Biographical dance drama starring Carlos Acosta. In early 1980s Cuba, young tearaway Carlos is enrolled in ballet school by his father, who hopes to keep the boy out of trouble. As he grows older, Carlos develops great skill and finds fame with the Royal Ballet in London, but his success comes at a price.
This biopic about ground-breaking Cuban ballet star Carlos Acosta takes its title from his family nickname. As a boy from a working-class background, Acosta wasn't keen on attending ballet classes, fearing ridicule from his mates, but his lorry-driver dad insisted on him attending Havana's leading dance academy. Noted Spanish director Iciar Bollain (Take My Eyes) takes an enterprising approach to her subject's rags-to-riches trajectory, with Acosta himself, now a top choreographer, putting together an autobiographical show recounting his memories through dance. That intercuts with more conventional dramatised highlights, with exuberant Edilson Manuel Olbera portraying Acosta during his turbulent boyhood and a more stolid Keyvin Martinez essaying his international breakthrough. To be fair, it's a slightly fragmented journey, but the onus on telling the story through movement is distinctive and effective. The highlight, though, is key archive footage of Acosta himself in his dancing prime, as the first black Romeo to perform with London's Royal Ballet. His grace, athleticism and sheer star quality make it evident why he's worth a movie of his own.
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Carlos Acosta | Carlos Acosta |
| Pedro Acosta | Santiago Alfonso |
| Carlos Acosta, as a young man | Keyvin Martinez |
| Carlos Acosta, as a boy | Edilson Manuel Olbera |
| Chery | Laura de la Uz |
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | Iciar Bollain |
