Joika: Uma Americana no Bolshoi

Oh wow I loved this movie. It really got me where it hurts. I sat in silence for quite a while after the credits rolled.

I come from dance, haven't been in that world for years, but this felt so authentic in the way it captured what it was like to yearn to be better at something, devote every ounce of your life to it, constantly hit setbacks, and reach a point where your desire becomes an almost dangerous obsession to the point that it can make you question who you really are.

The images are so beautiful to look at from beginning to end, and everything about the film felt impeccably crafted. Most importantly, it didn't at all shy away from the tougher sides of what this kind of life is like. It felt honest, emotional, and completely overwhelming.

I am now newly obsessed with Joy Womack. Amazing!!

Absolutely exquisite dancing. Diane Kruger and the lead dance Talia as the American are so incredibly beautiful to watch. Their grace and balletic postures and figures make this a true depiction of ballet. The director and the actresses really did take us to Russia, and to the ballet. The story is absolutely amazing, and I was delighted to see the ballerina Natalia Osipova featured as herself, and hear that Joy Womack was the Talia Ryder's body double in some of the scenes as well as her trainer. This gives such authenticity to this gorgeous movie. I preferred it to Black Swan which is one of my best.

This is a great film . So much quality here ! First of all the sound editing and sound track were both extremely well done - the music and choices where to add music and where to go silent were meaningful and purposeful and crated the exact vibe to math the visual aesthetic.

Secondly the story itself is told brilliantly - you are left feeling the passion and desire and sadness - you see and feel the spiral into something completely raw and vulnerable- the love story here is between ballet and the dancer . The lead was incredible and she did an amazing job helping you feel raw .

The whole movie makes you feel sort of "icky " and question how far you would do to get what you want , what kind of person would you become to be the best ?

You are drawn in , impressed and left thinking long after . This review isn't doing this film justice but I loved it - it has an X- factor I can't even seem to put into words here .

Ballet is hard core - watch this !

No pun intended - and if you know your ballet you get the reference anyway ... although if you know your ballet (as in really know) ... you might have heard of the real story behind this movie. While it may sound and feel cliche at times, apparently some of this actually happened.

I think you can tell I have no clue what transpired ... but maybe that helps the experience of watching this: not knowing where it will end up! Or rather where our main heroine will end up ... ballet or the pursuit of it .. does not really feel like the pursuit of happiness. Is it worth it? What does "winning" mean? How can one even measure ones success? Take the ending of this for example (no worries, won't say what it is) ... if the credits did not clarify ... it might or could have been interpreted differently I reckon.

Really tight script and well acted overall to say the least. Interesting I never heard of this before - good that I was able to find it on a streaming service.

I saw this in a relatively packed theatre, and the audience responses to it were so intense that a couple behind me started almost yelling at the screen during certain moments.

The story is based on Joy Womack, the American dancer who danced at the Bolshoi, and it seems to follow a relatively straightforward narrative initially. But once things start going wrong, it felt like a rollercoaster ride dropping into a relentless series of unpredictable twists and turns. I won't say much more for the sake of not giving spoilers, but suffice to say, I was constantly on the edge of my seat, and it felt very gripping right to the very end. I was literally holding my breath in parts.

The performances are extremely strong, particularly from Talia Ryder and Diane Kruger. It is visually stunning to look at, and features quite incredible direction at times from director (and writer) James Napier Robertson - who made another favourite film of mine, The Dark Horse. The music is beautiful, and very emotional.

The only warning I would give is this would not be for a younger audience, and might be a little too intense at times for some more sensitive audiences. It gets quite confronting at times.

The final imagery has stayed burned into my mind for days after the screening. Very powerful.

Highly recommend!