The Washington Post - 17.02.2020

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friday, february 21, 2020

Movies

Ratings guide

masterpiece



Very good



okay



Poor



Also reviewed

The Lodge

dad’s new girlfriend

is hard to get along

with in this horror

flick. 30

Beanpole

a russian drama

looks at the effects

of war. 31

Plus

common sense

media 32

Opening next

week

anya Taylor-Joy stars

in Emma, an

adaptation of Jane

austen’s book.

a widow believes

she is being stalked

by her dead

husband in The

Invisible Man.

Kristen stewart

plays actress Jean

seberg in the biopic

Seberg.

Once Were

Brothers: Robbie

Robertson and the

Band is a music

documentary.

an east German

man plans to fly to

the West in the

historical drama

Balloon.

a teen enters into a

romantic

relationship with an

older man in

Premature.

My Hero

Academia: Heroes

Rising is an anime

sequel about

superheroes.

BY ANN HORNADAY

“A nd Then We Danced” is a
sinuous, seductive bundle of con-
tradictions. Set in the world of
Georgian dance — a centuries-old
tradition that is still a powerful
force in that country — this story
of a young dancer’s self-discovery
both celebrates the precision and
athletic rigor of an ancient cho-
reographic form, and critiques its
most hidebound resistance to
change.
Levan Gelbakhiani plays Merab,
whose tendency to inject sensual
flourishes into the sharply angular
movements of Georgian dance in-
vites biting comments from his
martinet of a teacher. “You need to
be like a nail,” t he teacher scolds
Merab. “You’re too soft.” What Mer-

er shimmy set to a pop tune by

Robyn. As Merab’s p assion grows,

“A nd Then We Danced” becomes

more achingly poignant, reaching

a mournful climax during a stun-

ning tracking shot that follows

Akin’s lovesick protagonist

through a lively wedding party.

What follows may not be sur-

prising, but it’s no less effective

for that. In Akin’s capable hands,

“A nd Then We Danced” becomes

an affecting testament to heart-

break, resilience and emotional

expression at its most liberated

and life-affirming.

[email protected]

And Then We Danced 

lisabi Fridell/music box Films

Unrated. at landmark’s e street cinema and the cinema arts Theatre. contains smoking, profanity, gay epithets and scenes of sexuality.

i n Georgian with subtitles. 113 minutes.

Seductive dance leads to self-discovery

ab lacks in natural ability he makes

up for in a tireless work ethic:

Between waiting tables at a Tbilisi

restaurant and looking after his

depressed mother and binge-

drinking brother, he takes every

opportunity he can to practice, in

the hopes that he and his longtime

training partner Mary (Ana Javak-

ishvili) will one day be chosen to

join the prestigious national com-

pany.

Merab’s ambitions are jostled

when Irakli (Bachi Valishvili)

shows up one day. Not only is the

dreamy-looking newcomer more

organically gifted, but Merab

feels an unmistakable pull to-

ward his charisma and physical

grace. Rivalry, friendship and ro-

mance ensue, throughout en-

counters inside and outside the

dance studio, as Merab fights to

acknowledge his feelings within a

culture defined by strict — and

deeply homophobic — notions of

masculinity.

Written and directed by Levan

Akin, a Swedish filmmaker of

Georgian descent, “A nd Then We

Danced” doesn’t break the mold

in structure or emotional beats:

This is a story viewers have seen

before, whether in the form of

“Flashdance,” “My Beautiful

Laundrette” or “Bend it Like

Beckham.” But Akin grounds oth-

erwise familiar plot points in the

evocative specifics of Georgian

society, presenting its insularity

and conservatism alongside a gay

subculture that to this day the

country officially doesn’t recog-

nize as existing. In addition to

thrilling numbers performed by

an ensemble of handsome real-

life dancers, Akin includes a gor-

geous sequence set at a house

party i n the country, w here guests

sing a folk song in the haunting

polyphonic harmony that distin-

guishes Georgian folk music.

Akin’s other triumph in “A nd

Then We Danced” is in casting

Gelbakhiani, a dancer he discov-

ered on Instagram, who gives

Merab the kind of innocence and

guilelessness that earns instant

sympathy from the audience.

Blessed with wide green eyes and

an expansive grin, Gelbakhiani is

a joy to watch, whether he’s mov-

ing across a dance studio floor or

giving an impromptu come-hith-

Georgian dancer’s story

is an affecting testament

to heartbreak and

emotional expression

Levan Gelbakhiani, right,

with Bachi Valishvili, stars

in “And Then We Danced.”

He plays Merab, whose

tendency to inject sensual

flourishes into the sharply

angular movements of

Georgian dance invites

biting comments from his

martinet of a teacher. What

Merab lacks in natural

ability he makes up for in a

tireless work ethic.

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