This Oscar-nominated documentary profiling leading modern dance choreographer Paul Taylor has opened for a commercial run at New York's Film Forum in conjunction with his company's appearance at City Center.
Although most likely to appeal to dance aficionados, "Dancemaker" is an often compelling film that should reap the benefit of its Academy mention and achieve decent boxoffice, at least by documentary standards. It should also enjoy a long, prosperous shelf life as a public television and video staple.
Matthew Diamond's film is a bit frustrating in its elliptical approach and is more successful in providing an impressionistic portrait of Taylor and the workings of his dance company than presenting much clear-cut information. There is interesting footage of the choreographer with his dancers, creating a work (tango-inspired "Piazzolla Caldera"), which will no doubt prove of enormous interest to future dance historians. On the other hand, there are endless cliched shots of hardworking dancers trying desperately to soothe their aching muscles, chain-smoking their way through pain.
"Dancemaker" succeeds best as a backstage portrait, and Taylor, a hard-driving autocrat, doesn't always come off as particularly admirable. But there is no denying the brilliance and passion of his work or the fierce dedication of his troupe. The film also includes many lengthy dance excerpts, often shot from the wings, with the unusual vantage point offering an interesting contrast to the audience-view shots of other dance films.
One of the more dramatic segments showcases Patrick Corban's powerful solo in Taylor's well-known "Aureole", contrasted with footage of the large-bodied choreographer's performance in the work decades earlier.
The film often meanders frustratingly, most notably in a segment devoted to the troupe's trip to India, with pointless shots of dancers wandering around the Taj Mahal. And despite several interviews with dance critics and experts about the importance of Taylor's work, we never get a fully informative perspective of his importance as a choreographer. In terms of presenting a fly-on-the-wall perspective of the travails of a modern dance company, however, "Dancemaker" excels.
DANCEMAKER
Artistic License Films
Director: Matthew Diamond
Producers: Matthew Diamond, Jerry Kupfer
Executive producer: Walter Scheuer in association with the Four Oaks Foundation
Director of photography: Tom Hurwitz
Editor: Pam Wise
Sound: Peter Miller
Color/stereo
Running time -- 98 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Although most likely to appeal to dance aficionados, "Dancemaker" is an often compelling film that should reap the benefit of its Academy mention and achieve decent boxoffice, at least by documentary standards. It should also enjoy a long, prosperous shelf life as a public television and video staple.
Matthew Diamond's film is a bit frustrating in its elliptical approach and is more successful in providing an impressionistic portrait of Taylor and the workings of his dance company than presenting much clear-cut information. There is interesting footage of the choreographer with his dancers, creating a work (tango-inspired "Piazzolla Caldera"), which will no doubt prove of enormous interest to future dance historians. On the other hand, there are endless cliched shots of hardworking dancers trying desperately to soothe their aching muscles, chain-smoking their way through pain.
"Dancemaker" succeeds best as a backstage portrait, and Taylor, a hard-driving autocrat, doesn't always come off as particularly admirable. But there is no denying the brilliance and passion of his work or the fierce dedication of his troupe. The film also includes many lengthy dance excerpts, often shot from the wings, with the unusual vantage point offering an interesting contrast to the audience-view shots of other dance films.
One of the more dramatic segments showcases Patrick Corban's powerful solo in Taylor's well-known "Aureole", contrasted with footage of the large-bodied choreographer's performance in the work decades earlier.
The film often meanders frustratingly, most notably in a segment devoted to the troupe's trip to India, with pointless shots of dancers wandering around the Taj Mahal. And despite several interviews with dance critics and experts about the importance of Taylor's work, we never get a fully informative perspective of his importance as a choreographer. In terms of presenting a fly-on-the-wall perspective of the travails of a modern dance company, however, "Dancemaker" excels.
DANCEMAKER
Artistic License Films
Director: Matthew Diamond
Producers: Matthew Diamond, Jerry Kupfer
Executive producer: Walter Scheuer in association with the Four Oaks Foundation
Director of photography: Tom Hurwitz
Editor: Pam Wise
Sound: Peter Miller
Color/stereo
Running time -- 98 minutes
No MPAA rating...
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