Polina2016

Though the film suggests a hardiness borne of her working-class background and mobster father, Polina remains fairly opaque. At least the contemporary dance sequences are beautifully mounted; French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj has a co-director credit on the film.

An interesting and enjoyable film, which is as much about the evolution of dance as it is about the evolution of Polina. My one criticism is that the film makes classical dance seem very dull, compared to modern dance. But, of course, that was the point of view of the dancers. The actors were all convincing and the dancing was exquisite.

The film conveys energy, color, and movement from start to finish, irrespective of whether Polina is dancing, bartending, or trying to catch a few moments of sleep in a laundromat.