Ghostlight

Writer/director/producer Chris Herrmann's interviews at the time this film was released indicate that he was one of Martha Graham's last employees and confidantes, and his affection for the modern dance giant is evident in this frothy homage to Graham and the woozy NYC art/dance world of the late 20th century. Showcasing a hysterical (and surprisingly touching) performance by Richard Move as the legendary "Martha" (legends don't need surnames, after all) and co-starring downtown performance powerhouse Ann Magnuson as the intrepid reporter out to "docu" her, Herrmann keeps us moving on a whirlwind tour around Manhattan, with tasty cameos from Debbie Harry (shopping for important jewelry, no less!), Isaac Mizrahi and Mark Morris, among others. The crowd at the Tribeca Film festival loved this one and you will too!

intense treatment of one of martha graham's last dance performances. showcases the legendary choreographer and dancer through the eyes of a young journalist who is doing a piece on martha's life - who also happens to have been a student of martha's during martha's younger years. very nice parallel between the struggles of the character martha embodies in the dance and her own struggles as an aging woman and dancer. i found the dance sequences invigorating - but the film has enough humanness and depth to keep non-dance types like me entertained and even charmed. this film is definitely worth seeing, especially for richard move's spectacular performance. he makes a very compelling martha, although i must admit that i didn't think the costume/wig people did him justice in all scenes. added bonus: cameos by blondie and isaac mizrahi.

This film is an original and intriguing portrait of Martha Graham one of the most visionary founders of modern contemporary dance.

Featuring an extraordinary central performance by Richard Move as Martha in her later years. The film manages to convey the drive, ambition and obstinacy of this enormous creative force now challenged by age, financial difficulties and a rapidly changing world. Directed and co written by Chris Herrmann, shot on Super 16mm, the film mimics the form of a documentary profile but is beautifully shot and gives a great insight into the ongoing innate drama of this great artist's life.

The film which opened the Tribeca Film Festival was also presented at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic and will shortly be issued on DVD - A definite must for all dance aficionado's and art film audiences alike.

I saw "Ghostlight" at the Mill Valley Film Festival last year. It was one of the most innovative, provocative and inspiring art films I've seen in a long time.

Richard Move was a brilliant casting idea from Director, Christopher Herrmann. His performance of Martha was uncanny and I immediately bought into the fact that a man was playing her and suspended my disbelief.

I thought the recreated archival film of Martha Graham was brilliant, on the level of Woody Allen's Zelig.

The film was both funny, poignant and educational. I thought Ann Magunson's Character really brought focus to the film and she's never looked hotter. Her character, a filmmaker, follows Martha and captures what may be the diva's last ballet.

Isaac Mizrahi and Mark Morris were wonderful as well. I could have done without the Deborah Harry cameo, it seem a little tacked on. The acting in some of the smaller roles, especially some of the dancers in "Martha's" company were a bit amateurish but I felt the same about Altman's "The Company" so I guess this can be expected when dancers are asked to act. Eric Kastel, who plays James, Martha's company manager and rock, got much better as the film when on. He was weak in the beginning and he took me out of the film a few times.

By the end of the "Ghostlight" I was quite moved by the message of the sacrifice that a true genius makes for his or her art.

The cinematography was stunning, using a mixture of B&W film for the flashbacks of Martha's marriage and breakup with Eric Hawkins and the lush 35mm color film for the stage performance scenes. The film has several layers to it and each one has it's own look and feel.

Not sure I should comment on other reviews but that guy SonnyKUSA who said that the film was made in conjunction with the Martha Graham Estate should get his facts straight. I noticed the film had a disclaimer at the end of the credits that says, "This film is in no way connected to the Martha Graham Entities" he also says the film was shot on video, huh???

Has anyone noticed that the user rating on ghostlight is 5 stars and almost everyone who made comments and voted gave it 9 or 10 stars? Doesn't that seem strange? It must be an IMDb error. IMDb will you correct this?

This film accurately portrays Graham's life as seen by the people who knew her best. It is a first-person biography done by people who worked with her. It is also very entertaining. So, it is a must-see for anyone interested in entertainment/art history, especially for those who missed seeing Graham work while she was still alive. Don't miss it! The performance of the lead roll has been reviewed as "Camp". This could be considered a valid criticism until you begin to consider who else might have done the subject matter better justice. Madonna was mentioned as the star but the match of her persona to Martha is a bit off-key. Who better to play her than a person who has studied her and made a career of impersonating her. Hats off to Christopher Herrmann for making this work!