Margot Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Margot Blu-ray Movie Review

A passable but frustrating BBC biopic...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown August 3, 2010

"The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference between taking one's work seriously and taking one's self seriously. The first is imperative and the second is disastrous."

Who was Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias? It seems like an obvious question, one you would expect a well-cast BBC television production like director Otto Bathurst and screenwriter Amanda Coe's Margot to answer by the time its credits rolled. But even after watching the renowned Prima Ballerina Assoluta (played with passionate poise by Anne-Marie Duff) struggle with love and loyalty on-stage and off, I found myself asking the same question. Who was Margot Fonteyn? Her skill was and is undeniable; her commitment to dance even more so. Her accomplishments numerous and immeasurable; her legacy unmatched. All points Bathurst and Coe tick off their list early and often. But who was Margot when the curtain fell? Who was she to the men in her life? What drove her to greatness? What inspired her to push on when everyone around her assumed she would retire? Beneath the unrivaled technique, behind those porcelain cheeks, who was the woman who defied expectation, honed her craft, and savored affection as if it were a rare and expensive wine? Alas, Margot only brushes the surface.

"Minor things can become moments of great revelation when encountered for the first time."

Perhaps it's too much to expect of an 85-minute film. Margot begins as the famed English dancer's career is drawing to a close. We aren't privy to Fonteyn's upbringing, her Russian tutelage, her Vic-Wells ballet studies, her early professional career, her rise to stardom, or the years she spent performing with stage partners Robert Helpmann or Michael Somes. No, Bathurst and Coe are more interested in Fonteyn's later years, specifically the 1960s, when the Royal Ballet (the foremost classic ballet company in Great Britain) began to suspect the then-forty-year-old dancer was past her prime. Refusing to retire, Fonteyn's fame is rekindled with the arrival of a young Russian defector named Rudolf Nureyev (Michiel Huisman), a spirited male dancer the likes of which the aging ballerina has never encountered. Paired together by Royal Ballet choreographer and director Frederick Ashton (Derek Jacobi), Fonteyn and Nureyev earn international attention and acclaim, and their passions soon spill off stage. But when her husband, shady Panamanian politico Roberto Arias (an appropriately smarmy Con O'Neill), is shot and paralyzed, Fonteyn must choose between devotion and obsession, and find a way to pay for his mounting medical bills.

Whether Fonteyn and Nureyev ever actually had an affair is a point of contention -- she denied it to her dying day, he claimed they did indeed share a bed -- but Coe confidently picks her poison, building the whole of her script around Nureyev's assurances as if the facts of the matter were entirely evident. (I can only imagine how much more interesting Margot could have been had the film's central relationship been shrouded in mystery, similar to the manner in which Doubt toyed with did-he-or-didn't-he ambiguity.) What follows is a restrained melodrama that offers little more than a mid-twentieth century love triangle, albeit one that lacks the intensity and tension of a more nuanced romance. Fonteyn is married to the stage, not Arias, and her affair with Nureyev is merely a byproduct of proximity and shared experience, not a genuine emotional connection. Parallel scenes of Duff casually draped across Huisman and O'Neill's laps only seem to confirm Coe's assertions: that an artist's personal life is an interlude in a greater stage production, and that an artist's career is really the only tangible extension of an artist and her art. A compelling argument... if the filmmakers invested as much time exploring the complexity of Fonteyn's dualistic relationships as they do in the strain it puts on a fascinating woman they seem all too eager to present as an easily smitten girl.

That's not to suggest Margot is without merit. Duff, Huisman, O'Neill, and Jacobi are exceptional actors, and bring vulnerability and palpable chemistry to their scenes. Where Coe pens heartfelt confidence, Duff injects welcome hesitance. Where Bathurst relies on light and shadow to set his tone, Huisman summons something deeper from within Nureyev's belly. Together, Duff and Huisman are electric. She fawns and draws closer, he advances and grows softer. Apart, their bond can still be felt. And O'Neill? O'Neill rises to meet them, carefully navigating past a dozen pitfalls other actors would have plunged into within minutes. Their performances are so strong that I sometimes found myself warming to Margot's wares. I'll even admit it's more than possible I simply missed the point of the film. As a slice-of-life biopic, one that plays with history and concocts entire encounters and exchanges, it works on several levels, particularly when it comes to weaving the emotionally turbulent tale of a highly regarded dancer destined to live out her days on the stage. That being said, I was continually distracted by the matter-of-fact answers Coe and Bathurst provided to questions I didn't care to ask, as well as the cryptic gaps they neglected that I so desperately wanted them to fill. Eighty-five minutes simply isn't enough time to tackle someone of Fonteyn's stature, nor does it afford Bathurst the room to establish ample context or, at the very least, a more meaningful character arc. Those familiar with Fonteyn's life and career will have fewer qualms with the missing pieces in Margot's puzzle. Me? I walked away asking the same question I posed when I arrived: who was Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias?

Margot Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As a faithful representation of its original BBC production, BFS Entertainment's 1080i/AVC-encoded transfer is easy on the eyes and easier to recommend. While Florian Hoffmeister's weathered period palette isn't exactly bursting with rich colors, every naturally lit drawing room and carefully saturated primary is as evocative and affective as Bathurst intended, skintones are both lovely and lifelike, delineation is rather revealing, and black levels, though somewhat weak here and there, are generally quite satisfying. A handful of scenes are murky (an early encounter between Fonteyn and her husband is a bit muddy), and still others are bathed in a sickly green hue, but it all falls within the realm of filmmaker intent. It helps that detail is impressive -- fine textures are apparent throughout, closeups are noteworthy, and object definition is fairly remarkable for a television film (albeit two notches below razor-sharp) -- and only wavers on occasion. Still, contrast is a tad inconsistent, faint artifacting and banding make appearances (most noticeably during Fonteyn's practices and performances), and noise tends to spike in the darkest reaches of Hoffmeister's photography. As it stands, the transfer isn't going to blow anyone away, but it gets the job done and does it well.

Margot Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Margot may only include a stereo mix, but that shouldn't frighten anyone away. BFS Entertainment serves up an exceedingly earnest DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track; one that effectively reproduces the film's original sound design without sacrificing its integrity. Dialogue is clean, clear and perfectly prioritized, enhancing every declaration of affection and hushed regret that slips past Duff and Huisman's lips. Not that the actors' voices have much to compete with. Ambience and crowd chatter are sparse, and Fonteyn's stage performances are home to the only arresting sonic spectacles to be found. Of course, without any LFE support or rear speaker fury, the film's music suffers accordingly, making the whole of the experience a two-dimensional one. But as stereo tracks go, I don't have many complaints. At least it's a lossless mix!

Margot Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Blu-ray edition of Margot includes a standard DVD copy of The Royal Ballet, a 128-minute Paul Czinner production filmed in 1960 that features Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes performing scenes from Swan Lake, Firebird and Ondine. Even those who aren't terribly familiar with Fonteyn or her career will be stunned by the grace and technique she employs on stage. Documentaries or extensive behind-the-scenes fare would have been more appreciated, but BFS Entertainment's bonus disc adds welcome value to an otherwise barebones release.

Note: The Royal Ballet is presented in non-anamorphic widescreen with a Dolby Digital stereo mix.

Margot Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Margot will mainly appeal to those who are already familiar with Fonteyn's career and legacy. Others, like myself, will be frustrated; left asking too many unanswered questions and longing for a more resonant portrait of an amazing dancer who accomplished so much in her seventy-one years. Thankfully, BFS Entertainment's Blu-ray release will please anyone who enjoys the film itself. Its video transfer is quite attractive for a 1080i television production, its stereo mix is presented via a solid DTS-HD Master Audio lossless track, and it includes a standard DVD copy of The Royal Ballet featuring performances by Fonteyn and Michael Somes. If you've never heard the name Margot Fonteyn, a rental is definitely in order. But if you're well acquainted with the late Prima Ballerina Assoluta, this BBC production is certainly worth greater consideration.