Review-- The Company

The second ballet movie I'm reviewing is called The Company, made in 2003. This has some big names in it, most noticeably James Franco (he played Harry in Spiderman) and Malcolm McDowell. I didn't recognize the other name, Neve Campbell, but she's in it, too.

Story:

Now, this is definitely a new breed of movie. It's almost a documentary style. There's no solid story, just an overarching theme. In many ways, the movie itself is like a representation of the modern ballets it performs. The ballets have a vague story, but what is more important is the talent and the emotion that their dancing evokes in the audience.

If I did have to give this movie a plot, it is about the ballet company as a whole. We specifically follow a budding dance star as she goes to practice, interacts with others, and performs. The ballet company is in Chicago and performs mostly modern ballets.

The story also had its funny moments. I love when a dancer starts talking back to the ballet director (master? I'm not quite sure what he preferred to be called) and the Christmas skits were also really funny. The funny bits added a nice change of pace in juxtaposition to the more serious ballet rehearsals and company concerns.

I liked this movie. I liked hearing the ballet rehearsals since they reminded me of the old days I danced in high school. I read that the screenwriter didn't know anything about ballet, but after spending time with the Chicago ballet, wrote the script. I have to say, she did a pretty good job, and I felt it made a really good representation of the stresses and fun times a ballet company goes through.

This is mostly for older audiences, since there's nudity and sex references. Older kids in their teens would be fine, but if you're looking for a great family film, this is definitely not a good choice since it probably won't hold their attention. 

Characters:

I won't separate main characters from supporting characters since everyone is equally important in this story, but I will look at the ballerina the movie follows most. She's the budding star of the company, and she goes by her last name, Ryan, or Ry for short. Neve Campbell plays her character and she definitely looks like she knows what she's doing. She dances her own parts, which I love. (I hate "clever" editing to hide an actress' inability to perform the moves because you can always tell they aren't really performing.) But she performed her own part, and quite well, too. She trained for four months to get back into shape and she looks great.

The other dancer characters also dance their own part. Those who had line did a great job, too. It felt natural, like I was looking into a window that showed me their lives. However, since everyone looks somewhat similar in their uniforms, I had a really hard time telling them apart. When one dancer snaps her Achilles tendon and then I think she's dancing in the next scene, it makes it really confusing. I had to rewind to notice that they were two different people.

The ballet director is played by Malcolm McDowell. He's the son of an Italian immigrant who takes charge of this Chicago ballet company. He's a perfectionist, arrogant businessman and can be a jerk at times, but all the dancers respect him and hope for him to acknowledge their hard work, which he does. I really liked this actor as the ballet director. He was able to balance the strict side with the slightly bitchy side.

James Franco plays Ry's boyfriend. He's a successful chef at a restaurant. I actually read he trained at a Chicago bistro in order to take this part, so kudos to him. He didn't have a big part, just smile and look cute I guess.

Sets/Costumes:

I can't say much about costumes since they wore your everyday outfits. The ballet costumes were either minimal or bizarre, so I can't comment too much on these. The sets, however, are great. I loved seeing Chicago as the back drop. In fact, one of the outdoor performances takes place at a Lollapalooza stage. Lady Gaga actually performed on the very same stage they danced on. The movie did a great job of capturing some of the major Chicago landmarks, such as the el-train, which drives past Ry's apartment several times in the movie.

The ballet studio is small, but you get the idea. It is the stage that is more interesting. I loved how the camera shot from the performers perspectives at times so we could catch a glimpse of their world.

Music:

Was there music? I don't know. There was music during the ballet performances, but I wasn't to blown away by anything I heard. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad.

Camera:

The camera was odd at times. Most of the time it was great! But sometimes we would get an odd zoom, like the ones I do on my digital camera. There were definitely odd moments, but for the most part, it was fine. The scenes were set up real nice, like the picture of the stage above.

Ballet Presence:

Ballet is everywhere. Can't avoid it, so if you don't like it, stay away. Why are you at this blog anyway? The film features mostly modern ballets. I don't recognize any personally, but I don't know much about modern ballet, so these could have been created for the movie.

Those they did have were really interesting and entertaining. It was nice to get a different type of ballet than just the classical stuff. The movie also took time out to show us a couple minutes of the ballet. I love when movies do this instead of cutting to the end of the ballet because I like to see the characters' hard work.

I loved how the actress could dance her own part. I know I'm beating a dead horse here with that comment, but it's true. It makes a world of a difference.

 Aren't they pretty? There's also this really cool one where they are suspended from the ceiling and dance. It reminds me a bit of some circus acts.

Overall Enjoyment:

Overall, I loved this movie. I liked the documentary feel, I liked ballets, I liked the characters. I know many people won't like this movie because there's not a strong story, but it still makes a great ballet movie. It probably could have shown the darker side of ballet a bit more, but other than that, it was a great movie that completely immersed me into its own world. I recommend giving it a try and if you don't like it, at least enjoy the dancing!

Review-- Ballet Shoes

Alright! Finally, I manage to get my act together to complete this movie review for.... Ballet Shoes! Now, this took especially long since I found out there are a couple versions of this. Not only is this a book, but there are also two film adaptations for it. One is recent (one of the stars being Emma Watson) and the other looks like it's from the 70s. I was only planning on reviewing and taking caps from the one starring Emma, but I figured it would be fun to compare the two films side by side.

Since I haven't read the book, I decided to nix looking at how well each film captured the essence of the book. Both of these movies are quite similar, even the fact that they were both made for television makes them alike. So let's begin! Which one will I like more? We'll see!

Basic Premise:
Three orphaned girls named Pauline, Petrova, and Posy are taken in by an old paleontologist. The paleontologist departs, leaving their guardian, Sylvia, in charge. In order to pay rent on their house, they take in several boarders. One of these boarders is a dancer, who recommends Sylvia to enter the girls into a dance academy. While Pauline enjoys the academy since she wants to be an actress and Posy likes it since she wants to be a dancer, Petrova is miserable since she wants to fly planes. Unfortunately, taking in boarders is not enough to pay the rent, and their caretaker, the paleontologist, has been missing for quite some time now. The girls struggle to make ends meet, taking on acting jobs to help Sylvia keep the house.

Story:

 

Each movie did a nice job with the pacing and making us understand the different characters and their unique talents. It's a little hard to say much about the story, considering that I've never read the book it's based on, but for the most part, it's a cute story for little girls to watch. They do a nice job with morals by teaching things such as "don't turn into a bossy prima donna" and then the more serious "perfection isn't possible" and "if you enjoy something, it's always worth fighting for it." 

My major gripe with this movie is: "Why is this called 'Ballet Shoes'?" The title makes it sound like this is a ballet movie, but it's more about the girls' acting than dancing. Sure, they are in a dance academy, but Petrova and Pauline make money by taking parts; Posy is rarely there. There's also this big lead-in with Posy being abandoned with only a pair of ballet shoes. You would think she is the main character, but if anyone is the main character, it's Pauline. Pauline gets several big breaks while Posy doesn't get hers until the very end. It's bizarre and possibly would make more sense if I read the book.

Main Characters:

Okay, let's not beat around the bush, the new version has much better acting. Not only that, but Posy is a pretty good dancer. And if that's not her dancing, then by god they have found one heck of a great body double. Emma Watson is a much better actress for Pauline. Her recitation of Puck is better than the girl from the 70s version. Also, her crying is much more believable, not laughable. I know they are only children, but acting like you're sick doesn't equal sniffing in between every line. More the fault of the director than the girls in the 70s version.

Also with the 70s version, Pauline seemed to have more ballet experience than Posy. Not that Posy did a bad job, but the character is supposed to be showing signs up excellence and, well, born with ballet shoes in her mouth. 

Now I pretty much hate all the girls. Wow, that's mean of me, but each one grates on my nerves in their own super special way. This is why I don't have children yet, peeps, because I just can't handle these girls' selfish, bratty behavior. Sometimes, they are downright cruel, especially to their rival named Winifred. Poor girl, you end up rooting for her instead.

Supporting Characters:
 There's a pretty large supporting cast for this movie. All play a specific part in helping the girls achieve their dreams. I'll try and tackle some of the most important ones.

Sylvia Brown-- She is the girls' guardian. In the 70s version, she is portrayed as a nervous woman, constantly explaining herself and doubting her actions. In the newer version, she is portrayed as a more stressed out woman. Both are fine, but the nervous portrayal got annoying after awhile, though I do suppose that may be how they wanted the character portrayed.

Madame-- She is the Russian teacher of the ballet school and in charge. She plays a much bigger part in the 70s version, but in that one, the acting seems a bit over the top. In the newer version, she reminds me a lot of some family friends I have from Eastern Europe, so I felt the newer portrayal was much better. Sadly, she doesn't nearly get the amount of screen time that the earlier one gets. Still, I enjoy both characters.

Winifred-- Winifred, their rival. Poor, poor Winifred. In the 70s version, she has parents out of work and gets her role sabotaged by Pauline who lies about the location of the audition. In the later version, she is the best in the company but can't get a part because of her "below average" looks, she is bossed around by Pauline when she becomes Pauline's understudy, she just gets the short end of the stick. I guess you're supposed to think she had it coming, but I really don't see it at all. All I see is a poor girl with lots of talent who just doesn't quite make it. The girl in the newer version does a phenomenal job. I was very impressed, but the girl from the 70s version... not so much. I'll need a more convincing cry than what she did.

The Boarders-- These people help the girls study in some way. The professors (or professor, in the 70s version), the garage owner, and the dance teacher all help the girls in some way. I liked all of them, to be honest. I loved them all because they were very kind, all of them. Acting was very good from all of them, especially the later version. I loved the later version because their characters were much more fleshed out and were given back stories.

Sets/Costumes:

Since these were made for television, I was not expecting much, especially since this story takes place in the 30s, but they both did a pretty decent job. The 70s version looks a tad dated, and I swear they aren't wearing bras at points, but both versions got the hairstyles right. The newer version even goes a step beyond, doing research to find how girls got the wave in their hair. The 70s version seems to have a simpler, studio set, where the newer one goes on location.

Music:

 Both films utilized ballet music as part of their score. It was a nice little touch. However, the 70s version did a bit more than a touch. In fact, I would describe the music as a little kid who keeps poking you in the side over, and over, and over, and over. This movie wouldn't stop spamming Tchaikovsky's "Panorama" from the ballet, Sleeping Beauty. I'm not kidding when I say this; it had to have played over eight times.

Ballet Presence:

Ballet is definitely present in both versions. I do think that the 70s version balanced the acting with the dancing better than the newer version, but there was still a disbalance in both where acting seemed to get the uppercut.

Go ahead and click on these pictures for a larger shot. I tried to get a shot of every major scene involving ballet. I had a hard time telling if the girls in the 70s version were en pointe at times. Sometimes, it looked like they were faking it, and other times they would definitely be en pointe. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Posy probably shouldn't have been en pointe at all. She didn't look steady.

However, in the 70s version, all of the girls were seen in the dance studio. In the modern version, it was only Posy who received formal dance lessons.
 

 Overall Enjoyment:

 

Both of these films were very good, but I have to say I like the modern version better. The sets are better, the costumes are better,the acting is better, the ballet is better (though less). I just enjoyed it more, and since the story is almost identical, may as well go for the one that developed the characters more and did an overall better job.

Fabric Swatches!

My swatches for my leotard fabric finally came! YES! There was a huge mix up and I got the wrong swatches, but all's good now! I have the correct ones. For those popping in, I bought my swatches from Distinctive Fabrics since they give five free swatches AND they have the specific fabric I'm looking for for quite cheap! I'm planning on buying both types of Lycra they offer and making leotards out of both of them.

#1 - Cotton Lycra; #2 - Spandex Lycra

Immediate impressions--

Cotton Lycra:
It's softer.
It seems to collect more hair and dust.
Feels like Tshirt fabric
Looks like more air can get through the cloth so it may be more "breathable"

Spandex Lycra:
It's smoother
It feels almost like swimsuit material
Has a slight shine
Stretches more
Tighter weave/less light can get through

As you can see from the picture, the weaving is also different. This gives the fabric a different, distinct feel. The cotton has more lint clinging to it, by the Spandex is smooth so it's difficult for lint to cling to. I'm going to get about a yard of each and experiment with both. I'll post the results up here once I finish. That will probably be some time from now since I've been so busy lately!


In other news, I've had the music from Swan Lake's Prologue stuck in my head ALL day today. I was whistling to myself in the hallways when I realized that if I switched the notes around a bit, it would sound like an Eminem song. ("This Looks Like a Job for Me," yeah, we're going back in time a bit there.)

Long time, Little blogging

I know, I haven't posted for a long time. I've just been so busy! I did try and complete my "before" videos to mark my progress, but I was so tired and hot, that it looks exceptionally worse than usual. Also, at some points, you can see right up my shorts. Yeeeeah... I don't want publicity that way.

So, anyway, despite all the camera issues and the fact that I was croaking in that room, here's a video of me BEFORE on chaîné turns and piqué turns. I later totally mess up a routine I made up to combine the two. 

 

It looks worse than I imagined :( I have a loooooooong way to go.

The day I took this was an interesting day. The snow had just fallen in the Chicagoland area. We got well over two feet. I received no word from the studio about class being canceled, so I attended anyway. When I got there, the regular studio doors were locked. There was no one inside, so I knew that it had been canceled. I still wanted to practice a bit; I walked over to another studio doors, tried the handle, and... Voila! It opened.

I slipped inside, changed into my uniform, and started practicing at one of the barres there. It wasn't long before I heard people walking around in the hallway outside. The door to the studio opened, and a man stuck his head in the room. I froze because I knew I wasn't supposed to be there. He completely missed me, even with the mirrors completely revealing me.

This happened several more times, this time with me at the barre. It was while I was trying to film my before video that he finally noticed me. I actually have it on camera: me trying to explain that the door was open. He really didn't seem to care though. He ended up being a janitor at the place trying to fix the heating in the room. He was really nice about it, and let me stay there. He even offered to help me with the music, but since the CD player at that studio is so complicated, I told him I was okay with silence.

Better to ask for forgiveness than permission, I guess!

Anyway, he allowed me to practice in that studio for about an hour. I was so happy! That was really nice of him, but it was just too hot in there to take additional footage for my before video. I figure what I have right now is a pretty good indicator since it uses the whole body.

Also, I haven't even started watching the videos I have planned for this month. I've just been way too busy. I'll get started soon and post some pictures up right away!

New theme for February!

The new theme for February is... Movies!


Since the Oscars are coming up soon, I thought it would be fun to watch movies with ballet themes and post about them up here. Now, I've already said quite a bit about Black Swan and The Red Shoes, but there are still many others out there.


I'm going to keep the movies I'm reviewing a secret. Don't expect anything soon since there's a really bad blizzard sweeping the entire Midwest right now. Stay safe and keep dancing!