Mao's Last Dancer

 

Since it was my birthday yesterday, Cass decided we could splurge and redbox a movie. We chose Mao's Last Dancer, figuring as it was about China and Dance, it would appeal to both of us. And it did! I really enjoyed the movie. The dancing was beautiful, and at the end we realized it was based on a true story, so that's really cool! It isn't action-packed or overly emotional, but I thought it was a nice little international indie (is it indie? What is indie?) flick. It's about this boy, Li, who is taken out of his school and away from his family to go to Beijing to serve Chairman Mao by learning to be a beautiful ballerina. Li is good; he is flexible and graceful and has the emotional connection to the dance. Yet the teachers are not overly fond of Li and he is constantly being called 'pig head.' So he works harder. He sneaks out of the dorms at night to practice. And when an American company comes to Beijing, they love Li.  They choose him to come study with them, an exchange student of sorts, for the summer. And Li realizes that he loves the freedom of America much better than the strict regime of communist China. Watch the movie to see where Li ends up! (Oh I sound cheesy!)

Over all, I give it a thumbs up! (mostly for the beautiful dancing. *loves*) So watch!