Stars: Javier Bardem, Laura Morante, Juan Diego Botto, Elvira Minguez, Oliver Cotton, Abel Folk, Luis Miguel Cintra, Marie-Anne Berganza, Alexandra Lencastre, John Malkovich

Director: John Malkovich

Summary: Set in Latin America, this is the story of Police detective, Agustin Rejas who is assigned the task of bringing down a group of terrorists who are trying to topple the government.

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 assigned to figure out who is leading it and what exactly the revolutionaries want. Agustin Rejas (Javier Bardem) is the detective leading the investigation. However, with the military involved and corrupt government officials making Rejas's job especially difficult, he faces constant frustrations. The leader of the revolution goes by the name Ezequiel, but the police cannot figure out his true identity. Even more beguiling are the increasingly violent terrorist incidents that appear to be carried out by children who swear their loyalty to Ezequiel with no explanation of why. Caught up in the middle of the revolution and Rejas's investigation are his wife, his young daughter, and his daughter's lovely ballet teacher, Yolanda (Laura Morante). One event after the next adds to the suspense and nagging anxiety felt by Rejas, until finally, with one shocking discovery, everything becomes frighteningly clear.
Combining a serious political drama with a tender and introspective look at a man in mid-life, THE DANCER UPSTAIRS has something for every viewer. Its scenes of violence and terror are offset with truly artistic and romantic moments, using excellent photography, striking sets, and graceful acting to bring cohesion to the duality of the plot.

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Reviewed by: davybozal24-7
Posted on March 7, 2006 6:51 PM

This is a thoroughly decent foreign film directed by the wonderful and very talented John Malkovich and deserves much more praise.
The plot is fine and well crafted and the actors are ok as well.
Set in Latin America , it follows the story about a detective who strives to bring to justice a group of terrorists no matter the consequences.

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Aspect Ratio:	2.35 Anamorphic Wide Screen, 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Commentary From John Malkovich And Javier Bardem, Sundance Channel Featurette, Journeys With John Malkovich Featurette, Revealing The Dancer Upstairs Featurette
Subtitles:	English
Year:	2002
Release Date:	October 20, 2003
Runtime:	127 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	24116 D V D
Keywords:	General, Dancer, Wide, Screen, Upstairs, Drama
Genre:	Drama