A bit like an adolescent – desperate to be taken seriously, yet still self-consciously goofy and immature.
Comment
09/24/03
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
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09/17/03
Top CriticMalkovich and Shakespeare seem content to linger over minor things, possibly to let the audience absorb them better but to the detriment of the movie's tempo.
09/07/03
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07/16/03
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07/16/03
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07/08/03
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07/07/03
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07/02/03
Top CriticFilled with tension and a genuine air of uncertainty, Malkovich has delivered a truly riveting film.
06/25/03
This is John Malkovich's directing debut, and it has elements we associate with his personality: puckishness, dark humor, questioning of authority, villains on all levels who can be charismatic.
06/20/03
All the dots are there but Malkovich and Shakespeare (who adapted his book for the screen) are very stingy about providing the connecting lines.
06/13/03
One of the most chilling political thrillers in years.
06/11/03
As complicated and turtle-slow as any picture you’re likely to see, and there’s no emotional or intellectual payoff to reward the viewers who struggle to keep up.
05/30/03
I'm not sure that I have ever seen a more compelling picture of sudden violence as is depicted here – Malkovich's approach is apt, since the film takes place in a world where terrorist acts are the order of the day.
05/29/03
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05/29/03
Top CriticSuddenly, the film’s contrivances make sense and its shortcomings are nearly made up for in a final, haunting sequence.
05/28/03
The screenplay [of "The Dancer Upstairs"] works more than it doesn't but there isn't the chemistry between the stars I would like to see.
05/27/03
The story meanders weakly around the main plot and is only reined in by Bardem's strong and cunning performance.
05/26/03
Just the type of carefully wrought, somewhat chilly, rather pretentious and extremely intelligent effort one would expect from Malkovich.
05/26/03
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05/24/03
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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