The Dancer Upstairs

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The Dancer Upstairs

R

Released May 2, 2003

2h 13m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

64%

Tomatometer

114 Reviews

76%

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2,500+ Ratings

Lawyer turned police detective Agustin Rejas (Javier Bardem) is on the case of a domestic terrorist cell whose tactics range from the mischievous to the homicidal, led by self-proclaimed President Ezequiel (Abel Folk). Distracting Rejas from his investigation is his daughter's dance instructor, Yolanda (Laura Morante), with whom Rejas begins an unexpected romance. As Rejas grows closer to both Yolanda and the terrorists, he begins to suspect that there might be a connection between the two.

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Critics Consensus

The Dancer Upstairs benefits from a talented cast and alluring intelligence, although pacing problems prevent this John Malkovich-directed mystery from reaching its full potential.

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Brandon Judell

IndieWire

With a clever Graham-Greene-esque script, choice acting by the whole ensemble (especially Bardem), fine music by Alberto Iglesias, and the strong directorial control of Malkovich, the film zips along.

Jul 19, 2018

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Philip Kerr

New Statesman

The Dancer Upstairs is intelligently scripted, beautifully photographed, nicely paced and well-acted.

Dec 6, 2014

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Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

The Dancer Upstairs is, like its director, sleek, mysterious and intelligent. But until its last-half hour or so, it is also, unfortunately, mind-numbing.

Rated: 2/5

May 23, 2003

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Though flawed and listless as a political drama or thriller, Malkovich's feature debut deserves credit for itis ambition and for tackling an overtly political theme (guerrilla wars in Peru), a rare sight in today's indie milieu.

Rated: B-

Jun 9, 2006

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Film Threat

Rated: 2.5/5

Dec 6, 2005

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Film Threat

Rated: 4/5

Dec 6, 2005

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thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/17/25

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bob c

Xavier Bardem lands the villain role in No Country for Old Men, by playing quite the opposite in this political he dun it. A lovely elegy on political violence in South America. Mostly, however, it makes me regret John Malkovich didn’t do more directing instead of lurching onto what became a near hysterical form of self parody acting.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/27/24

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Audience Member

Good Movie that I'm not sure why I watched it. It's about a South American Revolution movement and partially a love story. Javier Bardem is in it and ultimately why I gave it a go. Nothing special, but still a good movie.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

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Audience Member

After giving this film some thought, I liked it a lot more after thinking about it. I thought the pacing was a bit slow and sometimes the romance and political tension seemed to butt heads, convoluting one story from going full steam ahead. However, each character is brimmed with unique features that really make you feel for them, and Bardem's relationship with his daughters ballet teacher really game full circle after thinking it over. The ending scene with his daughter and the beautiful song being played really captures the essence of the film as well

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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Audience Member

okay but pacing was a bit slow

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

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Audience Member

Good film. The last scene, the music and images of his daughter broke my heart.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

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John Malkovich

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Javier Bardem

Agustin Rejas

Juan Diego Botto

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Synopsis

Lawyer turned police detective Agustin Rejas (Javier Bardem) is on the case of a domestic terrorist cell whose tactics range from the mischievous to the homicidal, led by self-proclaimed President Ezequiel (Abel Folk). Distracting Rejas from his investigation is his daughter's dance instructor, Yolanda (Laura Morante), with whom Rejas begins an unexpected romance. As Rejas grows closer to both Yolanda and the terrorists, he begins to suspect that there might be a connection between the two.

Director: John Malkovich
Producer: John Malkovich, Andrés Vicente Gómez
Screenwriter: Nicholas Shakespeare, Nicholas Shakespeare
Distributor: Fox
Production Co: Paramount
Rating: R (Strong Violence|Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 2, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 18, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.4M
Runtime: 2h 13m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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