Adapted by Nicholas Shakespeare from his own novel, the screen version is a muddled mess of nutty political shenanigans, murky thought processes and a doomed love story.
Comment
05/13/03
The Dancer Upstairs (2003)
63
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
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
Nicholas Shakespeare's script (from his own novel) is limp and cursory, and the plot, being a foregone conclusion, lacks suspense.
05/12/03
It's a wishy-washy picture; Malkovich should have whole-heartedly embraced either the politics or the pulp.
05/11/03
[A] stunning exploration of passion and delusion.
05/11/03
A slow-burning affair that may seem exotic but mainly crawls from cliche to cliche.
05/09/03
It's not a great film, but in its reckless audacity ... it's reassuring. Someone's still willing to take a big chance.
05/09/03
The film may strike some viewers as slow-paced -- it certainly struck me that way, at least some of the time -- but it's a pleasure seeing actors, particularly Bardem, given time to breathe.
05/09/03
An adult piece of work, made up mainly of quiet, emotional scenes and detailed performances.
05/09/03
Wonderfully located but sometimes remote film.
05/09/03
A murky, turgid work that is no doubt exactly the film Malkovich wished to make but is so indirect and affected as to border on incoherent.
05/09/03
Far from perfect but completely unique, the film could best be described as a paranoid South American metaphysical political thriller -- you heard me -- and whatever its failures, they're not ones of nerve or imagination.
05/09/03
Malkovich turns out a murky, listless and eventually pointless film. His attempt at atmosphere dwarfs the barren narrative.
05/09/03
The Dancer Upstairs is highly recommend this for any film viewers willing to give a script time to unfold.
05/09/03
The story survives the translation--from grisly fact to compelling literature to big-screen thriller of the kind Graham Greene might have approved.
05/09/03
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
I could feel that this movie was almost a smashing success, that it could have been terrific with just a few tweaks here and there.
05/08/03
You may find yourself wishing Dancer had more energy, but then Bardem's performance and the oddball jokes get their hooks into you.
05/08/03
An elegant and intelligent drama.
05/08/03
Smart, upmarket entertainment.
05/08/03
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...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds