The Dancer Upstairs (film)
The Dancer Upstairs | |
---|---|
![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | John Malkovich |
Written by | Nicholas Shakespeare |
Based on | The Dancer Upstairs by Nicholas Shakespeare |
Produced by |
|
Starring |
|
Cinematography | José Luis Alcaine |
Edited by | Mario Battistel |
Music by | |
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 134 minutes[1] |
Countries |
|
Languages |
|
Box office | $5.2 million[2] |
The Dancer Upstairs is a 2002 Spanish-American crime thriller film produced and directed by John Malkovich (in his directorial debut), and starring Javier Bardem, Juan Diego Botto and Laura Morante. The film is an adaptation of the 1995 novel The Dancer Upstairs by Nicholas Shakespeare, who also wrote the screenplay.[3]
Plot
In an unnamed Latin American republic, in a remote mountainous region of the country, police sergeant Agustin Rejas, a former lawyer who left a job with a prestigious firm to join the police, is in charge of a little used checkpoint. When a pickup truck is stopped at the checkpoint, Rejas grows suspicious of the truck’s occupants. He questions a passenger, who claims to be a laborer but is obviously educated and well spoken. While Rejas is momentarily distracted, a corrupt subordinate solicits a bribe and allows the party to leave.
Several years later, Rejas has been promoted to lieutenant and resides in the capital with his wife and teenage daughter. Struggling to make ends meet on a police salary, Rejas visits his daughter’s ballet teacher, Yolanda, to pay a long-overdue bill. Rejas strikes up a friendship with Yolanda, who tells him that his daughter has a special gift for dance. He finds her a refreshing change from his flighty, self-centered wife, and he is captivated after seeing her dance alone in her studio. The two stop short of beginning an affair - for now.
While working a security detail at a diplomatic reception, Rejas is recognized by lawyer Tristan Calderon, a shadowy figure with ties to
Fearing that political instability will invite
Rejas and his investigators locate a videotape that confirms Ezequiel’s identity as Rivas and suggests that his hideout is located on one of two residential streets in the capital. Rejas conceals this discovery from Calderon, allowing the police to bring the investigation to a close without military interference. After an exhaustive investigation, his team locates Rivas’ hideout in an upper level of the building housing Yolanda’s ballet studio. Rejas succeeds in apprehending Rivas and his associates without bloodshed, but learns, to his astonishment, that Yolanda is one of Rivas’ operatives.
Rejas ensures that the Ezequiel suspects receive due process, becoming a hero to the political opposition and a plausible contender for the presidency. Meanwhile, Rivas, Yolanda, and their associates are sentenced to life imprisonment under harsh conditions. Rejas meets with Calderon and offers to refrain from a presidential candidacy in exchange for the commutation of Yolanda’s sentence. Calderon agrees to the deal and informs Rejas that, to save face, the president will soon appoint him to a judgeship. Before departing, he marvels at Rejas’ willingness to turn down the presidency, revealing a letter from Yolanda in which she permanently rejects Rejas. The film concludes as Rejas arrives at his daughter’s ballet recital, catching his breath as he sees her dance.
Cast
- Javier Bardem as Detective Agustin Rejas
- Juan Diego Botto as Sucre
- Laura Morante as Yolanda
- Elvira Mínguez as Llosa
- Wolframio Sinué as Santiago
- Abel Folk as President Ezequiel
- Alexandra Lencastre as Sylvina Rejas
- Oliver Cotton as Merino
- Luís Miguel Cintra as Calderón
- Natalia Dicenta as Marina
- John Malkovich (uncredited) as Abimael Guzmán
Production
The film was shot in
A lamppost sign reads: "When I hear the word culture, I reach for my pistol." This is a quotation usually mis-attributed to Nazi leader Hermann Göring.
The seized videotape is labeled "Estado de sitio"; this happens to be the Spanish title for the film
The wisecrack joke about "pubes on a coke can" is a reference to the Judge Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings.
Historical basis
The story is inspired by the
Awards and accolades
- 2002 - Venice International Film Festival
- Won Rota Soundtrack Award for Alberto Iglesias
- 2002 - Chicago International Film Festival
- Nomination for the New Directors Competition at John Malkovich
- 2004 - Political Film Society
- Nomination for the PFS Award
References
- ^ "THE DANCER UPSTAIRS (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 13 November 2002. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- Internet Movie Database. Box Office Mojo. 22 August 2003. Archivedfrom the original on 5 April 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- ^ John C. Tibbetts, and James M. Welsh, eds. The Encyclopedia of Novels Into Film (2nd ed. 2005) pp 87–89.
- ^ "Google Translate : Dance of Terror". Translate.google.com. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
External links
- The Dancer Upstairs at IMDb
- The Dancer Upstairs at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Dancer Upstairs at AllMovie
- The Dancer Upstairs at Box Office Mojo
- The Dancer Upstairs at Metacritic
- Nicholas Shakespeare interview—Urban Cinefile editor, Andrew L. Urban's detailed write-up [biographically detailed]
- BBC Review
- Interview with John Malkovich
- Movie trailer with official soundtrack by Yul Anderson on YouTube