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DANCING ACROSS BORDERSMovie Reviews
Documentary about a young Cambodian man who left his birthplace to pursue a career in the ballet in America. Cast:Sokvannara Sar, Boran Kim, Keo Sa Roeum, Olga Kostritzky, Peter BoalDirector:Anne BassRelease Date:March 26, 2010DVD Release:October 26, 2010From:First RunLength:1 hr 28 min
OCTOBER 26, 2010
Dancing Across Borders, Good (Not Great) Reviews (Doc) Key Cities
Dancing Across Borders played in key cities to good not great reviews. • Jeffrey Gantz wrote in the Boston Phoenix, "...looks at first to be limited by its feel-good story arc. But it dances beyond that, largely on the strength Sar, and his ballet teacher, Russian émigrée Olga Kostritzky." • And Colin Covert wrote in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "...thought-provoking [but] not a probing piece of journalism..." More Reviews Below...
Dancing Across Borders Positive Reviews (17 Reviews, reviews below)
Dancing Across Borders has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (6 Reviews)
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the dance sequences are a delight.... a determinedly cheerful documentary assembled by Ms. Bass without frills or awareness of the need for an objective voice."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 304 words, 03/26/10
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "Informative and flavorful, though lacking in surprise, since Sar's evident sweetness and talent seem to be guiding him to acclaim from the beginning."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 72 words, 03/26/10
Lewis Segal, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...tells several overlapping stories engagingly.... Abundant dance excerpts provide both entertainment and evidence of Sy's progress."(See all of Lewis Segal's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 553 words, 04/16/10
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "Inspiring but not inspired... concentrates on the young man's transition from native dance to Western ballet but gives short shrift to how he adapted to an alien culture."(See all of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 159 words, 03/26/10
Michelle Orange, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...blithely tone-deaf ode to Bass's own generosity and that of dance instructor Olga Kostritzky.... performances are dazzling to behold but quite troubling to contemplate."(See all of Michelle Orange's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 222 words, 03/24/10
KEY CITIES (7 Reviews)
Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post: MODERATE(cg) "Do-gooder vanity projects don't come more self-aggrandizing than this.... watching Sar's difficult journey, I felt like a voyeur to a slightly creepy case of noblesse oblige."(See all of Sarah Kaufman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 529 words, 04/30/10
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It becomes very hard during this uneven and unsatisfying documentary to know whether Bass made this bittersweet film to document Sy's struggle - or her own."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 432 words, 04/30/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...thought-provoking [but] not a probing piece of journalism... The rehearsal footage of Sy is repetitive, but the peculiar dynamic between sponsor and protégé is fascinating."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 387 words, 05/21/10
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "Well-meant though it may be, the movie has an advertorial gloss. It's more convincing as the work of people looking to reap a return on their investment."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 390 words, 04/23/10
David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "There are times when the subject of a documentary transcends merely adequate filmmaking... even filmgoers who aren't into dance will find this story captivating..."(See all of David Wiegand's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 524 words, 04/30/10
John Hartl, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "It isn't every day that a Cambodian dancer is asked to perform with Pacific Northwest Ballet.... a charming documentary."(See all of John Hartl's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 366 words, 04/09/10
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: MODERATE(cg) "Sar is indeed charismatic, and it's interesting to watch him grapple with the challenges... But Anne Bass' skills as a filmmaker are rudimentary at best..."(See all of Calvin Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 314 words, 06/04/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (4 Reviews)
Michelle Orange, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...blithely tone-deaf ode to Bass's own generosity and that of dance instructor Olga Kostritzky.... performances are dazzling to behold but quite troubling to contemplate."(See all of Michelle Orange's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 222 words, 03/24/10
Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...looks at first to be limited by its feel-good story arc. But it dances beyond that, largely on the strength Sar, and his ballet teacher, Russian émigrée Olga Kostritzky."(See all of Jeffrey Gantz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 172 words, 04/22/10
Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper: GOOD "...eventually becomes the inspirational film you suspect it meant to be all along.... Sar's performances included here are lovely, comic, and sometimes breathtaking."(See all of Tricia Olszewski's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 652 words, 04/29/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the dance sequences are a delight.... a determinedly cheerful documentary assembled by Ms. Bass without frills or awareness of the need for an objective voice."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 304 words, 03/26/10
Lewis Segal, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...tells several overlapping stories engagingly.... Abundant dance excerpts provide both entertainment and evidence of Sy's progress."(See all of Lewis Segal's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 553 words, 04/16/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Ronnie Scheib, Daily Variety: MODERATE "Bass explains in self-congratulatory detail the 'Blind Side'-like tale of how she was struck by Sar's talent and paid for his flight to New York to audition for the NYCB..."(See all of Ronnie Scheib's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 469 words, 03/25/10
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter: MODERATE "A dramatic story, to be sure, but not exactly grippingly told.... it's hard not to wish that Sar's story had been told by a more experienced, not to mention, objective filmmaker."(See all of Frank Scheck's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 330 words, 03/25/10
Lewis Segal, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...tells several overlapping stories engagingly.... Abundant dance excerpts provide both entertainment and evidence of Sy's progress."(See all of Lewis Segal's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 553 words, 04/16/10
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the dance sequences are a delight.... a determinedly cheerful documentary assembled by Ms. Bass without frills or awareness of the need for an objective voice."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 304 words, 03/26/10
13.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Dancing Across Borders's reviews are separated by an average 13.6 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Dancing Across Borders (17 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Dancing Across Borders's reviews cover 15.8% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 6,093 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 358 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 16 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Dancing Across Borders's reviews on average broke 16 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Dancing Across Borders's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Dancing Across Borders (17 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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