Stylish and Subversive

Rating: 8/10 (15 December 2012)

This one doesn't quite satisfy as a Horror/Thriller film and doesn't quite make it as a tribute to the ballet. It is, of course, more than either of these restraints and as a result is more than the parts and less than the whole. That is to say it has enough crossover involvement to attract attention to the amalgamation but not enough to be totally successful at either.
It is stylishly, subversive and creative, however it does have some convoluted and in your face scenes that can be called indulgent and not much more. There is a glossy look and the Director's artsy way is on display here with varying visits to hallucination and mental instability.
The film is an attractive and disturbing affair that can be absorbing and repugnant. Fans of dance and stage production will be disappointed and if one is expecting an all out Horror/Thriller, well maybe.
One could do better to see Michael Powell's The Red Shoes (1948) or Bob Fosse's All That jazz (1979) or any number of films by Dario Argento to do better. This Director while not bad, he does have his moments, has yet to demonstrate anything excellent.