Rating: 
Summary: VOO-DOO OR REVOLUTION??
Review: I should have known this movie was in trouble when the credits said 'somewhere in Latin America.' That ambiguous statement is usually reserved for TV cereal productions.The movie runs 133 and if you were to just catch the last five minutes of this flick it would be enough. The story meanders , the dialog is trite and the only reason I stayed until the end, was, I couldn't believe Javier Bardem would be wasted on on a movie which could not make up its' mind; if the Latin American country where this took place was having the makings of a Revolution or a psychotic voo doo happening. John M. has always been spooky to me , he likes those dark and "Ha, Ha, bet you cannot figure me out" characters in most of his movies. But, if this is his Directorial debut, he has not much to offer his fans. Javier Bardem and his side kick Juan Diego Botto are the only light in a otherwise very dark movie.
I give this flick a 21/2 out of 5 mainly for those two actors. ciao ...
Rating: 
Summary: masterpiece
Review: I was almost misled by previous Amazon reviews into not seeing this film; I'm writing to prevent others from making that mistake. This is one of the most beautiful, emotionally satisfying, intelligent and well-acted films you will ever see. At the same time, at least for anyone who hasn't read the book (and I have not), a thrilling mystery. It is exquisite in every way, not a false step in it. The closing sequence is beautiful beyond description, something you have to experience. The audience when I saw it sat there in stunned, respectful silence afterward.
Rating:
Summary: bardem gives a stellar performance
Review: i was amazed that john malkovich directed this very fine and sensitive film. i hope this will not be his last effort as i found it definitely worth my very precious time and money. javier bardem is excellent in the title role. it brings home the horror of terrorism .
Rating: 
Summary: Far better than newspaper reviews let on...
Review: I was hesitant to see John Malkovich's "The Dancer Upstairs," a movie I thought I would love, because it has really been slammed pretty good in the press. Well, I saw it and did indeed love it. Now I'm wondering what the heck the press was looking for that I might have missed. For anyone who knows the story of Abimael Guzman and Peru's Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path), the story clicks over and over again with the recognition of thinly disguised details of that real case. Like "Dancer's" mysterious "Presidente Ezequiel," Guzman hid in plain sight right in the middle of Lima and conducted his countryside revolution from within the capital city's borders. And, like Ezequiel, Guzamn was protected by a network of surprisingly mainstream supporters. One caveat to my vote for this movie: I'm a big Javier Bardem fan. I've seen most of his films. He's excellent here again, even as he sometimes struggles with the language. [You can almost hear him sound out some sentences phonetically.] And that brings up the language issue. Malkovich here goes the route popularized by Julian Schnaebel's "Before Night Falls," in that Spanish-accented English is substituted for what, in reality, should be Spanish. This worked well for Schnaebel, with Bardem perfectly capturing Reinaldo Arenas' essence even in Cuban-inflected English. Here, the effect is not as good, as Quecha is introduced to converse with the nameless country's Indian population, then flipping back to English to simulate Spanish. All very odd, especially when Bardem's very Chicano-like partner throws in riffs taken from Anita Hill's classic denunciation of Clarence Thomas (talk about an odd, dated cultural reference).
Rating: 
Summary: The worst actor-Ramiro Jimenez
Review: I was highly unimpressed by Ramiro Jimenez. Go back to teaching...your no star! You stink like rotten bananas!!
Rating:
Summary: Paper reviews do no justice
Review: I was very impressed with "The Dancer Upstairs". I was interested in the movie, originally because of Juan Diego Botto. I have seen him in other movies and I am a fan. After seeing it in the theater, I was hooked. The trailer keeps you in suspense and gives the impression of a love story, but this movie is so much more. I loved it!!!!
Rating:
Summary: A very disapointing movie...espically that ramiro jimenez
Review: I've seen a few of Javier Bardem's movies and glad I came across this one. Couldn't give it five stars however, simply because much of the dialog was not very clear. No doubt in my mind, though, due to Javier Bardem's range, that if he makes his way to the States, he'll be big.
Interestingly, Javier Bardem playing an honest counter-terrorist cop in this one, will be playing Pablo Escobar in the upcoming Killing Pablo.
Rating:
Summary: An Elegant and Moody Thriller
Review: In "The Dancer Upstairs," John Malkovich delivers a complex, moody crime drama set in a Latin American city. Ambivalent police captain Rejas (Javier Bardem) is assigned to track down Ezequiel, an elusive revolutionary terrorist, and his followers. As explosions rage around the city, Rejas and his team race to discover the identity of their man. Unlike an ordinary cop drama, the film gives Rejas's personal life weight. He is caught in a listless marriage and falls in love with his daughter's ballet teacher Yolanda, well played by Laura Morante. In this film, however, nothing is cut-and-dried, and even Rejas's emotional attachment to Yolanda has its dark twists. Although the plot itself is suspenseful, much of the tension in this film is created through cinematography and directorial decisions - close-ups, shots of the setting, the use of color, the spare music. The acting is understated, making the few outbursts explosive in context. Bardem has so carefully drawn his character under his skin that he conveys a range of emotions through his expressions and gestures, giving his character a subtly only gifted actors can achieve. My biggest complaint about this film was the heavily accented actors speaking in English. I'm sure I missed some of the complexity simply because I couldn't understand all of what was being said. I would have much preferred a Spanish language film with subtitles, an appropriate choice given the setting and the performers. It has all the feel of a foreign film, so why not go all the way? Viewers who expect a Hollywood thriller should look elsewhere, as this might be best described as a well-plotted art house film. I highly recommend it for those who are willing to accept the slower pace of psychological intensity.
Rating:
Summary: An Elegant and Moody Thriller
Review: In "The Dancer Upstairs," John Malkovich delivers a complex, moody crime drama set in a Latin American city. Ambivalent police captain Rejas (Javier Bardem) is assigned to track down Ezequiel, an elusive revolutionary terrorist, and his followers. As explosions rage around the city, Rejas and his team race to discover the identity of their man. Unlike an ordinary cop drama, the film gives Rejas's personal life weight. He is caught in a listless marriage and falls in love with his daughter's ballet teacher Yolanda, well played by Laura Morante. In this film, however, nothing is cut-and-dried, and even Rejas's emotional attachment to Yolanda has its dark twists. Although the plot itself is suspenseful, much of the tension in this film is created through cinematography and directorial decisions - close-ups, shots of the setting, the use of color, the spare music. The acting is understated, making the few outbursts explosive in context. Bardem has so carefully drawn his character under his skin that he conveys a range of emotions through his expressions and gestures, giving his character a subtly only gifted actors can achieve. My biggest complaint about this film was the heavily accented actors speaking in English. I'm sure I missed some of the complexity simply because I couldn't understand all of what was being said. I would have much preferred a Spanish language film with subtitles, an appropriate choice given the setting and the performers. It has all the feel of a foreign film, so why not go all the way? Viewers who expect a Hollywood thriller should look elsewhere, as this might be best described as a well-plotted art house film. I highly recommend it for those who are willing to accept the slower pace of psychological intensity.
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful Story of Political Violence in South America
Review: In an unnamed Latin American nation, random acts of violence have been shattering the countryside's peace for 5 years. For a while the incidents seemed unconnected and were blamed on a variety of activist organizations. Then dead dogs displaying signs proclaiming "Long Live Ezequiel" start turning up hanging from lampposts around the nation's capital. Detective Lieutenant Augustin Rejas (Javier Bardem) is given a team of 4 police officers and assigned the task of discovering Ezequiel's identity and dismantling his violent organization. But before he can make much progress, the organization assassinates a government minister. Fearing the beginnings of a revolution, the nation's president declares martial law. Although Rejas is permitted to continue with his investigation, any person his team investigates is taken into military custody and deprived of due process. Frustrated by the lack of justice in his professional life and with a wife with whom he has little in common at home, Rejas seeks the companionship of his daughter's ballet teacher, Yolanda (Laura Morante), a woman who seems at first to share his soulful nature. "The Dancer Upstairs" is based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Shakespeare, who also wrote the film's screenplay. It is the first film directed by actor (and director of theater) John Malkovich. The film is timely in its depiction of terrorism as a socio-political force and military law as a purported protection from it. The extremely violent "Ezequiel" revolutionaries were obviously inspired by "The Shining Path" organization which terrorized Peru during the 1980s and 1990s. But "The Dancer Upstairs" is pretty light-handed with its socio-political statements. We see events unfold from the perspective of Augustin Rejas, who is a reluctant police officer, a man of no professional ambition who only wants to live in a just society. He is saddened by his president's paranoia and the nation's return to martial law. But his own decision-making isn't flawless. The film's pace might best be described as contemplative. It directly reflects Rejas' personality and the tempo of the countryside from which he came and with which he still has great affinity. The film meanders a bit and at times seems to have no clear direction. I don't believe this is a flaw though. The story is definitely moving toward its conclusion. It just isn't taking the direct route. This will probably rack the nerves of viewers who are expecting a traditional police drama. Cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine has created some beautiful and painterly images. He contributes to the film's contemplative mood by pausing on these images long enough for us to take them in. I found a scene in which children carrying large posters scatter in the street at night to be especially beautiful and rather startling. I was grateful to Alcaine and to the film's editor for giving me enough time to look at it. John Malkovich has chosen a difficult adaptation for his directorial debut. "The Dancer Upstairs" has a kind of thematic and narrative obscurity that won't appeal to everyone. I found it to be a memorable film, though, and Javier Bardem is well-cast as the gentle and soulful police detective. The film's biggest fault is that the dialogue is occasionally difficult to understand. The cast is comprised entirely -and understandably- of Spanish and Latin American actors. But the film is in English. While some of the actors speak virtually accent-less English, others can be difficult to decipher.
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