DVD Features:
- Rated: R
- Closed captioning available
- Run Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
- Video: Color
- Released: September 23, 2003
- Originally Released: 2003
- Label: 20th Century Fox
- Encoding: Region 1 (USA & Canada)
- Packaging: Keep Case
- Aspect Ratio: Letterbox - 1.85
- Aspect Ratio: Widescreen - 1.85
- Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
- Dolby Surround - Spanish, French
- Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentary: John Malkovich - Director, 2. Javier Bardem - Actor
- Featurette: Sundance Channel's "Journeys With John Malkovich"
- Trailers: Theatrical Trailer
Performers, Cast and Crew:
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Starring
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Javier Bardem,
Laura Morante,
Marie-Anne Berganza,
Elvira Minguez,
Juan Diego Botto,
Abel Folk,
Oliver Cotton,
Alexandra Lencastre &
Luis Miguel Cintra
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Performer
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Oliver Cotton,
Luis Miguel Cintra,
Juan Diego Botto,
Elvira Minguez,
Alexandra Lencastre,
Abel Folk &
Marie-Anne Berganza
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Directed by
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John Malkovich
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Screenwriting by
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Nicholas Shakespeare
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Composition by
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Alberto Iglesias
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Cameo
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John Malkovich
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Produced by
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Andres Vincente Gomez &
John Malkovich
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Director of Photography
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Jose Luis Alcaine
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Entertainment Reviews:
Premiere - 05/01/2003
"...Malkovich is more interested in hitting the notes of elegiac lyricism than delivering socko action; this is a thriller that means to get under your skin..."
New York Times - 05/02/2003
"...A worthy effort because Mr. Malkovich proves his devotion to actors....A gripping story....His trademark confidence is displayed by his insistence on a slowed rhythm to demand audience attention..."
USA Today - 05/02/2003
"...It has an elusive, haunting quality..."
Chicago Sun-Times - 05/02/2003
"...THE DANCER UPSTAIRS is elegantly, even languorously, photographed by Jose Luis Alcaine....[The film] moves with a compelling intensity toward its conclusion..."
Rolling Stone - 05/29/2003
"...John Malkovich makes an elegantly stylized debut....Delicate and devastating..."
Los Angeles Times - 05/02/2003
"...[A] pleasurably nerve-jangling thriller....[Malkovich is] as much a natural behind the camera as in front of it..."
Entertainment Weekly - 09/26/2003
"...A discriminating directorial debut....It's the intricate plot -- which quietly examines a torn man's rectitude -- and Bardem's vibrant performance that leave an indelible mark..."
USA Today - 09/26/2003
"...[The film] has an elusive haunting quality few movies these days have..."
Total Film - 11/01/2003
"John Malkovich makes a thoughtful directorial debut with this intelligent political thriller..."
Product Description:
The directorial debut of John Malkovich, THE DANCER UPSTAIRS is a riveting political drama set in an undetermined Latin American city. A revolution has started, and the local police have been assigned to figure out who is leading it and what exactly the revolutionaries want. Agustin Rejas (Javier Bardem) is the detective leading the investigation. However, with the military involved and corrupt government officials making Rejas's job especially difficult, he faces constant frustrations. The leader of the revolution goes by the name Ezequiel, but the police cannot figure out his true identity. Even more beguiling are the increasingly violent terrorist incidents that appear to be carried out by children who swear their loyalty to Ezequiel with no explanation of why. Caught up in the middle of the revolution and Rejas's investigation are his wife, his young daughter, and his daughter's lovely ballet teacher, Yolanda (Laura Morante). One event after the next adds to the suspense and nagging anxiety felt by Rejas, until finally, with one shocking discovery, everything becomes frighteningly clear.
Combining a serious political drama with a tender and introspective look at a man in mid-life, THE DANCER UPSTAIRS has something for every viewer. Its scenes of violence and terror are offset with truly artistic and romantic moments, using excellent photography, striking sets, and graceful acting to bring cohesion to the duality of the plot.
Plot Keywords:
Cult |
Live-Action |
South America |
Terrorism |
Theatrical Release |
Violence
Production Notes:
- Theatrical Release Date: May 2, 2003 (LA/NY)
Based on 
