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Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready.... |
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Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready.... |
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The Company The Joffrey Ballet is about to get the kind of publicity money can't buy. Robert Altman's latest film, The Company, features that troupe, and the several dances presented are some of the most gorgeous seen on film since The Red Shoes. The movie ostensibly stars Neve Campbell as an up-and-coming dancer striving for fame, if not fortune. But the movie's title is no accident, as the movie is much more about what it's like to be in a dance company, from the newest members to those on the downward side of their careers. There's the camaraderie of producing beautiful art together, and there's the bitchiness of competing for the same roles. Difficult hours, injuries, and the uncertain financial condition are all highlighted, as are the rare moments of triumph. Malcolm McDowell plays the group's artistic director, a man who alternates motherly affection with stern, almost abusive, direction, often to the same dancer in a matter of seconds. It's a flamboyant role, and McDowell nails it. Campbell isn't as strong. The press notes highlight the fact that she was with the National Ballet of Canada, but that was a long time ago and it shows. But even her non-dancing scenes, including a budding romance, seem bland. Part of the problem is with the script, which meanders its way to an unresolved conclusion. For a while, I was enjoying the lack of plot dynamics, the seeming desire to show nothing besides beautiful ballet. This backfires, though, when the film reaches its climax with a trite, fatuous production that personifies why modern ballet sometimes has a flighty reputation. That the movie ends with this monstrosity is a serious misstep. Still, the first 90 minutes will please both ballet lover and novice alike. Altman's use of colored lighting and provocative camera placements (reminiscent of his masterpiece Nashville) enhance the exquisite dancing on display, and the Joffrey's well-earned reputation is burnished even more. J. Robert Parks 1/17/2004
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