The music and the dancing, of course, are wonderful. So, too, is the cinematography, mainly in black and white. They sustain our interest through a subtle, even difficult, film that is pre-occupied with identifying the qualities and spheres of professionalism and of the personal in life. That Sally Potter's acting is amateurish, that her dancing is not consummate, that the dialogue is predictable to the point of being banal, is the point. The slick attempt at a film she abandons, 'Rage', and the narcissism to which Pablo is prey, both demonstrate the limits and dangers of skill untempered by the subjective, the personal. The great truth of this film is banal: that it is only in trust, in abandoning yourself to another, that you can find your deepest potentialities. It is then that professionalism finds its purpose, in supporting that trust, in providing the medium through which your potential is realized, as is so enthralling demonstrated in the dance. Sally and Pablo start as professionals and end the film having, through each other, discovered themselves.
This film helped me understand my life, it might help you understand yours. In any case, you can certainly enjoy the tangos.
This film helped me understand my life, it might help you understand yours. In any case, you can certainly enjoy the tangos.