MAO'S LAST DANCER REVIEW

MAO'S LAST DANCER
Directer: Bruce Beresford
Cast: Chi Cao, Bruce Greenwood, Amanda Schull
Screenwriter: Jan Sardi
Running time: 117 min
Rating: PG
***/*****

DESPITE IT'S FLAWS YOU WOULD BE HARD PRESSED NOT TO WANT TO PIROUETTE DOWN THE AISLES

Just when we thought all was lost, the Australian Film Industry is provided with a flicker of hope thanks to the release of Mao's Last Dancer.

The film chronicles the rise of Ballet star Li Cunxin. As the impoverished son of peasant labourers in Communist China, Cunxin is plucked from obscurity to attend The Beijing Dance Academy. Chosen to represent his country as an exchange student for the Houston ballet, Li soon begins to question the Communist dictates on which he has been raised.

Whilst Mao's last dancer is one of the best Australian produced movies to emerge in about a decade, it is not without it's flaws. Bruce Beresford's direction is rather hit and miss. Whilst producing many heart warming scenes coupled by beautifully shot dance sequences, many moments that should come across as highly dramatic fall somewhat flat with others feeling more contrived than organic. Screenwriter Jan Sardi's script consistently builds dramatic tension throughout, such as when communist party dictates begin to infiltrate the dance academy as well as Li's standoff at the Chinese embassy, only to have such story arch's be resolved with disappointing anti climaxes.

Despite the scripts faults, Beresford deserves a pat on the back just for tackling the project considering he had the unenviable task of finding a bilingual actor who could carry the picture, whilst needing to be one of the best ballet dancers in the world. His prayers were answered when he came across Chi Cao who not only bears a striking resemblance to the real Cunxin but also attended the Beijing Dance Academy where Li was taught his craft. Cao's acting inexperience is obvious in certain scenes, but his natural charm, screen presence and undeniable dancing talent makes him an extremely likable protagonist whom the audience longs to see succeed. The casting of Amanda Schull is rather more questionable. Thirty year old Schull, known mostly to audiences as Jodie Sawyer in Center Stage, is rather miscast as Li's eighteen year old love interest Elizabeth. Although Cao is also thirty in real life he is far more successful at pulling off Li's youthful naivety than Schull is at Elizabeth's. At one point in the film when she informs Li that she's a virgin you can't help but think... really? After watching her set the screen on fire with her dancing prowess in Center Stage it is almost cruel to cast her once again as a ballerina and not have her dance a single step throughout. The film possesses a strong support cast that includes Bruce Greenwood as Li's American mentor and Kyle MacLachlan as a savvy international law attorney. Their performances enrich the movie and add much needed weight to this independent production.

Mao's last Dancer is beautifully shot, particularly in it's dance sequences. Beresford uses a unique blend of live action and slow motion capture shots to fully encapsulate the performances. The cinematography by Peter James also assists in elevating the routines and is never so effective as when capturing the vivid Chinese landscape.

One of the best attributes of Mao's Last Dancer is the hauntingly beautifully and often rousing musical score of Christopher Gordon. It is rather criminal that more than likely Gordon will be overlooked at next years Academy Awards-mostly due to the fact that the film has yet to garner much attention outside of Australia- as his original music is amongst the most beautiful ever to be committed to celluloid.

Despite it's flaws Mao's Last Dancer is a thoroughly enjoyable piece of entertainment. This can mostly be attributed to the story of Cunxin itself, which is so inspirational and uplifting that it would be almost impossible not to leave the cinema without a smile on your face and a fervent desire to do a pirouette. THREE OUT OF FIVE STARS.