amit-89564

Mr. Gaga (2015)

Electric... riveting... choreographic brilliance

Beautifully shot and thoughtfully assembled, Mr. Gaga is a well-rounded documentary that uses interviews, performances, and behind-the-scenes footage to convey the importance of and fascination with Ohad Naharin, even to audiences that know nothing about dance. The film shows you much of Naharin's groundbreaking work, but it also goes deep trying to penetrate his psyche. Heymann gets about as close as anyone ever will. So many biographical documentaries fall into the trap of loving their subjects so much that they forget to bring a critical eye to the table. Heymann makes no such mistake. Naharin's life is presented as honestly as possible. The dance sequences in Mr. Gaga, so named for the "movement language" that is Naharin's key innovation, are presented beautifully on screen. If you know nothing of dance, or don't have the slightest interest in it, you will still be mystified by what is on screen. The Batsheva dancers move in ways you might not even imagine the body could move. Tomer Heymann perfectly melds the performances into the story