IMDb >
The Dancer Upstairs (2002)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsThe Dancer Upstairs (2002) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 23 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 3) |
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
20 September 2002 (Spain)
more
Tagline:
An honest man caught in a world of intrigue, power and passion.
Plot:
A police detective in a South American country is dedicated to hunting down a revolutionary guerilla leader. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Detective
|
Revolutionary
|
Revolution
|
Government
|
Love
more
Awards:
1 win
&
2 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
John Malkovich making a documentary on illegal migration
(From PasteMagazine. 21 November 2008, 7:34 AM, PST)
Guerilla Warfare Looking Good
(From ioncinema. 30 January 2006)
(From PasteMagazine. 21 November 2008, 7:34 AM, PST)
Guerilla Warfare Looking Good
(From ioncinema. 30 January 2006)
User Comments:
imperfect but intriguing crime drama
more (68 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Javier Bardem | ... | Agustín Rejas | |
| Juan Diego Botto | ... | Sucre | |
| Laura Morante | ... | Yolanda | |
| Elvira Mínguez | ... | Llosa | |
| Alexandra Lencastre | ... | Sylvina Rejas | |
| Oliver Cotton | ... | Merino | |
| Luís Miguel Cintra | ... | Calderón | |
| Javier Manrique | ... | Clorindo | |
| Abel Folk | ... | Ezequiel / Durán | |
| Marie-Anne Berganza | ... | Laura | |
| Lucas Rodríguez | ... | Gómez | |
| Xabier Elorriaga | ... | Pascual | |
| Natalia Dicenta | ... | Marina | |
| Wolframio Sinué | ... | Santiago | |
| Ramiro Jiménez | ... | Sergeant Pisac |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Pasos de baile (Spain)
more
more
MPAA:
Rated R for strong violence, and for language.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
132 min
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Singapore:NC-16 |
Finland:K-15 |
Argentina:16 |
Australia:MA |
France:U |
Germany:12 |
Peru:14 |
Spain:18 |
UK:15 |
USA:R |
Canada:14A (Ontario)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
In the beginning of the film, one of the revolutionaries tells a checkpoint security guard that his dead dog's name is Tupac. Tupac Amaru was the last indigenous leader of the Inca people in Peru and Tupac Amaru II was the leader of the 1780s uprising in colonial day Cusco, Peru. (The late hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur is named after the latter).
more
Goofs:
Continuity: When they are searching through garbage, the female officer's mask (which is around her neck) appears on her mouth for one shot.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Revealing 'The Dancer Upstairs' (2003) (V)
more
Soundtrack:
Le Cygne
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (68 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Dancer Upstairs (2002) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Breakfast on Pluto | El diputado | Die Blechtrommel | La battaglia di Algeri | La hija del caníbal |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb Spain section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |














Actor John Malkovich makes an auspicious directorial debut with `The Dancer Upstairs,' an intriguing, if not altogether satisfying, police procedural set in an unnamed Latin American country.
Javier Bardem (`Night Must Fall') gives a richly textured performance as Detective Augustin Rejas, a man of principle and ethics operating in a world of corruption and violence. Rejas finds himself embroiled in a life-and-death mystery when he investigates an underground terrorist organization that is targeting key government officials for assassination. Who these people are is not at all clear to those in charge and even their motives can only be guessed at. As Rejas studies the clues in search of answers, he becomes drawn to a beautiful young dance teacher with whom he establishes a platonic yet highly charged romantic relationship. It is in the bringing together of these two seemingly disparate plot lines that the movie fails, ultimately, to satisfy. For roughly the first three quarters of the film, as Rejas collects his evidence and unravels the puzzle, we gladly go along where the filmmakers are taking us, fascinated by the setting, the atmosphere and the contemporary relevance of the terrorism theme. But when, towards the end, the story kicks into high tragedy mode, the movie loses us, partly because the plotting itself is not particularly credible and partly because the relationship between Rejas and the woman has not been sufficiently developed to achieve the status of genuine tragedy. The film is much better when it sticks to the business of the case and leaves all the existential navel-gazing out of the mix.
This is not to demean either the moving, beautifully modulated performance of Bardem or the stark, self-assured direction of Malkovich, who shows he knows how to function as well behind the camera as he does in front. True, the film is a trifle slow at times but this just shows that Malkovich will not be rushed when the material itself demands deliberation and care. Although the movie is about a half hour too long, real languor begins to set in only during the final stretches. Until then, `The Dancer Upstairs' makes for rewarding viewing.