Malkovich turns out a murky, listless and eventually pointless film. His attempt at atmosphere dwarfs the barren narrative.
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05/09/03
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The Dancer Upstairs (2003)
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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.
Theatrical Release:May 2, 2003 Limited
Box Office: $2,282,798
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
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Reviews for The Dancer Upstairs
Javier Bardem is terrific, as usual, in a film that hovers between genres, albeit with considerable grace.
05/01/03
Top CriticIt's a wishy-washy picture; Malkovich should have whole-heartedly embraced either the politics or the pulp.
05/11/03
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
Top CriticThe 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
Bardem puts in a performance that is the whole movie.
05/02/03
Bardem's character, police detective Agustin Rejas, is Malkovich's attempt to place high minded dedication, intelligence and sensitivity into a system sustained by corruption, greed and unfettered power.
05/17/03
The Dancer Upstairs is a subtle and sophisticated political thriller marking the directorial debut of John Malkovich.
05/01/03
...painstakingly vague even during the rare scenes it isn't teetering on incoherence--I'm not certain the movie isn't awful. Yet I don't think I'd mind seeing it again.
05/07/03
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
Top CriticAll 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
Sheer wooliness undermines the sober political stance of John Malkovich's overexcited directorial debut.
05/01/03
Top Critic[A] stunning exploration of passion and delusion.
05/11/03
Bardem ... marvelously underplays here as a man getting resigned to lifelong weariness in both his personal and professional lives.
05/01/03
Top CriticLatest 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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