An accomplished and ambitious directorial debut from John Malkovich.
Comment
11/22/02
The Dancer Upstairs (2003)
63
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:112
Fresh:71
Rotten:41
Average Rating:6.4/10
Consensus: Bardem is compelling in the lead role, and Malkovich proves adept at crafting mood.
Runtime: 2 hrs 15 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: 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... [More]
Starring: Javier Bardem, Laura Morante, Oliver Cotton, Luis Miguel Cintra
Director: John Malkovich
Reviews for The Dancer Upstairs
Top CriticStretches are terrific, but the slow pacing becomes methodical, and the final stretches, which should be lingering and reflecting on emotional threads, simply end up ponderous.
02/16/03
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12/07/02
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11/14/02
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12/15/03
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12/07/02
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12/10/02
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12/10/02
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01/26/06
Top CriticMalkovich turns out a murky, listless and eventually pointless film. His attempt at atmosphere dwarfs the barren narrative.
05/09/03
It's a wishy-washy picture; Malkovich should have whole-heartedly embraced either the politics or the pulp.
05/11/03
Javier Bardem is terrific, as usual, in a film that hovers between genres, albeit with considerable grace.
05/01/03
It doesn't have anything new or hopeful to say about Latin America's endless cycle of revolution and repression, and the whole thing finally gets bogged down.
05/09/03
Subtlety and nuance is Malkovich’s strong suit, and he is careful not to hit viewers with overly predictable or melodramatic scenes.
05/08/03
The core investigation offers little urgency and a less-than-satisfying payoff.
05/06/03
While The Dancer Upstairs may have nothing else to remind us of [Malkovich], it does have a certain mystique itself.
05/16/03
Just the type of carefully wrought, somewhat chilly, rather pretentious and extremely intelligent effort one would expect from Malkovich.
05/26/03
Little other than the love story subplot to energize the proceedings, many viewers will find that, for all its grace, The Dancer Upstairs moves too slowly.
04/29/03
The Dancer Upstairs is highly recommend this for any film viewers willing to give a script time to unfold.
05/09/03
The Dancer Upstairs is, like its director, sleek, mysterious and intelligent. But until its last-half hour or so, it is also, unfortunately, mind-numbing.
05/23/03
Latest News for The Dancer Upstairs
February 17, 2006:
Newell & Bardem Come Down with "Cholera"
International acting stud Javier Bardem and well-rounded movie director Mike Newell are about to bring the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Love in the Time of Cholera" to the... More...
May 06, 2003:
. . . this is a thriller that means to get under your skin rather than make you leap from your seat. 
More...
September 25, 2002:
From the Oscar nominated dramatic powerhouses, John Malkovich and Javier Bardem, comes an English language drama exploring real life terrorism in 1980s Latin America. As the opening film at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, 'The Dancer Upstairs' is hoping
More...
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