User reviews

Legendary dancer Carlos Acosta stars in his own biography. Raised by a controlling but loving father he is forced to start a ballet school even though he hates the idea. A coming of age story with a strong connection to the time and place, makes for unique viewing.

Carlos Acosta has co-written the multilayered script with the Scottish writer Paul Laverty. It is mostly focused on Acosta's childhood and his journey to accepting his true calling. The film is also a bittersweet testament to his father, a man with a turbulent personality who never stopped believing in his son's talent.

Authentic and larger than life, and full of colourful scenery, the film always has another wonder in store. Slightly too long for an independent production it still has a coherent story to tell, about the purest of diamond found in the toughest of places.

I do not care much about ballet although my education had ensured I know a lot about it. YULI has plenty of ballet on display but it is organic to the storytelling. Yes, there are dance sequences for those who enjoy them, but for those who don't they are short and inventive enough to be fun.

Here is an extraordinary life story told without bitterness or regrets. There's gratitude instead. And this is how it should be.

Based on Carlos Acosta biography, this movie manages to nicely tell its path from a black and poor cuban to the acclaimed principal dancer he became. Center-part is of course Yuli, but we do follow its family through time and that has a nice touch to it (eventhough i do regret one of her sister evolution is not better explained). We of course have ballet scenes but they are well integrated in the story and it is not required to be a connoisseur.

One of the main forces of this movie is that it treats the topic between talent, work and happiness, and that brings this biopic to another level.

Written by Paul Laverty this is the story of Acosta's life: a loving yet brutally determined father, a schizophrenic sister, a poor childhood in Cuba, racism, career vs. family and becoming the principal dancer at the English National Ballet in London. Acosta recreates his own life, directing other dancers to play characters from that life with Acosta occasionally playing his own father. Like a child recreating its own past in order to feel comfortable within the known - or to change it - Acosta does it with dance.

This is a beautiful piece of work and takes us into the graceful world and mind of a man working through his demons with dance.

A biopic as hard as beautiful of Carlos Acosta, a child raised by an old-school but loving father and then a well-known black dancer who first did not want to dance.

Many tender, heart-wrenching scenes, a beautiful photography including the alleys of Cuba, good actors: 6/7 of 10.

Carlos is a boy who lives in a marginal neighborhood of Havana with his family. Yuli is the nickname given to Carlos Acosta by his father, Pedro, who considers him the son of Ogun, an African god and a fighter. At the beginning Yuli avoids discipline and education while learning from the streets of an impoverished and abandoned Havana. Due to his natural talent for developing and performing dance choreography, the young man (Carlos Acosta himsef) -forced by his father (Santiago Alfonso)- enters a Cuban dance school.

Iciar Bollain directs this biopic centered on the talented Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta, a dance legend who rose to the rank of principal dancer in prestigious companies such as the Houston Ballet and the Royal Ballet of London. Acosta himself plays himself during his adult years in the ninth feature film by this competent director, Bollain, from Madrid. More themes such as strict discipline, suffering, and overcoming difficulties are the main themes that concern this film, efficiently showing the vital trajectory of the first Black dancer to star in Romeo and Juliet with the Royal Ballet of London.

The film's script, inspired by the autobiography "No Way Home," was written by Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty, a regular screenwriter for the director and the father of her children. Laverty received the Jury Award for Best Screenplay at the San Sebastian Film Festival in 2018.

On the technical side, a diverse array of Spanish talent stands out, such as Alex Catana, winner of the 2015 Goya Award for Best Cinematography for "La Isla Minima," as well as Oscar-winning composer Alberto Iglesua, a frequent collaborator with director Bollain and also with Pedro Almodovar.

The director Icíar Bollaín presents us the story of the Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta in an interesting way. She has worked as a leading actress in selected films a ¨The South¨ (1983) by 'Victor Erice',¨Malaventura¨ (1988) by Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón , ¨Land and Freedom¨ (1995) by Ken Loach, it became an acclaimed audience's and critics' choice ; ¨Leo¨ (2000) by 'Jose Luis Borau' that won the Best Actress nomination Goya Spanish Academy Awards and ¨Nos Miran¨ (2002) . She is a prestigious producer , writing and directing since then both documentaries and fiction films. In 1995, she wrote and directed her feature film debut, ¨Hola, ¿estás Sola?¨ (1995), awarded with Best New Director in Valladolid Festival and was nominated for Best Directorial Debut by the Spanish Film Academy. The film became one of Spain's 1996 box office hits. ¨Flowers from another world¨(1999), was her second feature film and was awarded at Cannes Film Festival 1999, Best Film in the International Critics' Week ; ¨Take my eyes¨, 2003, was her following film as writer and director, winner of 7 Goyas Spanish Academy Awards, including Best Film, among many other international awards. Her next feature film was ¨Mataharis (2007)¨ , subsequently , ¨Katmandu¨ and after ¨El Olivo¨ at her best . ¨Yuli¨ rating: 6.5/10. Better than average.

A semi-documentary trip through the career of the great Cuban dancer, Carlos Acosta, which doesn't seem sure whether it wants to be a drama-bio or a documentary, so it feels a little disjointed at times, however, it's an inspiring story. Acosta's rise from an underprivileged background in Cuba (the Cuban scenes are the highlight) to world stardom, his travails and struggles, and the evolution of his great talent. Yula is interesting, enjoyable viewing.

Without a doubt one of the best movies i have ever seen in my life. It came at right time. Thank you cuba for this piece of art.

Amazing choreography, this film explores abstract emotions, fear, loneliness and lust.

I recommend it

This energetic account of the life of the electrifying Cuban never shies away from the truth about his tough upbringing

I love this movie so much. I can totally relate to Acosta.

Lovely movie, Especially if you enjoy dancing. Even without dancing, the story gives you everything you expect from a Biography/Drama.

You don't have to love ballet or dance to appreciate this fine film. It weaves dance , stunningly performed by Acosta and his co-dancers in short, riveting bursts, in with the story of his childhood growing up in Cuba and into his adjustment to being in other countries as a young adult, leading eventually to world recognition. Acosta was pushed into dancing by his father, who was extremely tough on him and determined he should stick with a strict practice regime, but now he is grateful for that, as it led to his great passion for dance and the opportunities he later had to perform with the Cuban National Ballet as Principal Dancer and for a long period with Royal Ballet London as Principal Guest Dancer. He now has his own contemporary dance company, Acosta Danza which tours and performs internationally. Iciar Bollain has taken risks with this unique biopic, with its blend of narrative and dance, but for me and most of the critics whose reviews I've read, it works. It just means you need to shift with the film as it moves between the different stages of his life and the actors or dancers who are portraying him at that point. This bold directing combined with Paul Laverty's honest and heartfelt writing (he also wrote I Daniel Blake) makes for great teamwork and results in a truly compelling watch. Just a great shame that UK distribution confined the film to a couple of special screenings (followed by excellent Q&As with Acosta, Laverty and Bollain) and a ridiculously restricted screening run at selected cinemas. Why? This film deserved much wider screening (compare it with Germany, where it was in some 95 locations!). What is happening with foreign title distribution in this country? Don't get me started....Anyway, I feel that Yuli is a film well worth seeking out - and it's not too late to lobby your local cinema!

Nice movie! Can watch till the end..Dancing is superb!

Great movie cinema i can't wait for watching this. Nice presentation too.

Legendary dancer Carlos Acosta stars in his own biography. Raised by a controlling but loving father he is forced to start a ballet school even though he hates the idea. A coming of age story with a strong connection to the time and place, makes for unique viewing.

I love it, its my favourite movie, he is soo good and soo cool, thank you for this

So many energy in this movie. I watch this many and many other time.

This is really a great movie. I like it very much. Music was really nice. Enjoy it a lot.

I didn't know at all the history of the dancer Carlos Acosta, this movie conducted me into a very suggestive personal story from when he was poor to his international success

Liked this movie a lot, really good, nice cast and production

I made the mistake of waiting so long to watch this masterpiece. This a coming of age story done right.

The story is superb and the screenplay is very engaging. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience.