Margot (2009 TV Movie) User Reviews

Dance is about feeling, but not in this biography

[boyplunder · 6/10 · 30 November 2009]

This TV movie is the third in a short series of biographies on famous, but troubled woman in British history. Unlike the first two, which featured Enid Blyton and Gracie Fields, this one seems to lack emotion. The style of the production is darker, more gritty. Depicting the sixties, a much more up to date era to the others, makes this harder to follow somehow. It is a little obvious that much of the ballet seems to be performed by body doubles, but maybe that's because I am used to seeing real dancers. The uninitiated my not have such a problem.

Overall, I found the film cold, and there was little to carry me along, even though I was very much looking forward to watching it. The acting was superb, but I felt that the production was too heavy to draw my attention.

This film is an insult to two great artists.

[bpalet70 · 1/10 · 8 January 2011]

MARGOT

The 2009 movie that I watched on television on New Year's Eve entitled 'Margot' was an unbelievable insult to two of the world's greatest artists. I managed to sit through it but was disgusted by the whole thing.

This is a cheap movie, done to make a quick buck, using cheap ideas, and actors who obviously had no knowledge of the personalities of Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. The two Ronnies, whom I saw doing a skit in a nightclub many years ago had a much better understanding of their characters and Dr. Arias who was there at the time in his wheelchair was nothing like the character on the screen.

The casting for this movie was pathetic apart from the actor who played the part of Frederick Ashton. As for Eric Bruhn, he was hardly there, in spite of the fact that he played a huge part in Rudi's life. What a wonderful story this could have been if the object had not been to dwell on the possible sexual relationship between Rudi and Margot. The producers of this film have really taken advantage of the fact that these great artists are dead and are thus unable to respond themselves to this trash.. It makes me feel ashamed that young ballet students will have seen this wicked interpretation of a wonderful person.

I found it difficult to watch the weak interpretation of the actor who played the part of Rudi. It was quite sickening. Rudi was a powerful being with so many changes to his personality and none of this came over. The actor's face was completely wrong for a start as was his voice. It was as if those concerned had never actually seen Rudi, let alone studied his personality and worked hard on trying to resemble him in some way. Margot was not the Margot I knew, who was bubbly and friendly with everyone. Where was her lovely laugh? This actor had completely the wrong shaped face to start with.

As for the story line, it was taken from Meredith Daneman's book which went into great detail about Rudi and Margot's personal life and the author went overboard with intimate details of Margot's body. Completely tasteless! There was nothing there about Margot's exciting professional life. It was all based on a sexual affair for the mere purpose of shocking, causing a stir and saying, 'Aren't I brave?" The movie is a write-off. Burn it!

Oscars have been given for lesser performances!

[ksg-565-883896 · 8/10 · 8 March 2010]

I know it's only a lowly TV movie, but I'm so surprised to see only one review for this little gem!

Based on the almost implausible true story of Dame Margot Fonteyn, a recent UK legend in the world of ballet, the film sailed briskly along without ever becoming tiresome or boring. From start to finish, Anne-Marie Duff handed in a truly superb and extremely convincing performance that hit the spot perfectly for me and which was IMO far better than some that I have seen rewarded with Oscars in the past! The perfect foil in more ways than one, Michiel Huisman was equally impressive as the leading man - the famous Russian defector Rudolph Nureyev.

There were no surprises, no silliness, let-downs or disappointments - this is just a very well made theatrical production with acting craftsmanship of the highest order throughout and sets, soundtrack, costumes and staging all helping to carry a very human story without demonstrating any great, dramatic highs or lows that might well have drifted into repetition and tedium!

Rest assured, it would be perfectly possible to enjoy this film even without any real interest in ballet and I would say it's well worth a watch for anyone who wanted a quiet break from endless crime, alien invasion or the end of the world movies and it's well worth an 8 from me!

Sensitive, moving and authentic

[moderator-862-914745 · 9/10 · 15 June 2020]

I loved every minute of this sensitive and enthralling production. The dancing is marvellous and the whole production feels totally authentic to the period and looks utterly beautiful. At times it was extremely moving and affecting. Derek Jacobi is stunning, witty and completely true to the role of Frederick Ashton. Anne-Marie Duff and Michiel Huisman as Fonteyn and Nureyev have true chemistry. Absolutely perfect.

Beyond the fantasy

[sjackieveronica · 9/10 · 27 December 2014]

"Margot" offers a vignette of ballerina Margot Fonteyn's life, the halcyon period of the sixties when her dancing career was revitalised by Rudolph Nureyev, his inspiration renewing her vigour and even making her look younger. This BBC film exaggerates, perhaps, the extent of that special relationship which was rumoured to have briefly gone beyond simply a dancing partnership, but this really does not matter.

The dramatic story of a famous ballet dancer married to a Panamanian revolutionary, her muse a glamorous Russian dancing defector, is great stuff for a film. And despite some slightly tedious repetitions of stylised interviews with Fonteyn as 'information fillers' the drama is convincing. I loved the combinations of dance performance with the personal story, cleverly realised so that the brilliant acting of Anne-Marie Duff could be seen in ballet scenes requiring drama rather than dance, and a body double seen from the back for the dance sequences. The dance elements were very well structured.

Margot's personal agonies, especially with her marriage to a consistently unfaithful husband who depended on her earnings to fund his revolutionary activities, are wonderfully realised through Duff's acting. And, as Margot frequently had to do in real life, she disguised the tragedies in her personal life putting on a front hiding the realities. Just when Margot is about to divorce Tito, he is shot and her feelings are tragically compromised.

I lived through this story, I saw Margot Fonteyn dance with Nureyev in the sixties and into the seventies. I KNOW how marvellous she was and how great their partnership. I remember the newspaper headlines when Tito Arias was shot. The bones of the story are dramatic enough. This film puts meat on them and Anne-Marie Duff's performance is fabulous. She is matched by Huisman as Nureyev, and Derek Jacobi produces a star turn as Frederick Ashton right down to dropping his fag ash on dancers, and his over-the-top theatricality. Lindsay Duncan is lovely as Madame - Ninette de Valois - but she could have been even more autocratic as de Valois was known for her strictures and perfectionism and ensuring her dancers observe her rules. An early scene when Margot is dismayed to find she has been made a "Guest Artiste" without her knowledge is a remarkable cameo piece.

All in all, this film is well worth watching, thoroughly absorbing, and enhanced by wonderful acting. Authentic details such as Margot's fur coats, Nureyev's woolly hats, Ashton's gestures with cigarettes, all add to the feel of the film. Buy the DVD, you won't regret it.