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POLINA (12A)
THE fact that world renowned choreographer Angelin Preljocaj has been credited as co-director of this subtitled dance movie, suggests something about the film’s intended audience.
Preljocaj and Valérie Müller use a documentary style to lift the curtain on the world of the ballerina, from the bleeding feet, the brutal auditions to the seemingly effortless performances.
We meet Polina as an eight-year-old Russian waif (played by Veronika Zhovnytska) who wants to become a star ballerina to please her poor father, who is in hock to local gangsters.
After surviving years under the iron rule of her teacher (Aleksey Guskov), the teenage Polina (now played by dancer Anastasia Shevtsova) wins an audition at the Bolshoi.
But after passing the most competitive audition in dance, she throws it all away to move to France to join the company of a famous modern dance choreographer played by Juliette Binoche.
The long dance sequences are beautiful but the drama felt a little dry.
I suspect this one is strictly for the dance enthusiast.
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