The Dancer Upstairs

The directorial debut of actor John Malkovich, The Dancer Upstairs is a somber political thriller, patterned after those of Constantine Costa-Gavras, loosely based on the 1992 capture of Abimael Guzmán, the founder of the Maoist Shining Path insurgents in Peru. Here the leader is called Ezequiel, the Latin American locale remains unidentified, and the focus of the narrative is on the police detective who eventually tracks the rebel down: Rejas (Javier Bardem), a quiet, methodical investigator who finds himself attracted to his daughter's ballet teacher (Laura Morante) just as Ezequiel initiates a strangely surrealistic campaign of fear and intimidation in the capital. Though the film draws these two threads together at the close, it does so in a curiously cryptic, dramatically lackadaisical fashion that, on top of the leisurely pacing and fragmented structure, makes for a rather meandering picture. Still, Bardem fashions a complex, if obstinately enigmatic, character, and while the film itself seems flabby and self-indulgent, Bardem's performance is worth the watch. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director John Malkovich and star Javier Bardem, the Sundance Channel production “24 Frame News: Journeys with John Malkovich” (which follows Malkovich on his way to the London Film Festival), a “Revealing The Dancer Upstairs” making-of featurette, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an interesting if flawed film.] (F. Swietek)