Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Latin Drama
Review: The Dancer Upstairs is an engaging movie simply for filming, production, and acting. But it is the plot that distinguishes this movie most. It completely parts with the typical left-wing view of Latin America where the terrorists are enobolized and everyone else is either corrupt or stupid. For anyone who has spent time studying terrorism around the world and in particular in Latin America this movie comes very close to describing reality. First, the United States and Europe aren't the only places where there are thinking, professional police detectives. Commit a crime in many Latin countries and they will hunt you down. Secondly, terrorists are in the end the ultimate in corruption and evil. Blind followers of Castro, the Sandanistas, Che Gueverra, etc will get a glimpse at their cowardly arrogance and murderous ways. All this captured in an intriguing story of an honest cop, a man with responsibilities, and desires. Really good movie. There are some loose ends, but not enough to rate less than 4 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Acid eats at society's underpinnings
Review: THE DANCER UPSTAIRS is the perfect film for these times, when violence against societies comes less from declared wars between nation-states and more from shadowy international terrorist groups - or "freedom fighters", depending on your perspective. Captain Augustin Rejas (Javier Bardem) is an officer in the police force that serves the capital of an unspecified Latin American country in the throes of an undeclared civil war. In the name of a mysterious "Ezequiel", random assassinations and bombings are being inflicted. Nobody is safe, from government officials in limos to common citizens on the street. In the most dramatic episode, teenage school girls gun down a general and his bodyguards. Yet no proclamation of revolution is forthcoming, and no group takes "credit" for the violence. Rejas is given command of an anti-terrorist team to track Ezequiel down before the army must be called in and martial law declared. The foundations of the society are being eroded as if by an invisible acid. In the midst of the turmoil, Augustin continues to take his young daughter to her ballet lessons, which are conducted by Yolanda (Laura Morante), THE DANCER UPSTAIRS, who lives above the school. This is a film that barely made it out of the art houses because it isn't a mass-appeal thriller. The audience sees no plethora of special FX, no edge-of-your-seat pursuits, and the plot twist, when it comes, is almost anticlimactic. And the hero, Rejas, is no Bond. He's just a regular guy, who trudges through his daily 9 to 5 and is vaguely dissatisfied with his marriage to a woman whose obsession is with having a nose job. His is a life approaching quiet desperation, and Yolanda is a spark that could perhaps rekindle a fire. While the action is low key, the cinematography lovingly captures the country's slide into chaos. The fireworks are an ominous, yet inspired, touch. Both Bardem and Morante keep perfect pace with the tenor of the piece and the director's vision, neither over or under-acting their respective roles. Perhaps my only complaint is that Augustin's revelation, when it comes, and its aftermath, are consistent with the almost too subdued nature of the script. I wanted more passion. For those enough lucky enough to live in a stable society, THE DANCER UPSTAIRS is a disquieting glimpse across the boundary of stability.
Rating: 
Summary: Malkovich is a dancer, too
Review: The is an understated film that has been underestimated by the critics (and by reviewers here). Americans just don't like understated films with a slower pace. And once this film emerges from the shadow of its director's public persona, it will be seen for what it is--extraordinary. I was completely taken aback by this film because it was not at all what I expected from John Malkovich. This is a gentle film about the human capacity for perversity (the film prefers "corruption"); the contrast between the gentleness of the tone and the violence of the acts cannot be unintentional. Then, too, the terrorists are mistaken for "normal" people and so we see them as normal people before we see them as terrorists. Malkovitch has taken on one of the most sacred of American film conventions: the bad guys wear black hats so the audience can identify them and they are all bad all the time so the audience knows who to hate. Americans never want to admit we take an extremely realisitic art medium and impose upon it a completely unrealistic story convention. I mean wouldn't life be grand if the terrorists wore black hats so we could identify them? We'd know just who to blame for everything. I expected a ironic, sarcastic, "hipper than thou" annoyance but I saw a genuine, even romantic, film which moved me to tears. And then I realized that it John Malkovich's performance that was the heart of "Dangerous Liaisons," not Glenn Close's or Michelle Pfeiffer's.
Rating:
Summary: My Blind Date with the Dancer Upstairs
Review: There is something reassuring about low expectations. When you have low expectations, it's impossible to be disappointed unless you were hoping your low expectations were unfounded and then you really didn't have low expectations did you? Think of it like a blind date. If you expect a HUNK or a BABE, you might end up deflated. The two other possible results including the flip side are obvious, you either got what you expected or you are elated. Either is infinitely better than being deflated. Let's talk about my blind date with The Dancer Upstairs. Well, I certainly had low expectations for The Dancer Upstairs, a movie I had never heard of, with a cast, of which whose members, I had never heard, so starting at the bottom we had nowhere to go but up. Kind of like being guilty until proven innocent. THE DANCER UPSTAIRS I think of this movie as one of the so called artsy films. One thing you can say about artsy films if I may state the obvious is that they are either very good or very bad. Seldom are they in between. The Dancer Upstairs was a BABE. Main Characters: Javier Bardem ... Det. Lt. Agustín Rejas
Juan Diego Botto ... Det. Sgt. Sucre
Laura Morante ... Yolanda
Elvira Mínguez ... Det. Llosa
Alexandra Lencastre ... Sylvina Rejas
Oliver Cotton ... Police Chief Merino All Star cast right? Well don't let the names fool you they all did first rate jobs. Plot: The story takes place in an undisclosed Latin American Country that is undergoing chronic sustained terrorist attacks from Marx-Leninist guerillas whose leader, Ezequiel, fancies himself as the fourth prophet of Communism, (Shinnig Path?) the others being Marx, Lenin, and Mao. Ezequiel, though he is the subject of the movie, is really only in two scenes in the movie, in the beginning and near the end. Our hero, Det. Lt. Agustín Rejas (Javier Bardem)is put in charge of the task force, charged with the capture of the elusive guerilla leader. Rejas, an ex lawyer turned police detective is given an ultimatum of sorts, a short period of time to effect his assignment or marshal law would be enacted. As it is, a trio of terrorist bombs triggered marshal law anyway, wherein the army assumed the investigation and took all gathered evidence and notes. The movie also depicted Rejas the family man. He is married with a young teenage daughter Marina. She is an aspiring ballerina whose teacher, Yolanda (Laura Morante)is the Dancer Upstairs of the title. Rejas, whose marriage seems to be one of mutual respect with little passion, is drawn to the interesting and lovely dance instructor and she to him but something seems to be holding her back. I found The Dancer Upstairs, to be interesting (in a historical way), provocative (provoking thought)and quite enjoyable. True, it is not a world beater but it was well presented and directed and something I should mention is that the only connection of this movie to Hollywood was the Director, John Malkovich in his directorial debut. After refusing directing oppurtuities for many years, Malkovich was so enamored with the 1997 Nicolas Shakspeare book, that he produced and directed this gem. Malkovich even went so far as to have Shakespeare write the screenplay. The acting was very good, though not overly emotional. the actors were well cast and did a very realistic portrayals of their respective characters. Lead actor, Javier Bardem reminds me of Stacy Keach both in looks and acting styles, Rejas' sidekick Sucre, was played by a dashing, personable actor named Juan Diego Botto. I'm sure we'll be hearing more of him in the future. Lead and supporting actresses,
Laura Morante and Elvira Mínguez also did credible work Morante as the Dancer and Minuez as one of the task force though her part was fairly small. All in all it was a pretty good blind date. Final rating 4.6 stars
Rating:
Summary: An impressive debut with an original plot concept
Review: This film has generated a lot of negative reviews by people who are blinded by their conception of "typical" plot structures. Important in this film is not the primary plot about a terrorist group starting a revolution in a Latin American nation, but about one man, the policeman hunting down the terrorist leader. Unlike a film like Se7en, in which the hunt is as enthralling as the personal struggle of the protaganist, thus giving the casual film goer their eye-candy, in this film the hunt serves only to illuminate the feelings Rejas. He is alienated from a corrupt system, alienated from his shallow wife, and he has found solace in the artistic purity of his daughter and her dance instructor. This film is not for someone looking for a taut political thriller or police cat-and-mouse game. It's a character study more like In the Bedroom than a police movie like Se7en. The cinematography is excellent, and the locations that Malkovich chose to shoot perfectly fit the mood of the film. The pacing is slow, and the only thing keeping it from dragging is the emotional intensity of Javier Bardem. Still, at almost two and a half hours, Malkovich could have cut the film by about twenty minutes.
Rating:
Summary: great movie
Review: This is a movie that is both well acted and exciting. It is based on real events taking place in Peru during the period of the Shining Path "revolution". It is fictional history, but the overall plot and events are based on actual occurences (with considerable license in order to make the film entertaining). Abimael Guzman becomes Ezekiel in the film, and the story centers on the attempt by a security official to locate the revolutionary leader. The actor who portrays the official is convincing, and a most attractive figure, as are his associates. There are authentic scenarios, even if shot in Ecuador, Spain, and Portugal. The use of Quechua in key places (with English sub-titles) added to the authenticity of the film.
The film is a captivating adventure that takes the viewer deep into the urban and rural living zones of South America, and like a mystery novel it is difficult to anticipate what is coming next and final outcomes. It should be added that the dancing, artistic presentations, and decorations in the residences and buildings are elegant and very pleasant to experience throughout the film, and even in the final epilogue.
Rating:
Summary: Great, great movie
Review: This is one of the best movies I have ever watched. It surpasses the novel, which I enjoyed immensely. Its only flaw is that it was filmed in English, even though most of the actors' native tongue is Spanish. Javier Bardem is a gem, and so are the police chief, and Bardem's film subordinates.
Rating:
Summary: Oddly interesting ...
Review: this movie grew on me over time. The actors did a magnificent job under Malkovich's direction. Kudos to Mr. Malkovich for capturing the "feel" of South America. Having lived there for quite some time, and at time when the country I lived in was under martial law, he did an excellent job of conveying the unmistakable mix of beauty in the midst of serious repression. If I had one complaint, it would be Javier Bardem's character. It was hard to understand what compelled him to pursue his daughter's dance teacher and his perserverance in seeking out the terrorist Ezequiel. There were too few clues about his past to explain this drive satisfactorily, especially at the end of the movie (spoiler alert!!) when it becomes clear that the dance teacher is caught up in the irrational support of Ezequiel and is repulsed by Bardem.
Rating: 
Summary: An abstract terrorist
Review: This movie is all about the search for an invisible 'terrorist'.
This terrorist is not only invisible, but nobody explains in the movie for what he stands. He threatens what? The police in general, the political system, the (elected or totalitarian) government? Or is he acting out of a personal revenge? Or is it simply a drugs dealer? Nobody knows. So, all the action in this movie centres on an abstract character, a ghost. The search in itself is then the main theme of the movie. Not very interesting, if you ask me. At the Rotterdam Film Festival I saw two magisterial movies about terrorists: 'Rachida' by Yamina Bachir and 'L'autre monde' by Merzak Allouache. A comparison is a judgement.
Rating:
Summary: A Horrible Movie-The Dancer Upstairs
Review: This movie is definitaly NOT worth watching. It is very boring and it takes forever for the movie to end. Besides, the dancer lives downstairs, not upstairs. Then when the girl is reading the index cards, you could see the spanish words on them...unperfessional. It would have been better if this movie was in Spanish and it never was showed to the US. The movie also takes place in South American, with all Spanish Actors, they should just speak spanish! Another thing I didn't like was Ramiro Jimenez, he should not be in acting...he was horrible in this movie!
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