"Black Swan" was the definitive story of a ballerina spiralling into madness under the prolonged pressures of competition, physical wear and injury, and emotional insecurity. While Joy Womack narrowly avoids total destruction, "The American" just adds the cultural and political stressors without differentiating the styles of training and ballet between Russian and American schools. That would have been more telling than the unrelenting scenes of Joy Wormack's furrowed brow, tears and smeared mascara. Diane Kruger rescued this otherwise tedious litany with her portrayal of a tough taskmaster but the male dancer Womack marries (Nik) provides the only emotional relief and humanity in this maudlin tale.

Absolutely exquisite dancing. Diane Kruger and the lead dance Talia as the American are so incredibly beautiful to watch. Their grace and balletic postures and figures make this a true depiction of ballet. The director and the actresses really did take us to Russia, and to the ballet. The story is absolutely amazing, and I was delighted to see the ballerina Natalia Osipova featured as herself, and hear that Joy Womack was the Talia Ryder's body double in some of the scenes as well as her trainer. This gives such authenticity to this gorgeous movie. I preferred it to Black Swan which is one of my best.

Really well-done movie with touching photography, delving into the depths of human nature and the infinite ambition of chasing one's dreams. How much would you sacrifice for your dream? Sacrifice amidst high-level politics, the cost of climbing to the top while staying true to yourself without losing touch with reality. An excellent film made on a minimal budget that serves as a reminder that more isn't always better. It's simple but direct, and provokes thought and reflection. You will not regret watching it. It doesn't matter if you like ballet or not; the same sentiment can be applied to any other form of live performance.

This is a great film . So much quality here ! First of all the sound editing and sound track were both extremely well done - the music and choices where to add music and where to go silent were meaningful and purposeful and crated the exact vibe to math the visual aesthetic. Secondly the story itself is told brilliantly - you are left feeling the passion and desire and sadness - you see and feel the spiral into something completely raw and vulnerable- the love story here is between ballet and the dancer . The lead was incredible and she did an amazing job helping you feel raw . The whole movie makes you feel sort of "icky " and question how far you would do to get what you want , what kind of person would you become to be the best ? You are drawn in , impressed and left thinking long after . This review isn't doing this film justice but I loved it - it has an X- factor I can't even seem to put into words here . Ballet is hard core - watch this !

Oh wow I loved this movie. It really got me where it hurts. I sat in silence for quite a while after the credits rolled. I come from dance, haven't been in that world for years, but this felt so authentic in the way it captured what it was like to yearn to be better at something, devote every ounce of your life to it, constantly hit setbacks, and reach a point where your desire becomes an almost dangerous obsession to the point that it can make you question who you really are. The images are so beautiful to look at from beginning to end, and everything about the film felt impeccably crafted. Most importantly, it didn't at all shy away from the tougher sides of what this kind of life is like. It felt honest, emotional, and completely overwhelming. I am now newly obsessed with Joy Womack. Amazing!!

American ballet dancer Joy Womack fights tooth and nail to be accepted into Moscow's infamously tough Bolshoi Ballet Academy, with the dream of becoming a prima ballerina. The obvious comparison is to Black Swan. Both films tell of the rigours and trials of training, becoming a ballerina, and then achieving greatness. Only a tiny proportion of ballerinas achieve great success, and this is about overcoming sabotage as well as politics and of course...training harder than anyone else. Both films show the dark side and the bright side of ballet although arguably The American has fewer dancing scenes. Talia Ryder is perfect in the role as Natalie Portman was in Black Swan. I totally believed in her dream, I believed in her ability to achieve it, and I believed that inside her she was born a dancer. I wonder how much of the story is actual fact? Much of it is apparently, including the corruption allegations. This is how great the film was. It has made me question every aspect of it, and research Joy Womack's life so I get to know more about her, and generally have a more positive opinion of how difficult it is to become a great ballerina. Fabulous film, I gave it a solid 8.

The pace of the movie feels off the effort from the main character to fit in the bolshoi academy is rushed. There is no introduction to her character as well and during the movie very little is told about her story. The cinematography is good although the tone of the film is dark and cold a very stereotypical way of portraying any east European country. There is a lot of over dramatised scenes and unnecessary hostility towards the main character in order to force Joy into a victimising position like begging for pity from the audience. It feels the movie tried to take a lot from the character and story in black swan, nervous and insecure dancer, abusive director/teacher, bullied by her colleagues, self harming as a way to break through.

I saw this in a relatively packed theatre, and the audience responses to it were so intense that a couple behind me started almost yelling at the screen during certain moments. The story is based on Joy Womack, the American dancer who danced at the Bolshoi, and it seems to follow a relatively straightforward narrative initially. But once things start going wrong, it felt like a rollercoaster ride dropping into a relentless series of unpredictable twists and turns. I won't say much more for the sake of not giving spoilers, but suffice to say, I was constantly on the edge of my seat, and it felt very gripping right to the very end. I was literally holding my breath in parts. The performances are extremely strong, particularly from Talia Ryder and Diane Kruger. It is visually stunning to look at, and features quite incredible direction at times from director (and writer) James Napier Robertson - who made another favourite film of mine, The Dark Horse. The music is beautiful, and very emotional. The only warning I would give is this would not be for a younger audience, and might be a little too intense at times for some more sensitive audiences. It gets quite confronting at times. The final imagery has stayed burned into my mind for days after the screening. Very powerful. Highly recommend!

The American