Review of Mao’s Last Dancer (2009) by Heather M — 09 Jun 2011

I had very high expectations of this movie and am sad to say that I was let down. Li leaves Communist China and believes that his dancing is supposed to spread their message in America. He is warned about the capitalist society and the dangers of the people and is expected to stand up to them on his own. So he makes the decision to get married and stay in America. Of course the marriage doesn't last and he is banned from ever returning to China or seeing his family. Somehow that is all overlooked when his parents come to see him perform in America and he is suddenly allowed back into China. I had no idea a ballet company in Houston, Texas had that kind of influence.

This isn't actually a bad movie, it just has a lot of flaws and unexplained occurrences. You definitely feel for Li's character and his situation, but the ending -while a happy one - is very unrealistic. And it begs the question - whatever happened to his wife?