Mao's Last Dancer (2009)

Based on the autobiography of Li Cunxin, this is a beautifully formed story of an extraordinary ballet dancer from his youth in Communist China to his time in America in the 1980s. It stars Chi Cao, who took a leave of absence from the Birmingham Royal Ballet to make this, as Li (amusingly to anyone who knows Chinese names, the Americans in the movie, even his close friends, call him Li, which is his family's name (like Smith), perhaps because his personal name Cunxin, pronounced “schwin sing,” would be too hard to say). Chi (bafflingly fifth billed on the poster) is terrific as the adult Li, and we also liked the kids who portrayed him growing up, Wen Bin Huang as the little boy and Chengwu Guo as the teenager, all three making their screen debuts.

Australian Director Bruce Beresford (Oscar-nominated for Breaker Morant (1980) and Tender Mercies (1983), his work includes Crimes of the Heart (1986), Driving Miss Daisy (1989), and Evelyn (2002)) gives us just the right mix of foreign locations and customs, gorgeous ballet sequences choreographed by fellow Aussie Graeme Murphy (occasionally in slow-motion in, I would guess, a nod to the martial arts "flying" sequences that started with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)), 1980s hair and disco dancing, and the personal journey of the protagonist. 

Bruce Greenwood (I wrote about him in Dinner for Schmucks) is wonderful as Houston Ballet Company's director Ben Stevenson. Kyle MacLachlan (Blue Velvet (1986), Twin Peaks (TV 1990-91 and film 1992), Sex and the City (TV only 2000-02), Desperate Housewives (2006-10)) is good with his Texas accent, and gets second billing to Greenwood, though he doesn't appear until the second half of the movie. I also liked Joan Chen (The Last Emperor (1987), Twin Peaks (TV only 1990-91), What's Cooking, and Lust, Caution (2007)) as Li's mother, who has the body language of a Chinese peasant down pat. 

All the dancers here are really dancers: Amanda Schull, who plays Liz, danced and starred in Center Stage (2000) when she was in the San Francisco Ballet; Madeleine Eastoe, as Lori, has worked with Murphy in Australia: and Camilla Vergotis (Mary) is also Australian, currently a soloist with the Hong Kong Ballet; and many more.

The book was adapted by Jan Sardi (Oscar-nominated for adapting the screenplay for Shine (1996), and other work) and the cinematographer Peter James also shot Meet the Parents (2000), among others. Thanks to Kathleen for recommending this. We can see The Town anytime (and will), but this won't be around for much longer!