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07/16/08
War Dance (2007)
88
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:17
Fresh:15
Rotten:2
Average Rating:7.4/10
Consensus: War/Dance is beautifully filmed, and effectively captures the heartbreaking and uplifting experiences of its subjects.
Theatrical Release:Nov 9, 2007 Limited
Synopsis: Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine's WAR DANCE is a powerful documentary that follows a group of schoolchildren as they overcome nearly insurmountable odds in their quest to participate in the annual... [More]
Director: Sean Fine, Andrea Nix Fine
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Reviews for War Dance
1 - 19 (sorted by date)
Top CriticIt is wonderful to watch this joyous slice of the cultural lives of these victimized, traumatized children struggling to survive and build a better life in a desperately troubled part of the world.
03/04/08
Top CriticThis film offers a child's perspective on the ravages and complexity of war and is also a convincing testament to the healing power of creative expression.
02/22/08
Top Critic'The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places,' Hemingway wrote in A Farewell to Arms. That statement might stand as the summation of this documentary, which celebrates the strength of winsome, broken children.
02/22/08
Top CriticThe perfect antidote to compassion fatigue.
12/20/07
Top CriticThe horror and heartwarming [is] equally compounded.
12/14/07
Top CriticWar/Dance is two documentaries struggling uneasily against each other. The one that wins -- the only one that matters, really -- is a devastatingly emotional saga about Ugandan children of war reclaiming their lives.
11/30/07
Top CriticThe joyous song and vibrant dance of the schoolchildren uplift all who see them. They are war orphans, casualties of Uganda's civil strife, healing physical and psychic wounds by performing ancient tribal rites in a national competition.
11/30/07
Top CriticThis is documentary-making at its best, not pretending to be journalism, but still playing a crucial role in telling stories that otherwise wouldn't make the front page.
11/15/07
Top CriticEven in support of the noblest of causes, manipulation is manipulation.
11/09/07
Top CriticA marvel to watch.
11/09/07
Top CriticWar/Dance is as irresistible as the rhythms of African music on its soundtrack.
11/09/07
Top CriticWar/Dance is an honorable, sometimes inspiring exploration of the primal healing power of music and dance in an African tribal culture.
11/09/07
Top CriticThere isn't enough uplift, gratuitous or otherwise, in the world to make you forget the graphic testimony of children compelled by rebel forces either to watch atrocities or commit them.
11/08/07
Top CriticIt doesn't just feature music and dance numbers; it's got romping, stomping, blow-the-doors-off, celebration-of-life music and dance numbers.
11/08/07
Top CriticThe cinematography is striking. The music is mesmerizing. And the triumph of the underdog team against all odds is extra satisfying.
11/07/07
Top CriticI'd be lying if I didn't say it overcame my naturally complacent instincts.
11/06/07
Top CriticThe glories of War/Dance are torturously won, and all the more glorious for it.
11/05/07
Top CriticThe young black faces are too beautiful, the landscapes too pretty, and the personal stories of slaughter too scripted to excuse War Dance from trying and failing to make Westerners feel less awful about horror, genocide and global negligence.
01/24/07
Top Critic1 - 19 (sorted by date)
Latest News for War Dance
April 19, 2008:
Oscar-nominated documentary adds up to a worthwhile affirmation of the human potential to be reborn and begin again even in the midst of most dire of circumstances. 
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November 20, 2007:
Fifteen Documentaries Vie for Oscar Consideration
A little over a week after reporting the names of the dozen films being submitted for Oscar consideration in the animated feature film category, Variety has given readers the... More...
November 08, 2007:
Critical Consensus: Fred Claus Fails to Spread Cheer; Lions Is Tame, P2 is Average Genre Fare
This week at the movies, we've got Santa's not-so-little helper (Fred Claus, starring Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti), geopolitics (Lions for Lambs, starring Robert Redford, Tom... More...
January 28, 2007:
Sundance Awards: "Padre Nuestro," "Grace is Gone" Among Competition Winners
Results are in for this year's Sundance festival winners, including awards for John Cusack's "Grace is Gone," Christopher Zalla's "Padre Nuestro," NASA... More...
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