Genres

Visitors Review

Pete Hammond 2012-05-21 05:56:16

[A] stirring and remarkable true story.

Shanell H 2012-05-20 16:27:10

loved it

loved it. Why aren't more people going to this amazing movie? Sure it's got a Hollywood ending, but what's wrong with something uplifting. Save your money on Devil and go to this heavenly movie!!

leiser18 2012-05-20 00:19:00

Brilliant and Classic

Mao's Last Dancer is a brilliantly made movie, thanks to the flawlessdirection of Bruce Beresford. I had not even heard of this film until Isaw a local ad for it. I also didn't know about the book. I watchedthis movie with eyes wide open! The dancing blew me away, and yes, Ihave to admit, I cried several times. The story of Li Cunxin isamazing. He is played magnificently by Chi Cao (as an adult), who, Iunderstand, is a well known Chinese dancer in his own right. BruceGreenwood, which I like very much, plays the role of the Houston BalletDirector with absolute perfection. Several reviews have included theplot of the film, so I'm not going to get into here. I only want tostress to everyone who has not seen this movie, don't miss it!!! Andbring a box of hankies...

brimon28 2012-05-19 11:36:52

A Bruce Beresford masterpiece

This cineaste and balletomane had given up many years ago any hope ofever seeing the dance rendered adequately on film. Enter BruceBeresford. I suppose every ladies' book club in the English-speakingworld has read Mao's Last Dancer, so if you wanted to make a film basedon that autobiography, you'd first have to find a brave director. Well,this is it. Linking together life in desolate inner China and asophisticated western world has been done before. But there is anemotional story here, and the casting agencies deserve enormous creditfor finding such competent people. I mean, do you find an actor andteach him to dance, or do you get a dancer to act? Whatever; the leadin this film can dance very well indeed, and his acting is more thancompetent. I won't retell the story. Just let it be said, that at theperformance I saw, most of the audience sat through the credits. Thosewho left early looked mystifed by the applause. A ladies' book club cumchick flick? I think not. Sure, the tissues were out, but this is onesurely exciting film.

Marc Savlov 2012-05-13 22:17:02

Beresford and the entire cast cover the proceedings with a light touch and just the right amount of gravitas (given the situation).

Hilton Thomas 2012-05-13 07:42:21

Well presented and brimming over with reverence, Beresford's tribute to an ex-Communist Billy Elliot sidesteps hard hits for a solid performance.

Philby-3 2012-05-12 03:56:03

Mao's dancer becomes capitalist roader

Bruce Beresford is one veteran Australian director who can producepopular films, and this one is definitely a crowd-pleaser, at least forthe crowd that likes to watch dance. The story itself (naïve youngdancer from totalitarian regime defects to the freedom of the West) ispretty hackneyed but is framed by some exquisite dancing scenes. Myformer Red Guard colleague "Robin" thought that the protagonist LiCunxin was a bit of a goose, for, given his extraordinary talent, if hehad gone back to China he would have reached the top of the danceestablishment. Instead, seduced by the shopping malls and high rise ofHouston as well as by a young American dancer, and outraged when hediscovers the Party has lied to him about America, he defects, causinga minor diplomatic incident and cutting himself off for the time beingat least from his family. Still, he was only 18 at the time.The two actors portraying Li, Chengwu Gao as a boy and Chi Cao as an 18year old, do excellent work, given that neither is a professional. Infact all the Chinese actors were terrific. The American / Australiansupport cast was OK (Jack Thomson reprising his good ole legal boy act,Kyle Maclachlan playing a straight role), though I found BruceGreenwood as the Houston Dance Company director Ben Stevenson mildlyirritating. One does see his point, however, about most of the Chinesedancers being athletes rather than artists. There were some sloppyaspects. Some of the Houston scenes were filmed in Balmain, Sydney,green street signs and all, which by no stretch of the imaginationlooks anything like anywhere in Houston. Yet Beresford filmed inHouston, and went to considerable trouble to film in China. The Qintaovillage scenes are beautifully composed and the very last scene showshow Beresford must have convinced suspicious local party officials thathe was making a movie they could approve of. I guess he didn't showthem the scenes with the Madam Mao–like character chucking her weightabout.It's not mentioned in the film, but it's well known that when Li'sdance career came to an end he re-trained as a stockbroker, an unlikely"happy ever after" scenario. He now lives in Melbourne. Beresford andJan Sardi based the script on Li's own best-selling memoir and there'sno doubt they have added something, if only some great ballet scenes –the extract from Stravinsky's "Firebird was fabulous.

Shari 2012-05-11 17:18:23

Wonderful Story

I had not heard about the movie and a girlfriend called to see if I wanted to go with her. I did not know what is was but said yes I would meet her at the theater. It was FANTASTIC and I wanted to stay and see it again. You cry "happy tears" and it is truly a beautiful story and well done movie.Tough to see what he and his family went through but in the end it was well worth the struggles. A must see!!

Angela K 2012-05-10 19:33:47

well executed

This is an intriguing movie, with live actors to see, that is artful and not full of "noise and violence". The ballet scenes are quite memorable with historically noteworthy selections presented throughout the story. My favorite Le sacre du printemps lead in conclusion to this film. Just on "the ballet" alone this movie held my attention. The overall story of Li was quite moving.

Gary_Goodbloke 2012-05-10 13:45:29

A moving tale that captures the beauty and inspiration of a man forced to make extraordinary decisions

Mao's last Dancer tells the true story of Chinese ballet dancer LiCunxin who grew up in rural poverty in Mao's communist before beinggiven the opportunity to dance in the West in the early 80s. Li isforced to examine his conscience as he must choose between his career,family, culture, politics and love whilst having to makeheart-wrenching decisions of what he must choose to sacrifice and whathe must choose to save.Li Cunxin is played magnificently by Chi Cao (as an adult) as well asChengwu Guo (as a teenager). Chi Cao, a highly recognised ballerino inhis own right, must receive the bulk of the accolades for what is trulya seamless breakthrough performance by a first time actor. The rest ofthe cast are also fantastic including Bruce Greenwood who plays thedifficult and complex part of a slightly camp Ballet Director who mustconfront his own values.Kyle MacLachlan ("Sex and the City") takes a relatively brief butdelightfully forceful turn as a Houston lawyer and Australians willdelight in the cameo by the ever wonderful Jack Thompson.As an Australian production I was extraordinarily proud. BruceBeresford has produced arguably his finest picture to date (and yes,I've seen "Driving Miss Daisy") as the pacing, musical score, use ofballet on camera and story structure were all pitch perfect. The filmjumps around between 80s USA and Li's Chinese upbringing at thebeginning before settling into a groove during the middle and end. Andjust when the film could be in danger of straining it's audienceBeresford delivers moments of levity and humour that remind us of thecharacters' humanity.The backdrop of politics against which the film plays is neitherignored nor focused on. Had it gone one way or the other, the filmwouldn't have worked nearly so well but Beresford dealt with thisdelicate theme with such craftsmanship that it never becomes an issuefor the audience.Jan Sardi (who also wrote Shine and the Notebook) has also produced ahighly commendable script for what must have been a daunting project -given the success of the book the movie is based on.At 132 minutes, the film is long and this can be felt slightly in themiddle. However, the fault is only minor and I defy any viewer to watchthis without being moved by Li's story.Many who have read Li's memoirs (as I have) will be anxious to knowwhether the movie does the book justice. I'm overjoyed to say that itdoes. I openly wept several times in the film as did most of theaudience members around me. There were a few subplots and parts of thenovel left out but I found that, unusually, this didn't bother me asmuch as it normally does with movies based on true stories.This is because the film told the essence of Li's story extraordinarilywell in this irresistibly moving telling of one man's struggle as he'scaught between two cultures at a time of when they were pushing againsteach other.This year's Slumdog Millionaire upstart is Mao's Last Dancer.

Brian Miller 2012-05-03 00:16:31

Mao's Last Dancer means well, but it stumbles between genres.

Norm Schrager 2012-05-02 11:09:37

There's a surprising lack of craftsmanship in the true-life ballet drama Mao's Last Dancer, enough to practically negate what should be a powerful story

Kenneth 2012-05-01 19:22:36

Dancing Has No Boundries

Fantastically made movie in an artistic fashion which entertains all of the viewers in cultural awareness of a person assimilating into the American culture yet within the political and economic framework of, at that time, opposing views by the Governments. As a dancer, he arises above all that and becomes all that he really is.

Marshall Fine 2012-05-01 06:43:12

Wants to be heart-warming and uplifting. And it is - in a completely unchallenging, middlebrow way.

Paul Byrnes 2012-04-24 03:44:21

Beresford hasn't usually allowed himself to become this corny. This new film appears calculated to do two things: make everyone cry and maximise its appeal to those red-blooded, childlike Americans who think "freedom" is a US concept.

Susan Granger 2012-04-23 16:48:43

Think "Billy Elliot" combined with "The Last Emperor" and a touch of "Rocky." Great movies transport the audience - and this left me enriched and exhilarated.

Syee 2012-04-21 06:39:42

TERRIFIC MOVIE!

1)DANCING WAS VISUALLY WONDERFUL2) SIMPLE BACKDROP OF THE EVOLUTION OF CHINESE POLITICS3)NOT A DRY EYE IN THE AUDIENCE AT THE END.SHOULD BE NOMINATED FOR THE FOREIGN FILM CATEGORY IF IT'S CONSIDERED A FOREIGN FILM

Ben Larson 2012-04-20 13:03:42

What have I done?

The most impressive part of this film is when Li (Chi Cao) would dance.He floated across the stage to some incredibly beautiful music. Seeinghim dance was worth the time invested in the film.Director Bruce Beresford (Tender Mercies, Driving Miss Daisy) managesto keep tugging at your heartstrings throughout, especially in thescenes in China.It was a little melodramatic outside of the dancing and that keeps itfrom being rated higher.You certainly can't help becoming emotional at the final scenes inHouston and in China.

Heartland Truly Moving Pictures 2012-04-20 12:18:01

Mao's Last Dancer - A Truly Moving Picture Award recipient

This is one of the best films about classical ballet I have seen,showing whole dance sequences rather than snippets, and the dancing isbeautiful. The hard work and dedication necessary to achieve excellenceis clearly shown. It is the story of the rise to fame of Li Cunxin anda sensitive portrayal of the conflicting loyalties to country, family,the art form and the desire for freedom. It is a film to inspire aswell as entertain.- Margot, a Heartland Truly Moving Picture Award Jury MemberHeartland Truly Moving Pictures, a non-profit arts organization, wasestablished in 1991 to recognize and honor filmmakers whose workexplores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respectfor positive values of life.

Wesley Morris 2012-04-19 17:04:44

The most interesting elements of Li's story -- dance, politics, and the politics of dance -- have been dulled from their source material, though not beyond recognition.