Review Copyright Cassandra Henry, 2003

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"She is only a woman. Seventy-four percent water and yet you gave up the presidency." -- Political official CASS' CLIP (WARNING: **spoilers below**) Their paths crossed five years earlier, at a checkpoint, in the countryside of an unnamed Latin American city. His only memory of him is the snapshot he took of him because he didn't have a photo with his visa (which of course was fraudulent). When the phone rings, which distracts him for a moment, the stranger disappears. Now, five years later, the former lawyer turned police detective, will come face-to-face with this ghost, who will forever change his life in the most unsuspecting turn of events. Car bombings, the assassination of political figures, and dead dogs stuffed with dynamite and signs attached reading, "Long live presidente Ezequiel," hang from lampposts, as warnings that a new ruthless faction is emerging to topple the current corrupt government. Ezequiel (Abel Folk) is a philosophy professor turned political extremist. To further his insurgence, Ezequiel's well-organized terrorist network recruits children and women as suicide bombers to murder their intended targets, kill innocent victims, and instill widespread fear throughout the country. General Merino (Oliver Cotton) orders police detective, Augustin Rejas (Javier Bardem), to end these acts of terrorism. Rejas and his partner, Sucre (Juan Diego Botto), patiently set out to investigate these occurrences. But after the Interior Minister and his wife are invited to theatrical performance and then murdered on stage before unsuspecting witnesses, Rejas is given two weeks to capture the elusive Ezequiel before the government declares martial law. During this investigation, Rejas reexamines the complexity of his marriage. Somehow, however, falls in love with his daughter's ballet teacher, Yolanda (Laura Morante). Will Rejas capture Ezequiel before more innocent victims are killed during the uprising? Will Yolanda dance away with Rejas' heart and fill the emotional disillusionment and physical void he has with his wife? The answers are revealed in The Dancer Upstairs. DA 411 The Dancer Upstairs marks the directorial debut of actor John Malkovich. The adaptation of The Dancer Upstairs is based on Nicholas Shakespeare's novel of the same name, and is the fictionalized true story of the capture of Abimael Guzman, founder of Peru's Sendero Luminoso or Shining Path revolution. This Latin American drama is a story about corrupt political officials and a wannabe leader who uses terrorism as his calling card to gain governmental power. According to the production notes, Malkovich was looking for an actor "capable of sacrificing everything - family, work and love - in order to carry out his duty." Malkovich found that in actor, Javier Bardem. Bardem brilliantly embodies his character, Augustin Rejas. Bardem's uncanny ability to personify the internal turmoil Rejas faces as a dutiful husband in a loveless marriage, but doting father, and yet his unwavering commitment to track down an assassin while working within the confines of a corrupt government, is masterful. Bardem's body language tells the story of a man teetering on the verge of suffering with major depression. On the other hand, his eyes capture the overwhelming sadness of a man involved with two women he willingly surrendered his soul to and received absolutely nothing in return but regret. But the delivery of lines such as "I was a lawyer once so I have some familiarity with corruption," also show Bardem's humorist wit. Sucre (Juan Diego Botto) and the remaining cast work well together in this political thriller. There are some obvious flaws in the plot - e.g., why Rejas seems to lack interest in his marriage -- but I overlooked them because the overall storytelling was both haunting and engaging. Adding to The Dancer Upstairs' appeal is Alberto Iglesias' amazing award winning soundtrack, featuring songs such as, "Who Knows Where The Time Goes," written by Sandy Denny and performed by the late, great Nina Simone; "All Along The Watchtower," written by Bob Dylan and performed by Yul Anderson; and "DanceLight," written and performed by Yul Anderson. CASS' CONCLUSION John Malkovich does an excellent job directing The Dancer Upstairs. He waltzes the audience through a love story and the carnage that lingers when the truth is uncovered. THE DANCER UPSTAIRS:   back to top Copyright Cassandra Henry, 2003 EMAIL: cass@3blackchicks.com