NORTH TEXAS PREMIERE
The Gymnast
7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 31, Rose Marine Theater
Director: Ned Farr
U.S.A., 2006, 98 min.
Jane's body is an athletic perfection, but her
soul is nearly extinguished. 20 years ago, she was poised for glory as
an Olympic gymnast. Now she's vanishing into Southern California
obscurity, a 43 year-old massage therapist who lugs her table from
house to house, soothing the aches of self-centered clients. Her
marriage is loveless, and she realizes, all too late, that she's missed
her chance to have a child. Then, in the unlikeliest of places, emerges
hope. Jane is recruited to perform in a Vegas-style aerial ballet act,
which reignites her athletic passion - climbing, wrapping and unfurling
her body in a vast crimson curtain high above the floor. Her partner is
Serena, a hard-edged Korean-American dancer whose knife fetish is just
the beginning of her mesmerizing appeal. Soon enough, Jane's having a
sexual awakening, as well.
Drea Weber pulls us into every step of Jane's
re-blossoming - from a fog of despair all the way up to an exhilarating
surprise finale. Addie Yungmee is equally splendid, masterfully
juxtaposing Serena's exterior swagger with internal struggle.
Writer/director Ned Farr's script is tight and graceful, making room
for plenty of ravishing imagery of the performance itself, the women's
bodies interlocked, writhing sensuously and cocooned in fabric. Winner
of 18 audience awards, The Gymnast
is a rare and honest portrait of sexual and emotional self-discovery,
an unforgettable reminder that coming-of-age can happen at any stage of
life.
www.thegymnastfilm.com
Preceded by the short:
I Could Fall in Love With You
U.K., 2007, 4 min.
Erasure fans around the world express their love to the band's new single.
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