Treefrog Posted January 4, 2004 Share Posted January 4, 2004 One of the interesting "non-plots" of the movie is how "Blue Snake" entered the (fictional) repertory of the company. What I mean is that when the project is introduced it is met with skepticism bordering on derision. The audience is kind of left wondering why the AD takes on this particular work, which the dancers and ballet masters suspect from the outset is a dog. (I've heard that, in real life, it was a pet of Neve Campbell's, something she'd always wanted to see produced. So, this is a point in the film where the documentary aspect blurs with the dramatic aspect.) Link to comment
Mark D Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 Here is a review of The Company by Robert Gottlieb in The New York Observer. Ouch!!! http://www.observer.com/pages/dance.asp If the link does not work go to The New York Observer and click on the Table of Contents and scroll down. Link to comment
sdj3 Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 Has any one else checked their local listings? Is it opening only in limited release? The 1/11 Washington Post article on "The Company" references a local release date of Jan. 23. I know it is coming to Austin around that time... http://balletalert.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=15645 Link to comment
lampwick Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 I saw this last night and enjoyed it as a diversion. As a piece of film, I liked it. I have never seen the Joffrey ballet perform before and have to say that the impression I got is that the repertory seems really shallow. There are no steps...just flashy sets and music. It actually did remind me quite a bit of Cirque de Soleil--minus the acrobatic mastery which is what makes Cirque so good. For the most part, the dancers look like they tend to be a tad bit on the overdeveloped and sinewy side.. I actually had to chuckle a bit when that one dancer complained of a muscle spasm in the neck. I had just finished whispering to my friend that her neck looked like it was a mess. A little spasm? No Kidding. She looked like a lovely dancer too, but jeesh! ouch. I LOVED LOVED LOVED Malcolm McDowell's portrayal of "Mr.A" He had me in stitches every time he opened his mouth. "I Don't Like Pretty" That's classic stuff. I didn't think he came across mean and condescending at all. Notice how none of the dancers seemed to be at all intimidated by him? It's all just hot air. Sometimes there's truth to sterotypes . I can name a few people "Mr.A" reminds me of who I regard quite highly... I hope I don't make everyone from Chicago hate me, and perhaps if I saw more dancing I'd have a different impression of the Joffrey Ballet. I just really disliked the repertory that was chosen for this film. The dancing was OK (from what I was able to see beneath all the smoke and mirrors). But the choreography was all very shallow. Maybe the energy created by live performance would make this work appear more interesting and exciting. It didn't work for me on film. OK, taste is subjective. I really did enjoy the movie and the dancing despite all my negative comments. And The Blue Snake really is pretty hysterical. I'd recommend the film. Link to comment
russianptaylor Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 I saw the movie a little while back and it was a dissappointment. I thought it would be more than it was. I wish they would have put some action or somethig tospice it up at least a little. I liked the dancing and the characters but there wasn'treally a story ~russianptaylor~ Link to comment
Dolphingirl Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 I just wanted to add that a friend of mine, my age, who does not dance, went to see the movie and loved it. She "got" the movie, and was able to articulate back to me exactly what she liked and did not like, both about the style (she thought it was fine that there was no plot) and the dancing (she particularly liked "White Widow" and was very curious about "My Funny Valentine") I will say she is an incredibly cultured and articulate 10th grader, but I was still pretty impressed. The one thing that surprised me was that she loved the "Blue Snake". She understood it's wackiness, and thought it seemed like a good children's ballet, not as part of a serious repertoire, but she liked it all the same. So (at least a very small fraction of) the public has recieved the movie well. Link to comment
Paul Parish Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 I tried to post this last night....... "I was at a preview-screening of the Company tonight, realy REALLY enjoyed it -- for hte quality of presence in it all hte way through, the quality of hte attention, the loving absorbed attention....it made me very happy...... It's extremely generous, and is i think a response to the generosity of hte dancers, the recognition of one artist (Altman) that goes to those others, the dancers, who work in such a total way, where what you do is open and close like a flower, and offer up what you've got come rain or come shine when your time comes.... "I just loved it. "It was great to see Deborah Dawn looking so fine. I really liked Mark Goldweber, the quality of his energy was very appealing -- small part, but really memorable. I quite liked Malcolm MacDowell, even -- I loved it when he told the Italian AMericans that he owed htem nothing, and htat hte biggest award they could give him would be to NOT make it so hard on their boys to be a dancer.... I doubt that Arpino would do that, but I loved it.... I hope all the Billy Elliotts out there get to see him hit em a lick for that. "THe Blue Snake, even is not all that bad -- where else could the dancer in white who opened the piece get to show his strange, bizarre, FABULOUS quality? As allegories go, it's kinda stupid -- but not much worse than parts of the ballet de la Nuit. "But hte really beautiful section was the trapeze ballet -- those unending cartwheels, they had hte fullness of eternity in them.... And so lovingly filmed. .............. I have since learned that Mr Arpino DID make such a speech.... I am glad to know it. It reminds me how Anita Finkel used to say there was never anything mean-spirited in ARpino's ballets. I wish she were here to see the movie. Link to comment
Old Fashioned Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 Aaargh. The Company is only showing in one theater out of the entire Houston area. ONE! So, I guess I'll have to wait a little while longer until it comes out in wid-ER release where it will be playing at a theater close to home. Link to comment
BryanM Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 After all the writing about it showing in so few theaters I was pleased to find its at the movie theater in my neighborhood,l about a 5 minute walk. My expectations are high, with Robert Altman, and hoping its not another feel good movie, but a realistic portrayal. Link to comment
mini cooper Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 I would not call it feel good. I loved this movie, and did not want it to end. It ended rather abruptly - I was not quite ready for it. My dd, and her non-ballet (but dances other stuff) friend also loved it. We really liked the fact that there was not a plot - it was just glimpses into different parts of people's lives. For me as a relative ballet novice (compared to many on this board), the dancing was wonderful. I liked all of it. I loved the characters. It was a couple of days before my daughter and I were able to really talk about it. We both agree that it is not a movie for everyone. The fact that it is not a "story" would probably be off-putting to some. One interesting thing for me was the development of a couple of the ballet parent characters. They were highly neurotic and controlling characters. This was so realistic for what we have seen in my daughter's years of dancing. On the Parent's forum there is a discussion about the degree of parent's involvement in the dancing lives of their children. Link to comment
mini cooper Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Old Fashioned, I don't know what part of Houston you are in, but the theatre in Houston where it is showing is a neat little theatre. There is great shopping and eating nearby. You may like to make a special outing of it. Link to comment
Old Fashioned Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Yep, I'm somewhat familiar with the area it's in, and I would love to go, but it's half an hour to an hour away (depending on traffic) from my place. I don't usually go out of my way to see movies (making that commute to the theater district is something else), but maybe for this one I will. Link to comment
Guest Angel2Be Posted January 26, 2004 Share Posted January 26, 2004 "I was at a preview-screening of the Company tonight, realy REALLY enjoyed it -- for hte quality of presence in it all hte way through, the quality of hte attention, the loving absorbed attention....it made me very happy...... It's extremely generous, and is i think a response to the generosity of hte dancers, the recognition of one artist (Altman) that goes to those others, the dancers, who work in such a total way, where what you do is open and close like a flower, and offer up what you've got come rain or come shine when your time comes...."I just loved it." :yes: I couldn't put it better. At first the choice of "The Blue Snake" as a finale confused me, but by the end I felt I understood. All this earnestness building up to an apparantly silly spectacle... it was sort of ironic. I also liked how they didn't over-dramatize Ry's injury. The feeling was basically, "And the dancing goes on..." I felt the ending was well-done, and loved the entire film. "White Widow" was simply gorgeous. Oh, and the male dancers! I am a little disappointed that they didn't include at least one of the older (I don't know if that's the right word...) works I saw them perform last summer: "Les Noces", "The Rite of Spring", or "Afternoon of a Faun". Link to comment
PK Posted January 26, 2004 Share Posted January 26, 2004 I couldn't wait to see it but boy,what a let down. I only saw a glimps of dancers dancing,then there was Neve Campbell dancing to My Funny Valentine (always loved that til this movie) looking as though the dance was specially made for a non dancer. There were interesting people with interesting situations barely mentioned,such a the fellow who needed a place to sleep, the Diva, the stage mother, but we were teased and nothing was ever developed-so who cared! I laughed during the ballets. The music chosen was ugly. I thought I would jump out of my skin,then it suddenly ended! My daughter and her friends liked it a bit more. Link to comment
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