching, these days, a course on postcolonial literature in Mexico and, for my sutudents sake, I just wish this film had Spanish subtitles. I believe it just mananages to reveal, to display, to express what is it to be living in the margin (or the multiple margins) of society. If being a writer is not being an exemplary subject, being a poet is a bit less; if being from another culture is 'in', being native is a bit less; if sexuality is losing its axial presence, being 'gay', chicken or not, is also less 'important'. This movie makes it clear that third cultures are out there. That hybridity is the matter of the day. Is it not politically transparent? Well, nothing is anymore. Life is burdened with ambivalences, ambiguities; with a multiplicity of meanings for each action, choice, value, word, and whatever we do. The time of black and white (TV) should end. The empire is being threatened from inside its own belly (as it happened with every single empire in history). This movie is a must for whoever wishes to ilustrate how complicated life in the margins is.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting film
Review: I gave three stars to this film for some of the acting - some was excellent (Evan Adams deserves an award) and others somewhat lame. I like Sherman Alexie's movie renditions of his writing, as it always stirs up some creativity for me, yet I felt it veered too strongly on the side of negatively portraying Indian people. Sure, a lot of this happens. A lot of amazingly good things happen too that don't seem to get time in his movies.
Rating:
Summary: A Must See
Review: I had the pleasure and privilege of viewing Sherman's movie during its release and probably should have written this once the dvd was out...but better late than never. This movie moved me in ways that I had not expected or my companions who were American Indian. I relocated to the PNW many, many years ago and underwent a major cultural transition that I felt so alone in. So I didn't talk about it. Then along came Sherman Alexie who explained the experience I had on the big screen in a way that helped me understand what I had experienced and how to deal with it. Changing cultures is anything but easy. I connected with the fancydancer who lost his cultural identity bit by bit to assimilate into a new and different culture more than any aspect of this movie, and was moved because this big screen experience was both enlightening and healing for me. Thank you, Sherman. The weaving of Sherman's poetry throughout this movie was an absolute delight for me as a viewer because I truly love poetry and have read just about everything he has written. What a literary marvel and truly an American treasure we have in this writer. America has a new accomplished literary mind to add to the American literary canon. I hope to see his work in the literature anthologies of tomorrow under post modern literary genius, a picture of him smiling at America, and a brief biography of how he triumphed and overcame difficult circumstances to become such a successful writer and filmmaker. My companions who were American Indian were excited that an Indian could be so successful and realistically expressive about real Indian issues. His success encourages people to believe in their dreams as well and to confront and overcome the roadblocks in their lives. This is what Sherman does. He inspires those who experience him. The movie's topic is not your typical made-for-Hollywood version of life by any stretch of the imagination, but rather it is life portrayed as life by real people confronting real issues. Subsequently, the viewer's reaction is to real issues as well, and what an eye-opener that is after being subjected to the milieu in most movies that are "Hollywood- approved" for public consumption. This movie tears down some walls, folks! There's nothing artificial about it. If you think you would enjoy viewing a point of view that you would never see in a Hollywood movie, check out the cinematic role reversal of the "whitey punching bag" scene where a white guy gets the bejesus beat out of him on the 'rez! The difference is it could happen in real life, but not in a Hollywood movie. So it's that type of seeing life from authentic points of view that is so refreshing as is seeing and hearing Sherman in his movie! Absolutely awesome!~
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