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The Tango Lesson
The Tango Lesson (1997) is a drama film by British director Sally Potter. It is a semi-autobiographical film starring Potter and Pablo Veron, about Argentinian Tango.
The film, a co-production of Argentina, France, Germany, Netherlands and the United Kingdom, was produced by Christopher Sheppard in Britain, and Oscar Kramer in Argentina and was shot mostly in black and white in Paris and Buenos Aires. The soundtrack includes Astor Piazzolla's "Libertango."
Plot
The film tells of Sally (Sally Potter) a filmmaker and screenwriter who is suffering from writer's block. She's also dissatisfied with her film project, a murder mystery movie called "Rage" which focuses on the fashion industry. She takes a break and travels to Paris, where she sees the dancer Pablo (Pablo Veron) perform the tango.
She becomes obsessed with the dance and offers Pablo a part in her film in exchange for dance lessons. The two become deeply involved as dancers and as lovers, and their emotional intimacy threatens the success of their dancing together.
The film explores the conflict between the woman dancer accepting the man's lead in the dance, while the man must accept the woman's lead in the film. It is also a love story, as well as a showcase for Veron's dancing.
Distribution
The film was first presented at the Venice Film Festival in Italy on August 29, 1997. One week later it was screened at the Toronto Film Festival in Canada on September 8, 1997.
The picture screened at various film festivals, including: the Mar del Plata Film Festival, Argentina; the Reykjavik Film Festival, Iceland; the Istanbul Film Festival, Turkey; and others.
Exhibition dates
Argentina: November 20, 1997
Australia: November 26, 1998
France: April 8, 1998
Germany: October 9, 1997
Netherlands: January 15, 1998
United Kingdom: November 28, 1997
United States: November 14, 1997
Critical reception
New York Times film critic, Janet Maslin, thought the film was rather simple, and wrote, "Stiffly playing a filmmaker with a growing passion for the tango, [Sally Potter] makes this a handsome, dryly meticulous film with no real fire anywhere beyond its supple dance scenes. The lessons are numbered and cataloged with an obsessive care like that of Peter Greenaway, but this material has little of his corresponding complexity." Maslin, Janet. The New York Times, film review, "Filmmaker Falls for The Tango In Paris," November 14, 1997.
Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert discussed in his review the film's major goal, writing, "Most dances are for people who are falling in love. The tango is a dance for those who have survived it, and are still a little angry about having their hearts so mishandled. The Tango Lesson is a movie for people who understand that difference." Ebert, Roger. Chicago Sun-Times, film review, December 19, 1997. Last accessed: January 18, 2008.
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle staff critic, lauded the film and the courage of director Potter, and wrote, "British director Sally Potter stuck her neck out when she made The Tango Lesson, a fictionalized account of her relationship with Argentine tango master Pablo Veron...Potter takes what seemed like a recipe for embarrassment and excess and delivers a film that's sweet and understated and devoid of diva posturing...[the film is] smoothly directed, nicely written and falters only in the performance that Potter was able to squeeze out of herself while performing her multiple tasks." Yet, Guthmann believes Potter should have casted another actor in her role. He adds, "It's too bad, then, that Potter couldn't have figured out a way to use another actress to play herself. She often looks worn out, which makes sense given her offscreen responsibilities but works against her tale of courtship, infatuation and the emotional sparks that fly between two gifted, bullheaded artists." Guthmann, Edward. San Francisco Chronicle, film review, "Sally Potter's Elegant 'Tango,' romantic tale's only misstep is director as lead," December 25, 1997. Last accessed: Jauary 18, 2008.
Cast
Sally Potter as Sally
Pablo Veron as Pablo
Morgane Maugran as Red Model
Geraldine Maillet as Yellow Model
Katerina Mechera as Blue Model
David Toole as Fashion Designer
George Yiasoumi as Photographer
Michele Parent as Seamstress
Claudine Mavros as Seamstress
Monique Couturier as Seamstress
Matthew Hawkins as Bodyguard
Simon Worgan as Bodyguard
Carolina Iotti as Pablo's partner
Zobeida as Pablo's Friend
Orazio Massaro as Pablo's Friend
Awards
Wins
Mar del Plata Film Festival: Best Film, Sally Potter; 1997.
National Board of Review: Special Recognition, for excellence in filmmaking; 1997.
American Choreography Awards: American Choreography Award Outstanding Achievement in Feature Film, Pablo Veron; 1998.
Nominations
British Academy of Film and Television Arts: BAFTA Film Award; Best Film not in the English Language; 1998.
External links
La leccion de tango at the cinenacional.com .
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article The Tango Lesson
