The American

I saw this in a relatively packed theatre, and the audience responses to it were so intense that a couple behind me started almost yelling at the screen during certain moments.

The story is based on Joy Womack, the American dancer who danced at the Bolshoi, and it seems to follow a relatively straightforward narrative initially. But once things start going wrong, it felt like a rollercoaster ride dropping into a relentless series of unpredictable twists and turns. I won't say much more for the sake of not giving spoilers, but suffice to say, I was constantly on the edge of my seat, and it felt very gripping right to the very end. I was literally holding my breath in parts.

The performances are extremely strong, particularly from Talia Ryder and Diane Kruger. It is visually stunning to look at, and features quite incredible direction at times from director (and writer) James Napier Robertson - who made another favourite film of mine, The Dark Horse. The music is beautiful, and very emotional.

The only warning I would give is this would not be for a younger audience, and might be a little too intense at times for some more sensitive audiences. It gets quite confronting at times.

The final imagery has stayed burned into my mind for days after the screening. Very powerful.

Highly recommend!

"Black Swan" was the definitive story of a ballerina spiralling into madness under the prolonged pressures of competition, physical wear and injury, and emotional insecurity. While Joy Womack narrowly avoids total destruction, "The American" just adds the cultural and political stressors without differentiating the styles of training and ballet between Russian and American schools. That would have been more telling than the unrelenting scenes of Joy Wormack's furrowed brow, tears and smeared mascara. Diane Kruger rescued this otherwise tedious litany with her portrayal of a tough taskmaster but the male dancer Womack marries (Nik) provides the only emotional relief and humanity in this maudlin tale.

Really well-done movie with touching photography, delving into the depths of human nature and the infinite ambition of chasing one's dreams. How much would you sacrifice for your dream?

Sacrifice amidst high-level politics, the cost of climbing to the top while staying true to yourself without losing touch with reality. An excellent film made on a minimal budget that serves as a reminder that more isn't always better. It's simple but direct, and provokes thought and reflection. You will not regret watching it. It doesn't matter if you like ballet or not; the same sentiment can be applied to any other form of live performance.

This film was beautifully executed and acted. You can feel Joy's obsession, her ambition, her dedication and her internal conflict. As an American dancer in Russia her life could not have been easy. It was certainly more difficult than she anticipated it would be. The physical and mental stress, the political corruption must have been a shock for anyone let alone someone so young. I can't help but wonder if she would have had an easier time if she paid more attention to the moment, to what she was doing, instead of yearning for something she didn't have. The film shows her planning and plotting while she should have her head in the moment. This film is a wonderful depiction of ambition getting in the way of success.

This is a great film . So much quality here ! First of all the sound editing and sound track were both extremely well done - the music and choices where to add music and where to go silent were meaningful and purposeful and crated the exact vibe to math the visual aesthetic.

Secondly the story itself is told brilliantly - you are left feeling the passion and desire and sadness - you see and feel the spiral into something completely raw and vulnerable- the love story here is between ballet and the dancer . The lead was incredible and she did an amazing job helping you feel raw .

The whole movie makes you feel sort of "icky " and question how far you would do to get what you want , what kind of person would you become to be the best ?

You are drawn in , impressed and left thinking long after . This review isn't doing this film justice but I loved it - it has an X- factor I can't even seem to put into words here .

Ballet is hard core - watch this !