En corps

We are treated to some fine ballet at the start of this film before prospective star "Elise" (Marion Barbeau) goes over on her ankle. It's not the first time this has happened, and the prognosis from the doctors is not good. A broken bone and loads of swelling might necessitate surgery and, well, no more dancing. That news takes a bit of getting use to, but "Elise" is not one for sitting moping. She discusses things with her parents and decides that a bit of physiotherapy helping out a modern dance troupe in Brittany might be the answer. At least it will give her a break from her dizzy dad (Denis Podalydès). Her arrival is welcomed and she soon settles in, being asked to help out one of the dancers with his routine and reminding her that this more to life than dance. Extending from that scenario, there's quite a fun scene with her ponytailed physiotherapist "Yann" (François Civil) who tells her, hopefully, that she should meet someone. His crestfallen face when she says that perhaps she has is almost sad, and it worsens when she declares it might be "Mehdi" (Mehdi Baki)! Essentially, this is a film about her and her compulsions. To dance and to herself mainly, and Barbeau is on good form delivering a character that has had her future snatched from her, but who is undeterred in making a new one. It has elements of "Fame" (1980) to it - a group of otherwise unlikely friends who are drawn together by their love of dance, music - and peeling potatoes. Pio Marmaï adds value, too, as the rather whacky cook "Loïc" and all in all I think this is quite enjoyable to watch.

Very surprised by this music romance. Absolutely worth a watch! Watching it in French is even better, but if you like dancing, or music, it delivers on all of those fronts. Even got some amazing jokes in there! The actors are well balanced, the cinematography is actually very good, the story is compelling and the romance quite real and heartfelt.

My girlfriend thought the start was kind of cheesy, but i felt it was the intent of the director to present the life of the character as such. The theme of classical dancing is well explored in that way, and the way the beautiful Elise explores her young personality just gives that opinion an extra meaning.

I would recommend watching it with an open mind and a relaxed mood, it does a great job at transporting your whole being in this dancer universe!

.... i profoundly loathe Classical Ballet for a series of reasons .... it looks like it belongs to a past we do not want to be reminded of ..... but and I do not particularly like Modern Ballet either yes a difficult customer but i love dance when it really comes from inside and then all the prejudices melt away

I did not know who the main dancer Marion Barbeau here was how revered she is; but when I saw her move in any genre there is no mistaking The Shakti the liifeforce the energy of life itself ; when she walks in normal civilian stance there is nothing to see; and then a switch goes off and magic happens ....

The story is fair to good; the other players (Denis Podalydès as the useless/hapless father and the mention of D'ormesson is a gem) and dancers and also very good the street dance with the Music of Can and Jaki Liebezeit from 69 or 70 which the youngsters term hiphop here (yep) and which really sounds so unbelievably fresh 50 years later and not out-of-date moves them in ways which are astounding; gymnastics and dance-wise

This film is a paean to The God of Dance and an absolute must-see/ Apparently was filmed during covid time; so it was not a wasted year for all :)

Thank u Mr Klapisch for this feast.

Taking advantage of the mini French Film Festival at our local cinema (merci beaucoup !) I picked "Rise" with little enthusiasm but nothing else really appealed - I was hooked from the first ballet scene and I am not a huge dance aficionado. The doubly gifted Marion Barbeau is a pleasure to watch with her wonderful dancing and equally skilled acting. I know nothing of the technicalities of movie making but I thought this skilfully constructed with the storyline woven between some interesting contemporary dance - at times it was almost like watching a documentary about a modern dance troupe such was the natural 'acting' of the dancers. Brilliant from start to finish - another tour de force of French movie making !

This story is strongly rooted in dance, if you don't find dancing fun, intriguing or dramatic enough there's barely anything else happening here that has not been done before better in a different movie.

The life of the protagonist is shown in different common facets that usually appear in drama films. The way she found ways to thrive through dance is probably the only more specific plot point to this film and since dancing is really not something that interests me i just couldn't connect with the main character.

Secondary characters are barely fleshed out at all besides her relationship with her father maybe, and just a little. That was about it. The rest is just related to her dancing career and setbacks related to it and a little bit about how some parts of society are also preconcevied to be setbacks but how life finds ways and stuff like that.

I guess acting and directing and production and everything else is alright but nothing really ever pulls you in.

Maybe if you can stream if somewhere i could say go for it, i wouldn't be satisfied with this film if i had to pay a full admission ticket to watch it.