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Reviews Counted:11
Fresh:8
Rotten:3
Average Rating:6.2/10
Synopsis: A drama based on the autobiography by Li Cunxin. At the age of 11, Li was plucked from a poor Chinese village by Madame Mao's cultural delegates and taken to Beijing to study ballet. In 1979,... [More]
Director: Bruce Beresford
Beresford hasn't usually allowed himself to become this corny. This new film appears calculated to do two things: make everyone cry and maximise its appeal to those red-blooded, childlike Americans who think "freedom" is a US concept.
Top CriticWe must be thankful that Beresford's grand, lucid and absorbing film tells [Li's] story with such passion and conviction.
Top CriticBeresford does make absolutely sure the big themes central to Cunxin's journey ring out loudly enough to strike those heart strings at which he is so clearly and shamelessly taking aim.
Top CriticQuibbles aside, there’s a lot to enjoy in the film; it’s very efficiently made, and though never totally inspiring, it’s eminently watchable.
Top CriticIf anything, veteran director Bruce Beresford and his screenwriter Jan Sardi (Shine) have played it too safe. Too many soft cliches obscure the hard facts of what Cunxin endured during the tumultuous time covered here.
Top CriticBruce Beresford delivers one of his best films in the story of Chinese ballet star Li Cunxin.
Top CriticWell presented and brimming over with reverence, Beresford's tribute to an ex-Communist Billy Elliot sidesteps hard hits for a solid performance.
Top CriticA mature work from a master filmmaker relishing his work
Top CriticAn engrossing and profoundly moving film that hits the emotional bullseye multiple times
Top CriticThis is a film that seems afraid to show its claws, and for me, it's a real pity.
Top CriticDon't see Mao's Last Dancer if you want a perfectly structured film. See it if you want to experience a truly amazing story.
Top Critic
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