All about Marcelo Gomes in Barber/Pellerito's doc, ANATOMY OF A MALE BALLET DANCER

Going into the new documentary, ANATOMY OF A MALE BALLET DANCER, the two-man show all about Marcelo Gomes, the popular ABT principal ballet dancer (who resigned from the company only last week, as the latest casualty in the sexual misconduct investigation craze that's currently sweeping the country), which has been directed, written, produced, photographed and edited by David Barba and James Pellerito (they did the sound, too!), TrustMovies knew almost nothing about the famous Mr. Gomes, as he no longer follows ballet, and knows of it mostly what he garners from the occasional documentary on the subject and/or its famous dancers (for instance, Wendy Whelan, Misty Copeland, and Sergei Polunin).

Initially at least, this movie seems like others in the rather long list of worshipful bio-docs, but Misters Barba and Pellerito (shown above, with Barba on the left), dig a little deeper into that promised titular anatomy.

And though we see plenty of the handsome and very sexy Gomes, shown at left and below, what comes through slowly but sufficiently and efficiently is why and how the dancer has been able to achieve such prominence and love, not only from audiences worldwide but from so many of the ballerinas he has partnered over his 20 year career.

His technique, as we soon learn, has been crafted well and then put in service to those ballerinas. As he explains to the class of young male dancers he is teaching, "You guys are the one who are driving the car, giving her the chance to be all lyrical and do her thing!" And from all the praise that is heard from one ballerina after another, Gomes may be the best partner each of them has ever had.

We learn a lot about this dancer's history, particularly family history, especially of his dad, who was hugely helpful and encouraging early on. But once dad left the family and married again, he seems to have totally deserted his son, emotionally and otherwise. When the filmmakers interview him, he certainly "presents" well. But it's all blather and verbiage. In this case, his actions (or, really, his non-actions) speak infinitely louder than his words.

Via some very good archival footage, we're privy to Gomes in his younger years (below) and see him mature and grow as a dancer.

Location-wise we move from Greece to New York City, Brazil to Boca Raton, Kiev, Saint Petersburg and finally Tokyo, and in each spot we see some wonderful dancing, our appreciation of which only grows as we better understand how Gomes couples his sterling technique to enormous charisma, sensitivity and especially generosity in his partnering.

As the movie moves on, we view ever more of his solo work, and -- oh, my god -- is it impressive. He may be a great partner, but he shines even brighter when he has the spotlight to himself.

Did I also mention that Marcelo Gomes is an out-of-the-closet gay dancer? We learn something of how this happened and the gay "uncles" he credits for helping educate him on what is important in life, as well as giving him his first taste of and for the ballet. The fellow appears to have a good and productive sense of humor about ballet, being gay, and much else, too.

The documentary has no "outside" narration, as such. It is mostly visuals accompanied by Marcelo telling us about his life and career. This works just fine. We see and hear about the injuries and pain, and also about the various ballets and what these mean to the dancer: The role of Albert in Gisele is the ultimate ballet for this guy, while La Bayadere is a "beast" that must be conquered.

Conquer he does -- the ballets and the audiences -- while the filmmakers and their work conquer us. Balletomanes will probably flock to this film, as will gay audiences looking for a hero who's handsome, hot, talented and still very much driven to dance. Or at least he was, prior to his sudden resignation from ABT amidst an investigation into sexual misconduct said to have occurred nearly a decade ago.

TrustMovies admits that he knew nothing about this investigation while watching the film nor even while writing this review. I came upon the recent news only when, as I readied this post for publication and Googled Gomes' name to find the proper site to which to link, up popped this startling information. Talk about that rug being pulled out from under you. I immediately re-read my review, but rather than change anything (save adding the mention of the allegation), I am leaving it as is. Gomes' life and work, as we are shown them, are worth knowing and seeing. And his dancing is extraordinary.

As with Kevin Spacey, whose talent and skill has given us countless pleasures, that work deserves to be seen and honored. It's the misuse of power via sex that must be acknowledged and corrected. Whatever happened is between the abuser and his abused -- and the workplace, if that should enter into things, and finally the law, too, if this appears appropriate.

Meanwhile, Anatomy of a Male Ballet Dancer -- from Retribution Media and Cinema Tropical and running 83 minutes -- opens tomorrow, Wednesday, January 3, for its world theatrical premiere in New York City at Film Forum for a two-week engagement. Elsewhere? I hope so, but there's no word as yet. I expect the distributors will wait to see how things go in New York City.

DANCER: Steven Cantor's documentary about ballet bombshell Sergei Polunin hits DVD

When DANCER arrived in theaters last fall, it was greeted with appreciation by audiences and generally good reviews -- with the exception of The New York Times, Village Voice and San Diego Reader, the first of which, unfortunately, still tends to call the shots where docs, foreign films and independents are concerned.  The negative feedback concentrated mostly on the fact that we see too little of Polunin's dancing and too much of his personal angst. His dancing is spectacular enough to warrant more of it, to be sure, but what we see often so stunning that we're open-mouthed and blown away. Boy, can this boy can move. And leap. He's got a great body and face, too. And, yes, a whole lots of problems regarding family and drugs and maybe ego and discipline, as well.

TrustMovies says "maybe" because the film, directed by Steven Cantor (shown left), for all its seeming entry into Polunin's personal life, ends up leaving us high and dry regarding almost anything that's really personal about Polunin. Is he straight or gay? Did/does he have any kind of relationship, other than to his family (a heavy-duty stage mother and a father who went absentee in order to earn the money spent on his son's training), along with a few seeming "friends" whom we learn even less about?

Our entry into this guy's personality is consistently prevented by the "facts" of his upbringing, training, performing and history as "the bad boy" of dance. Newspaper headlines must stand-in for "character." I suspect that Polunin, shown above and below, actually wants to keep his audience at bay. Well, that's his right.

Fortunately, what we see of him dancing is enough to peak our interest and hold it for the movie's mere 85 minutes -- the final fourth of which is spent on the now famous online video, directed by David LaChapelle, of Polunin performing to the song, Take Me to Church. (The video, a still from which is seen below, is impressive, all right, but it strikes me as not nearly so much so as some of the snippets of his dancing in the ballets we've seen earlier in the film.)

Dancer is especially impressive as a document of Polunin's growing up. His mom -- or someone -- managed to take some remarkable footage, as we see Polunin at ages 8, 9, 11, 13, 15 and onwards, as he learns first gymnastics and then ballet, and then becomes a the youngest principal ever (only 19!) at the London's Royal Ballet.

And then he gives it all up, with the reasons, while clearly stated and obvious, barely explored here. Well, his private life remains private. It's his dancing that counts. The movie is titled Dancer, after all, and that's what comes across most strongly. What a great dancer Polunin was, and still is. I hope he continues to perform.

From IFC Films, the DVD hits the street this coming Tuesday, January 17 -- for purchase and/or rental -- and includes the movie's trailer and some deleted scenes as Bonus Extras. While balletomanes will rightly kvell at what they see here, Polunin is sexy, charismatic and gorgeous enough to build a huge fan base from merely that, whether or not his career in ballet moves onwards.

A balletomaine streaming "must": Nancy Buirski's doc re Tanaquil LeClercq AFTERNOON OF A FAUN

TrustMovies is no balletomaine, but he still would not have wanted to miss the recent documentary AFTERNOON OF A FAUN: TANAQUIL LE CLERCQ. Many of us older folk (maybe some younger, too) have heard Ms LeClercq's name bandied about in the dance world over the years, so it is good to now know just why that name, the rather amazing dancer/woman to whom it belonged, and her immense reputation remain so securely fixed in American ballet history. Part of the American Masters series via PBS, and one of the better of those films, the documentary received a critically-acclaimed theatrical release some time back and can now be streamed on Netflix, Amazon and elsewhere, or caught on DVD.

As written and directed by Nancy Buirski, the film grabs us from the outset, as we enter the world of ballet and George Balanchine (shown at bottom, left, with LeClercq), the name still most firmly associated with that art here in the USA. Jerome Robbins makes quite an appearance, as well, and as nasty and unpleasant a person as he is often said to have been, he comes across here as a man who was enchanted enough with Tanaquil to be able to actually be a genuine friend (with a little extra prodding now and then)..

There is a wealth of archival footage here (much of it less than hi-def, coming from the 1940s, 50s and 60s as it does), of ballet and New York City and even Europe and Scandinavia (reaching for international acclaim, American ballet traveled frequently back then).

We see and hear from those dancers still around today -- Arthur Mitchell and Jacques D'Amboise (below) -- plus old friends of Tanaquil. Together they (with the help of the filmmaker) weave a fine portrait of this dancer who captivated audiences worldwide until... something very bad happened.

What, how and why is brought to us with shock and sadness, yet the dancer's life went on for quite some time -- but without dance. It's a great tale, beautifully told and one that will bring you up close and personal with a woman who, until now, has been but a name and kind of distant legend for many of us.

Here's your chance to meet her about as intimately as one can imagine doing in a 91-minute film -- which, as I say, you can view now via Netflix streaming and elsewhere, and on DVD.

Holiday time means Emerging Pictures' affordable Nutcracker is back (yes, it's on film, but think of all those lovely close-ups!)

It's that time of year again, so TrustMovies is updating his most popular holiday-season post from last year -- which was written in part to offset the enormously expensive seats for the two New York productions of the Nutcracker. If you can't get (or afford) tickets for this holiday season to either the New York City Ballet's Lincoln Center Nutcracker (prices appear to range this year from $89 for the rear of the top balcony to $250 for front orchestra) or the American Ballet Theater's Nutcracker at BAM, (prices here, considerably cheaper, range from $15 to $140), then consider an even more affordable filmed alternative that is beautifully produced and shot (in high definition) and can be viewed in comfortable surroundings -- for which you'll pay but $20 for any seat in the house. And that's in Manhattan; the price is lower in many other cities across the U.S.

This coming Sunday, December 9, and again on Sundays, December 23 and 30, Nutcracker nuts (and their children) can indulge them-selves in two complete filmed versions of the famous ballet set to Tchaikovsky's music and danced by two of the world's foremost ballet companies: Russia's Bolshoi Theater (I think that's the Bolshoi's Nina Kaptsova, below) and Britain's Royal Opera House.

Both performances -- via Emerging Pictures' Ballet in Cinema -- take place at one of Manhattan's most comfortable, accessible theaters: Big Cinemas' Manhattan, 239 East 59th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. The Bolshoi performs at 11am this coming Sunday, December 9, with a running time of 2 hours and 15 minutes (with one intermission). The Royal Opera House performs Sunday, December 23, at 11 am and again on Sunday, December 30, also at 11am. These performances run  2 hours and 10 minutes, including one intermission. (The Royal Opera House version only can also be seen at the Clearview Chelsea Cinema -- and only on Dec. 23, not on Dec. 30.) 

Tickets for both ballets -- including ultra-comfortable stadium seating, perfect sight lines, lots of close-ups of the performers, and a great sound system -- cost only $20 each. This may be the bargain of the holiday season. Last year my family went to the Royal Opera House production, but yours might prefer the Bolshioi.

As usual, Big Cinemas could use some help with its web site. When I checked there earlier today, I found that only the 11 am Royal Opera House Nutcracker was listed and only for Dec. 23. But I am assured that tickets are available as of now for both the Royal Opera House and Bolshoi productions.  These Ballet in Cinema offerings, by the way, take place over our entire country (and beyond: Emerging Pictures is internationally known). Click here -- then enter your zip code or city/state -- to learn how you, too, can view them.

The second and fourth photos from the top 
are from this year's Royal Opera House production 
of The Nutcracker (photos by Johan Persson);
the first and  third photos are from the Bolshoi production.  

Nuts about THE NUTCRACKER but can't get tix? (Or they're too expensive.) Consider these alternatives from BALLET IN CINEMA

Can't get (or afford) tickets for this holiday season to either the New York City Ballet's Lincoln Center Nutcracker nor the American Ballet Theater's Nutcracker at BAM? BAM's can cost $95 for the best orchestra seat, though you can pick up a rear balcony, side-seat for just $25.  The NYCB, however, is off the charts: $65 for the fifth ring (highest balcony) seat and $150 for an orchestra seat (not in the prime portion of the orchestra) or the entire first ring. (The best orchestra seats -- they call 'em "Sweet Seats" -- sell for $250 and come with bells and whistles attached, presumably for that 1%, rather than us 99-percenters.)

However, this Sunday, December 18, Nutcracker nuts can indulge themselves in two complete filmed versions of the famous ballet set to Tchaikovsky's music and danced by two of the world's foremost ballet companies: Russia's Bolshoi Theater and Britain's Royal Opera House.

Both performances -- via Emerging Pictures' Ballet in Cinema -- take place back-to-back at one of Manhattan's most comfortable, accessible theaters: Big Cinemas' Manhattan, 239 East 59th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. The Bolshoi performs at 11am this Sunday, with a running time of 124 minutes, including one intermission. The Royal Opera House performs at 2pm, and runs a shorter, kid- friendlier 110 minutes, including one intermission.

Tickets for both -- including ultra-comfortable stadium seating, perfect sight lines, lots of close-ups of the performers*, and a great sound system -- cost only $20 each. This may be the bargain of the holiday season. My family is going, to the Royal Opera House production, but yours might prefer the Bolshioi.

Big Cinemas could use some help with its web site, however. When I checked there, I found that only the 11 am Bolshoi Nutcracker was listed. But when I called the theater, the box-office assured me that tickets were available as of now (Wednesday evening, December 14) for both the 11am Bolshoi and the 2pm Royal Opera House productions.

*the photo shown two paragraphs above is of Steven MacRae, left, 

and Miyako Yoshida, from the Royal Opera House production 

of the Nutcracker (photo by Johan Persson).

Balletomane alert! Emerging Pictures' 2011 season of BALLET IN CINEMA is underway

If you're a ballet lover but cannot travel to the world's far corners to catch all the best companies, don't worry: Emerging Pictures is there for you. That interesting company, who recently brought us the series of new independent British cinema, From Britain With Love, is currently in the midst of its 2001 season. Although The Paris Opera Ballet and its production of Children of Paradise (shown above) and the La Scala Ballet's Mediterranea program have now both presented their final screenings, there remain some fine programs to be seen in this series -- from Russia's Bolshoi Ballet and Britain's Royal Ballet.

My ex-wife and I caught the final Children of Paradise program last Sunday here at Manhattan's Big Cinema (a lovely venue for this series, by the way) and were pleased to find it such a pleasant experience. The camerawork was excellent, alternating nicely between long shots that featured the whole stage, with accent on bodies in motion, and close-ups in which you could see the dancers much better than you ever could from any large auditorium. (And with attractive lead dancers like Mathieu Ganio, shown below (as Baptiste), and Isabelle Ciaravola, at right, (who danced Garance), the close-ups were particularly enjoyable. The sound, as well, was excellent, though I found the music for this ballet (by Marc-Olivier Dupin) rather rote.

This is a yearly event from Emerging Picture (Children of Paradise was co-presented by Pathe Live), so if you want to learn more about this series, click here; to see the upcoming programs, click here; and to place yourself on Ballet in Cinema's mailing list, click here.