The Tango Lesson

I sat spellbound for the entire length of The Tango Lesson. I've become an instant fan of Sally's work. The movie takes romance and drama to a new level of intensity while drawing you in bit by bit into the story of Sally and Pablo. I couldn't imagine a better film to watch for fun. The soundtrack is original and when linked with the dancing it makes The Tango Lesson a memorable film.

the dance. the passion of clashing characters, cultures and dancing styles. the music. the never-ending strive for dominance, for self-comprehension, for excellence in the art that speaks to your heart. the joy of love and the crying of the broken heart. the non-imposing touch of religion and intellect and determination, melted into the lives of tri-lingual strangers who allowed their pathes to cross to form an emotional bouquet of lust, atristry and cinematography called the tango lesson. elegant, sincere, and wicked. possibly, one of the best movies you'll ever let sink under your skin, along with the rain of buenos aires, lights of the Seine cruise ship, and a-typical british breath of life. mesmerizing movie. heart-breaking soundtrack. highly recommended if you believe that tango - or any art, for that matter - can change one's life. and a-must if it already did.

The credits for "The Tango Lesson" make Sally Potter sound like the Barbra Streisand of independent film. Produced, written, directed, music by, vocals... and on and on. She might have catered the production, too. That may be the problem with the film. The tango is a fiery, passionate dance and calls for an intensity that Potter's somewhat tepid British persona fails to bring to it, especially in what concerns her character and the story as a whole. She is not more than an adequate dancer and might have been better served by casting someone else in the lead role of Sally. What saves this film somehow is the dancing by Pablo Verón and the rest of the Argentine cast, and good black and white cinematography. The concerns of the film feel like typical French fare: l'amour, l'amour, and little more than an excuse to showcase misty photography and musical numbers.

Probably encouraged by admirers of her much-better "Orlando", Potter here delivers a vehicle for herself in the worst way: she writes, directs, stars, and actually co-writes the music, including a mawkish love song. The film strongly resembles a high school or college project by a teenager convinced that her own intimate loves and melodramatic obsessions are as fascinating to us as to her. But Potter's character is as unsympathetic as the object of her romantic obsession is unlikable, and the whole film is an embarrassing display of narcissism masquerading as a celebration of the tango. Perhaps if she hadn't cast herself it might have worked. She just can't act, whether playing herself or not. Pretentious, over-ambitious, dull, and silly.

The dancing alone, in this film is enough to make up for what's lacking in this film...pablo veron maybe a incredible tango dancer, but in this film, his attitude towards everything else can only be summoned in one word:The Male Ego.... he is insecure, and his relationship with sally is one of the most unfinished one i've ever seen, or heard about!..but as i said before..the tango makes up for everything else..makes me feel like hopping over to the nearest studio, offering tango lessons!

This is the worst movie I have ever seen, and I have seen quite a few movies. It is passed off as an art film, but it is really a piece of trash. It's one redeeming quality is the beautiful tango dancing, but that cannot make up for Sally Potter's disgustingly obvious tribute to herself. The plot of this movie is nonexistent, and I guarantee you will start laughing by the end. Especially where she starts singing. It's absolutely unreal.

this is a wonderful film - for tango lovers as well as for people who like to ponder about life. if you are looking for a movie with pretty girls, short skirts, and guns, you will be asleep before the first five minutes are over. While the tango moves and general dance moves are great, what's really unique about this film is the commentary it makes about life and the power dynamics of relationships between men and women. It also makes commentary on the film industry and what it means to be an artist in this day and age. While it's true that Sally Potter is not a 21-year-old leggy blonde, she looks damn good at her age (I wish I had her body) and she is a very good actress. Pablito Veron also does a good job playing an arrogant ass. His dancing is awesome. Casting Pablo with a spring chicken as some have hinted, would have ruined the film all together. Go Sally - make more of these films; I'd love to see your other commentary.