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The Dancer Upstairs

Detective Rejas finds himself drawn to his daughter's ballet teacher.

FILM FACTS

Starring: Javier Bardem
Director: John Malkovich
Rating: R for language, violence and nudity
Genre: Romance, Thriller

Discuss this film | Official movie site

See showtimes (R) 128 minutes

Grade: B+

Verdict: John Malkovich shows he's as talented behind the camera as he is in front of it.

By ELEANOR RINGEL GILLESPIE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"The Dancer Upstairs," John Malkovich's ambitious and mostly successful directorial debut, is brimming with intelligence and startling images. Dead dogs hang from lampposts, odd messages pinned to the corpses (including, "When I hear the word culture, I reach for my pistol"). Schoolgirls toss away jump-ropes and whip out machine guns. Six-year-old suicide bombers take out local officials.

In a total transformation from his Oscar-nominated role as a homosexual author in "Before Night Falls," the astonishing Javier Bardem stars as Agustin Rejas, a doggedly determined police detective in an unnamed South American city. Rejas has been ordered to track down an elusive guerrilla leader known only as Ezequiel, who has claimed responsibility for these and other random acts of horrific violence.

On the one hand, Rejas is faced with a revolution that hasn't even declared itself yet fiercely embraces a blood-drenched strategy. On the other, there are his bosses in the government, whose response is to impose martial law. Now, two equally violent forces are trying to outdo each other in committing senseless and appalling atrocities.

Meanwhile, Rejas' beautiful but shallow wife hasn't really noticed there's a revolution in the streets. Instead, she's kept busy with hosting her book club and thinking about cosmetic surgery. No wonder Rejas is drawn to his daughter's ballet teacher, Yolanda (the exquisite Laura Morante). But in doing so, he puts himself at risk, both personally and professionally.

The film is taken from Nicholas Shakespeare's 1997 novel, which was a fictionalization of events in 1980s Peru that led to the capture of the head of the Shining Path terrorist group. This is clearly Costa-Gavras territory, which Malkovich acknowledges by having "State of Siege" briefly glimpsed on TV. But more importantly, it's an admirable declaration of purpose. Most actors-turned-directors seek more intimate, character-oriented pieces for their first outing. But Malkovich has gone the Warren Beatty/"Reds" route. Not that "The Dancer Upstairs" is an epic, but there's a similar sense of a personal story played out against historical events. Ironically, the personal level is where Malkovich has the most trouble. We never quite get swept up in the relationship between Rejas and Yolanda, which dilutes the picture's denouement.

However, we're very easily swept up in the choices and challenges Rejas faces. Bardem makes him a man guided more by duty than ideology. Like the the antihero of a film noir, he has no purpose beyond getting the job done, despite considerable distractions. Bardem gives a subtle and commanding performance, yet one that's not devoid of humor. Asked who could've slaughtered all those dogs, he replies, "Let's not rule out a cat lover."

The movie's mishmash of heavy accents is a problem. Sometimes, it's difficult to hear clearly what's being said. Still, "The Dancer Upstairs" is a welcome throwback to a time when political thrillers relied more on character and tone than on car chases and gun battles. Yes, there are fireworks here, but they mean a lot more than empty pyrotechnics.