Review of Mao’s Last Dancer (2009) by Chandler B — 27 Mar 2012

I liked it, if just for the dance. The movie is unabashedly melodramatic (which I don't find to a bad thing necessarily but in this case it is). There are some painfully contrived scenes with lackluster acting, particularly at the film's "climactic showdown" at the Chinese Embassy. Chi Cao does a good enough job as the title character, especially considering this is his only major acting job (he is a professional ballet dancer for the Birmingham Royal Ballet.) Also, I found the movie to be awkwardly paced and lacking much coherence in the second half.

On the upside, the film does feature some spectacular dancing. One scene which was artificially constructed for the "glory of the party and Chairman Mao" I found particularly interesting. Overall, if you're unable to appreciate the dancing, you most likely will not enjoy the movie.